Help! At My Wits End, All Fish Dead Again!

[genuwine4532]

I am at my wits end with my 55 GAL tank, for the last 14 months (since I bought this tank) I have had nothing but a serious of sickness, that I believe were ick and velvet, after attemtping treatments that failed I just started over each time because all fish died.
 
Started over means broke down tank completely, bleached everything, boiled rocks and washed everything in dishwasher just to be sure. Bleach cleaned the plastic parts of the filter and bleached and rinsed throughouly all the gravel.
 
New tank got: water conditioner, freshwater salt, and Tetra SafeStart for good bacteria (Spirolina),
 
Regular testing done weekly: 0 on all nitrite, nitrate and ammonia.
 
Weekly water changes
 
Each of the 5 times that I did this the disease came back within 9 weeks of new tank start up, and all fish added died.
 
THE above has happened 5 TIMES, but this time there is a horrible rotting sulfur smell that is coming from the tank as well.
 
Current State of Tank
 
Restarted the tank 2 months ago, added Tetra SafeStart which is Sperolina THE tank good bacteria to cycle, also added some gravel from my established tank to aid with slime coat and bacteria growth.
 
Then added 3 red wag platys a couple of days later.
 
Water conditions were optimal for the entire 2 months (testing with liquid tests):
 
Amonia - 0
Nitirite - 0
Nitrate - 0
 
Fish happy and healthy.
 
25% water changes done weekly.
 
Added 2 guppys about 4 weeks after red wags
 
Added 2 tetras last week.
 
Suddenly a horrible rotting smell was coming from the tank, like sulphur, did 60% water change.
 
2 guppys dead the next day after smell.
 
Did another water change 25% after guppies died.
 
Signs of velvet three days later: white film on fins and tails, shallow breathing, not eating and just labored swimming at bottom of tank on the Platys and 1 tetra.
 
Platy's dead the next day.
 
Today one tetra has pop eye and is dying in front of my eyes.
 
One tetra no signs of disease, but is very stressed.
 
Water conditions today (testing with liquid tests):
 
Amonia - 0.25
Nitirite - 0
Nitrate - 5.0
 
At this point I am thinking this tank is cursed, because I don't know what else to do, it's been 6 times now?
 
1. Is it possible that the bleach cleaning did not kill whatever was there to begin with?
 
2. The horrible rotting sulful smell seems to be strongest near the filter system but have no clue why it smells?
Only live plant is a moss ball I put in a couple of days ago, fairly clean carbon cartridge, no dead fish floating, nothing?
 
3. Is there some other way I need to clean everything in order to prevent this same scenario from happening again and again?
 
Any help or input would be appreciated.
 
Thank you
 
Regular Tank Stats:

• 55 Gal
• Marineland BioWheel using four carbon cartriges, have some brown on them but not very dirty
• 3 platys, 3 tetras, 2 guppys (all but one tetra dead)
• 2 air bubble wands
• Temp 80F
• 1 live moss ball

 

[l_l_l]

Are you using carbon only for your filter?

 

[Lillefishy]

As above, is there only carbon in your filter? If not how did you clean any other media?
The temperature is also a bit too high, you could do with dropping it to 74/5

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
 
Sorry to hear you have been having troubles with your tank.
 
I think I have the picture of whats happening with your tank and the last 6 events of losses.
 
IMHO I think your tank is not cursed, just not cycled.
 
Have a read of this, will help you understand that the fish produces waste that is toxic to them, effectively they are poisoning themselves with their production of ammonia through waste and respiration.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
 
A cycled tank means your filter has a colony of bacteria which is able to convert the production of ammonia from fish to nitrate which is still toxic but on a lower level than ammonia and doing daily weekly water changes will control nitrate levels.
 
I came to this conclusion as you mention you only have carbon media in your filter, carbon is only generally used for removing used medication and heavy metals from water like copper for example.
 
You would be better to have sponge filter media as well as ceramic or bio ball media for bacteria to live and grow on.
 
Also the fact that you have consistently shown you have very little or no nitrates, this basically tells me you have no nitrifying bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate tell me that your filter and tank is not cycled really.
 
So i would basically recommend you rehome the single tetra you still have and start doing a fishless cycle, only takes 4 to maybe 8 weeks to do a full cycle, absolutely well worth doing and once cycle is completed and successful you can fully stock your tank quickly. 
 
So if you follow the link i gave earlier that will get you started.
 
Getting hold of a good bottle of bacteria starter will help and you'll need some ammonia for fishless cycle process as well
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427161-ammonia-and-bacteria-starter-sources/
 
Use the time during cycle process to research what stocking you'd like and how many you can have etc.
 
Just ask on this forum about fish you like and compatibility with tank mates and if you ever get stuck or unsure about anything we are more than happy to help.
 
Hope that helps a bit.

 

[genuwine4532]

Are you using carbon only for your filter?

 
 

As above, is there only carbon in your filter? If not how did you clean any other media?
The temperature is also a bit too high, you could do with dropping it to 74/5

 
No, the filter is sponge over carbon cartridges and the Marineland Biowheel has the bacteria holding rollers that have a surface for good bacteria to flourish.
 
I turned up temp when I saw the signs of velvet because they say that higher temps prevents parasites from spreading.
 

Hello and welcome to the forum.
 
Sorry to hear you have been having troubles with your tank.
 
I think I have the picture of whats happening with your tank and the last 6 events of losses.
 
IMHO I think your tank is not cursed, just not cycled.
 
Have a read of this, will help you understand that the fish produces waste that is toxic to them, effectively they are poisoning themselves with their production of ammonia through waste and respiration.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
 
A cycled tank means your filter has a colony of bacteria which is able to convert the production of ammonia from fish to nitrate which is still toxic but on a lower level than ammonia and doing daily weekly water changes will control nitrate levels.
 
I came to this conclusion as you mention you only have carbon media in your filter, carbon is only generally used for removing used medication and heavy metals from water like copper for example.
 
You would be better to have sponge filter media as well as ceramic or bio ball media for bacteria to live and grow on.
 
Also the fact that you have consistently shown you have very little or no nitrates, this basically tells me you have no nitrifying bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate tell me that your filter and tank is not cycled really.
 
So i would basically recommend you rehome the single tetra you still have and start doing a fishless cycle, only takes 4 to maybe 8 weeks to do a full cycle, absolutely well worth doing and once cycle is completed and successful you can fully stock your tank quickly. 
 
So if you follow the link i gave earlier that will get you started.
 
Getting hold of a good bottle of bacteria starter will help and you'll need some ammonia for fishless cycle process as well
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427161-ammonia-and-bacteria-starter-sources/
 
Use the time during cycle process to research what stocking you'd like and how many you can have etc.
 
Just ask on this forum about fish you like and compatibility with tank mates and if you ever get stuck or unsure about anything we are more than happy to help.
 
Hope that helps a bit.

 
Thank you, as I mentioned above the filter is sponge with carbon cartridge, and it's a Marineland Biowheel so it has the biowheel for bacteria to grow on, it actually has two biowheels.
 
You are probably rigth about the cycling, but the thing is that I did have Nitrates at about 10 to 20 ppm in some of the tests and today I tested again and it's at 10 ppm with Ammonia, and Nitrite ZERO
 
So, does it not make sense that if those numbers exist the water quality is good?
 
Or can it be that water quality is good consistenly, but the tank is not really cycled?
 
And, is all this disease problems like the velvet, pop eye and the horrible rotting smell because the tank is not cycled?
 
Thank you everyone for the help.

 

[the_lock_man]

It's difficult to make sense of the water numbers, because of the lack of data, but all your symptoms point to an uncycled filter. Nitrate readings could have come from tap water (I have 40ppm in mine)
 
You've got 3 options - 1 is to do what Ch4rlie said, and rehome the remaining tetra, and do a fishless cycle, following the links that he posted. Option 2 is to keep the single tetra, and do a fish-in cycle. Option 3 is to restock the tank and do a fish-in cycle.
 
Option 1 is safest, and least work. Option 3 is the hardest work, and most prone to problems, but you do have a tank full of fish to look at while doing it. Follow the green link in my signature area on how to do it.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

You are probably rigth about the cycling, but the thing is that I did have Nitrates at about 10 to 20 ppm in some of the tests and today I tested again and it's at 10 ppm with Ammonia, and Nitrite ZERO
 
So, does it not make sense that if those numbers exist the water quality is good?
 
Or can it be that water quality is good consistenly, but the tank is not really cycled?
 
And, is all this disease problems like the velvet, pop eye and the horrible rotting smell because the tank is not cycled?
 
Thank you everyone for the help.

Any level of Ammonia would be bad but 10ppm is lethal and could very well be the reason why your fish are dying. It does sound like you're not cycled so I agree with The_Lock_Man and that you should follow Ch4rlie's advice for option 1. A little bit of patience now will save you more time and expense in the long run.

 

[DrRob]

That's 10ppm nitrate Lunar, with ammonia and nitrite both being zero, at least it is to my reading.

 

[genuwine4532]

That's 10ppm nitrate Lunar, with ammonia and nitrite both being zero, at least it is to my reading.

You are correct
 
Current Readings:
 
10 - Nitrate
0 - Nitrite
0 Ammonia
 
Tetra SafeStart Spirolina bacteria was added before fish in this tank, and so there is bacteria in there.
 
1. As far as the new cycle attempt, should I empty the entire tank, rebleach and clean everything all over and start totally fresh?
 
2. Or leave it as is for the cycle procedure and risk that disease may stay in there that killed all the other fish, ie: pop eye, velvet symptoms??
Current living Tetra has no symptoms, is eating
The rotting smell is still there, it comes and goes, on and off.
 
 
 
Thanks