Help! Bought New Tiger Barbs, But All Died!

[rickydg]

Hi All,

I'm quite new to tropical fish, about 3 months now. Have bought 4 tgier barbs today, 2 green and 2 albino. Put them in my 38 litre tank with 2 other existing tiger barbs and a golden loach. Within 5 minutes of lowering the sealed bag in to the tank the existing fish started going to the surface like they were trying to get air. Left the bag for 15 mins in the water sealed. Then opened bag and let fish swim out. Almost immediately (2-3 mins) the new fish started to die. After 10 mins all new fis were dead, and my existing fish are still at the surface.

Request Help

Tank size: 38L
pH: 6.5
ammonia: Do not know - ammolock was added last night.
nitrite: 1
nitrate: 40
kH: 120
gH: 60
tank temp: 28-30

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): As above

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 38l, was changed last night approx 1/4

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Aquarium Salts, Stress Zyme, Stres Coat & Ammo Lock

Tank inhabitants: Asabove

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): As above

Exposure to chemicals: None

Thanks.

 

[RedeyesUK]

That nitrite level is bad - nitrite and ammonia should be zero, or 0.25 at the most. This is almost certainly what killed your new fish, sorry.

Do you have an ammonia tester - looking at what readings you've taken, I'm guessing you're using test strips, is that correct?

Have you been testing the water since you started the tank? And did you cycle the tank when you first set it up? (if you're not sure about cycling, read the pinned topics at the top of the 'new to the hobby' section of the board). Also, have you been testing the tank before? Any idea on what the readings have been?

Before we go into all that though, it's important that you get the nitrite levels down as far as possible - nitrite will affect your fishes circulatory system, meaning they're effectively suffocating.

Go and do a water change ASAP, about 50% should be good for now (do you add dechlorinator to your tap water?), then come back here for more advice.

Good luck

 

[rickydg]

That nitrite level is bad - nitrite and ammonia should be zero, or 0.25 at the most. This is almost certainly what killed your new fish, sorry.

Do you have an ammonia tester - looking at what readings you've taken, I'm guessing you're using test strips, is that correct?

Have you been testing the water since you started the tank? And did you cycle the tank when you first set it up? (if you're not sure about cycling, read the pinned topics at the top of the 'new to the hobby' section of the board). Also, have you been testing the tank before? Any idea on what the readings have been?

Before we go into all that though, it's important that you get the nitrite levels down as far as possible - nitrite will affect your fishes circulatory system, meaning they're effectively suffocating.

Go and do a water change ASAP, about 50% should be good for now (do you add dechlorinator to your tap water?), then come back here for more advice.

Good luck

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I do not have an ammonia tester, and yes I am using test strips.

I have been testing the water since starting the tank, and have had 2 x tiger barbs, 2 x cherry barbs, 2 x neon tetras, 1 golden barb, 2 x scissor fins, 2 x silver tips, 1 x plec, 4 x shrimp until about 2 weeks ago, when I started moving them slowly to my new 125L tank.

The nitrite and nitrate levels have been much higher than this, they have been falling ever since the tank was set up. I did a water change yesterday about 25% and added all the usual additives. Yes I do use dechlorinator.

The strange thing was all the fish were fine until my wife put the bag with the new fish in in the water, thats when they all started going to the surface. So im wondering maybe there was something on the bag?

This is really frusatrating, as I have now lost my golden loach that I have had since the beginning. The other 2 tiger barbs are still alive, although still at the surface.

Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

There might have been something that came in contact with the bag while it was being transported home. You should not have added fish while there was an ammonia or nitrite reading. It is a quick way to waste your money.
You can try doing massive water changes to dilute any chemicals that got into the water form the bag, or to dilute any ammonia or nitrite in the tank. A 75% water change done today and tomorrow should help. You can add some carbon (black granulated substance) to the filter and that will help remove chemicals from the water but will not take ammonia or nitrite out. Those have to be broken down into nitrate by an established biological filter.