Help! Cant control water parameters - colour widows (glofish) dying

[Vikasr]

I had previously started the discussion in another thread but after understanding that the problem is related to water quality, I am starting this new thread with correct topic.

I bought my first aquarium (75L) in July 2022 and without cycling put 12 colour widow tetras (glofish) and 2 suckercats (plecos) in it. Within first 2 months one tetra and 1 pleco died without showing any symptoms. In the last 2 months I lost 4 tetras (glofish) and the other pleco. All the 4 tetras showed swim bladder disease symptoms before dying.

I have been feeding bits and flakes.

Lot of green algae has been coming in last 1-2 months on glass and substrate (gravel).

A simple filter is used where water is pumped up and then drips down a sponge kept in a open tray.

Water is kept at 25-27 deg C. Earlier in summers would be slightly warmer.

Only plastic plants are there. No live plants.

Since the tap water here is very hard, I use only RO water. I change 50% water every about 20 days by siphoning from gravel.

After loosing the last fish, for the first time I decided to check water parameters, and this was on 13 Jan, about 23 days after previous water change:

Ammonia: 0.25 (API kit)
Nitrite: 0 (strip)
Nitrate: 25-50 (strip test)
Ph: ~7 (strip)

In the other thread I was advised that the problem seems to have come from overfeeding, under water changing, too much stocking too fast, ultimately leading to some ammonia and tank not cycled.

Remedy was to change water, neutralize ammonia using Prime or other such conditioner and doing a Fish in cycle.

On 14 Jan, I:
1) cleaned the algae from gravel by churning the gravel with hand in the tank and siphoning the dirt and lots of algae.
2) did 50% water change
3) replaced the filter sponge as it got too dirty.

Next day on 15 Jan water parameters were:
Ammonia: 0.25 (API kit)
Nitrite: 0 (strip)
Nitrate: 25-50 (strip)
PH: ~7 (strip)

So the water change of 50% had no effect on water quality.

Again tested on 17 Jan:
Ammonia: 0 - 0.25 (API)
Nitrate: 20-40 (API)

Ammonia reduced slightly. Nitrate also reduced slightly but different test was used.

Again tested on 19 Jan:
Ammonia: 0 - 0.25 (maybe 0.15-0.20) (API kit)
Nitrite: 0 (API)
Nitrite: 0 (strip)
Nitrate: 40 (API)
Nitrate: 50 (strip)
Ph: 6.5 (strip)

Ammonia and nitrate were almost the same as last test. Nitrite remained zero. And pH seemed to have reduced a bit.

I tested my source fresh RO water:
Ammonia: 1.5 - 2.0 (API)
Nitrite: 0 (strip)
Nitrate: 20-40 (API)
Nitrate: 25-50 (near 50) (strip)
Ph: 6.2 - 6.5 (strip)

And the tap water (coming from a borewell and also feeding the RO):
Ammonia: 4.0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 50-100
Ph: 8

Seems that the Ammonia is just not reducing. Due to low pH the NH3 should be very low.
Can anybody help me what I should do immediately and what should be done in the long run regularly? Should I run a fish in cycle? But with my fresh RO water having such high ammonia and nitrate how to control the expected spike after water change? Prime just helps for 24-36 hours.

Please help.

 

[sharkweek178]

Fast growing floating plants can help. Anacharis, salvinia minima, Amazon frogbit, water wisteria, water sprite.

 

[Naughts]

The tank is cycled.
The problem is the high ammonia and nitrate in the source water. There is little you can do about this except change your source.

 

[Byron]

Agree completely with sharkweek178 on substantial floating plants. But I am wondering about the test results of the "pure RO source water." RO should not have any ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, and the pH will be close to 7 and lower in the aquarium which is natural all else here considered.

Are you using only RO water, and if yes, where is it coming from (a RO unit, buying RO water, etc)?

 

[Vikasr]

Agree completely with sharkweek178 on substantial floating plants. But I am wondering about the test results of the "pure RO source water." RO should not have any ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, and the pH will be close to 7 and lower in the aquarium which is natural all else here considered.

Are you using only RO water, and if yes, where is it coming from (a RO unit, buying RO water, etc)?

Yes, using only RO water. It's coming from a regular kitchen RO unit. The incoming water into the RO unit is the tap water... parameters mentioned in my first post. Maybe the RO is not working as expected? But tap water has even higher ammonia and nitrate.

 

[Byron]

Yes, using only RO water. It's coming from a regular kitchen RO unit. The incoming water into the RO unit is the tap water... parameters mentioned in my first post. Maybe the RO is not working as expected? But tap water has even higher ammonia and nitrate.

I have never had to use RO, but from what other members have posted here and elsewhere it seems the unit is not working. RO should remove everything.

 

[Vikasr]

I have never had to use RO, but from what other members have posted here and elsewhere it seems the unit is not working. RO should remove everything.

I will get it checked. But incase it doesn't improve then? Any suggestions?

 

[Byron]

I will get it checked. But incase it doesn't improve then? Any suggestions?

There are two issues in this thread (or maybe more). Initial question concerns dying fish. Latest issue involves water parameters. Obviously related, but I am not certain why the fish are dying so rapidly. On the water quality, since the RO unit is not functioning it should probably be replace or repaired, as it is not doing much if anything to the water.

 

[Vikasr]

There are two issues in this thread (or maybe more). Initial question concerns dying fish. Latest issue involves water parameters. Obviously related, but I am not certain why the fish are dying so rapidly. On the water quality, since the RO unit is not functioning it should probably be replace or repaired, as it is not doing much if anything to the water.

Yes both issues are probably related but we can't be sure.
But there seems to be no other reason for the fish to be dying one after the other with same symptoms.

 

[Vikasr]

There are two issues in this thread (or maybe more). Initial question concerns dying fish. Latest issue involves water parameters. Obviously related, but I am not certain why the fish are dying so rapidly. On the water quality, since the RO unit is not functioning it should probably be replace or repaired, as it is not doing much if anything to the water.

Another point to note is that the tetras that died have all showed symptoms of swim bladder problems before dying. And I have been using the same water since July 22. This problem only started in November 22. There was no such problem from July till November.

 

[Vikasr]

Got the RO checked. They are not able to control ammonia and nitrate although there is an activated carbon filter that was replaced recently.

Now getting some prepacked RO water from grocery. Will test and post here. If good then will use that in future.

 

[Byron]

Another point to note is that the tetras that died have all showed symptoms of swim bladder problems before dying.

Difficulty swimming is one symptom of several very different issues, from internal protozoan, to injury, to genetics, to water problems (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, GH, pH). Actual "swim bladder disease" is very rare, it is most often due to another issue.

 

[Vikasr]

If the source water is the main problem as many have suggested here, would the tank not remove the ammonia itself in a few days? As the source RO water contains 1.5 - 2.0 ppm ammonia, would a week or so not be enough time for the tank to process it? I am questioning this because 50% water change was done on 14 Jan (fresh water had 1.5 - 2.0ppm) and on 15 jan ammonia was 0.25 and on 19 Jan it was slightly under 0.25. Not tested thereafter. Also, previous water change was done around 20 Dec and on 13 Jan ammonia was still 0.25ppm.
So if the tank is able to bring ammonia down to 0.25 from say 1.0 (mixed water), why is it not able to get down to nil??
With this info in light, do we still feel that source RO water is the problem?

 

[Naughts]

If the source water is the main problem as many have suggested here, would the tank not remove the ammonia itself in a few days? As the source RO water contains 1.5 - 2.0 ppm ammonia, would a week or so not be enough time for the tank to process it? I am questioning this because 50% water change was done on 14 Jan (fresh water had 1.5 - 2.0ppm) and on 15 jan ammonia was 0.25 and on 19 Jan it was slightly under 0.25. Not tested thereafter. Also, previous water change was done around 20 Dec and on 13 Jan ammonia was still 0.25ppm.
So if the tank is able to bring ammonia down to 0.25 from say 1.0 (mixed water), why is it not able to get down to nil??
With this info in light, do we still feel that source RO water is the problem?

No new info here. The RO Unit is halving the ammonia and nitrate. The tank is cycling most of the remaining ammonia. But at 50-100 ppm of nitrate the source is most definitely the problem as no amount of reverse osmosis, cycling, plants or water changes can make that safe for fish.
The best solution is to find an alternative source.

 

[Naughts]

What are the test results for the shop bought RO water?