Lost a new fish

[Alien Anna]

Hi,
I've had 3 rummy-nosed tetras (P.georgiae) and 3 black neon tetras in my quarantine tank since Saturday. I've been gradually dropping the pH down from 8.6 to the main tank's pH of 7.0 and keeping a very close eye on the nitrite levels (the filter is matured but it's a very small filter and rummy-noses are so sensitive).

Yesterday, nitrites were detectable for the first time, but only just and I have a pretty sensitive test (0.1 ppm). Nevertheless, I did a 30% water-change (with water from the main tank) and skipped that evening's feed. Everyone seemed fine but I know rummy-noses had being moved so I didn't want to assume anything.

Today, I noticed one of the fish dead on the bottom  

Not surprisingly, I have a nitrite spike. Not enough to affect the black neons (0.2 ppm) but plenty enough to affect the rummy-noses. More worryingly, my thermostat had over-heated and it was on 88 degrees F (with the recent hot weather, all of my fish have tolerated temperatures that high for short periods, but I assume it was the straw that broke the rummynosed's back).

I was so careful this time, knowing how sensitive rummy-noses are to water quality. I've bought them once before (a different species, but same difficulty) and I lost one of the batch that time too. I just hope the other two make it otherwise this is going to get very expensive (due to transport loses, rummy-noses are pretty dear - I paid £3.75 each).

I have some cardinal tetras on order and I know they are also very difficult to transport successfully. I hate this bit!

 

[Great Lakes]

Anna, how were you acclimating the PH levels? I would have used the established water from the main tank to gradually bring the conditions to the same level.

 

[Rose]

Ouch....like I can talk..we don't have them where I'm at.

 

[Alien Anna]

I'm acclimating them by gradually replacing the quarantine tank water with main tank water - about 10% per day/every other day. I think my filter must have crashed when I moved it into the quarantine tank, possibly due to having 100% new water when I started (to get the pH up to 8.6, around what they had in the shop, I had to use conditioned tap water).

However, despite my care, I lost another fish last night. No nitrite spike this time so the cause of the fish's demise is not clear, unless it's a delayed reaction. The LFS haven't lost a single one of the batch in the shop, despite the high pH.

pH in my quarantine tank is down to pH 8.0. The black neons, of course, could survive a nuclear bomb and look absolutely fine. I have one rummy-nosed left in quarantine but I've decided to replace the other two ASAP and risk the 0.4-0.6 pH drop.

I'm thinking now that the filter in the quarantine tank might be the problem - it wasn't working properly and I got a small nitrite spike (0.1 ppm). However, rummy-nosed tetras cannot handle the tiniest bit of nitrite and that could have been enough to finish them off. Never try to cycle a tank with fish if you have rummy-nosed tetras in situ (Lesson of the Week).

 

[Tatya]

So sorry Anna