Mother In Laws Fish All Dying

[mark7616]

my mother in law yesterday finished her fishless cycle and stocked her tank with mbuna cichlids. I had been helping her through the whole process once her tank cycled she added 10 mbuna and 3 synodontis when she woke up this morning 5 of the fish were dead and the greshakie the biggest one is on the sand lying on its side gasping while moving its fins. She has done all her tests and water prams are fine ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate is 20 i can not for the life of me work out what has happended any ideas?

 

[jessicajersey]

hmmmm thats strange, very sudden perhaps the fish brought in the illness from where they came from

 

[dwarfgourami]

Something that quick suggests a sudden shock. Have you compared your ph to that of the shop's? Just a thought. Unlikely to have been the nitrates; 20 ppm is what a lot of us get in the tap water.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

maybe it was putting too many in at once, even after a fishless cycle shouldn't you still stock slowly. But then again if the filter had got overloaded all the water stats would have gone loopy

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

did you use water conditioner to set up the tank,
or like dg said it could be pH shock.

 

[mark7616]

I set the tank up myself so its done properly all de chlorinated its over filtered and after a fishless cycle you can add your full stock to a tank as thats one of the reasons behind fishless cycling. I believe its a problem with the shop and there not admitting it there now saying its because the nitrite is off the scale now i know thats S"%$ because she has an api test kit that works and her readings are fine so she is off down there with another sample of water and her test kit to show them and they can do tests again i thought it was odd when she said one of her fish in the shop was dead (she had reserved the ones she wanted) so im going to be on the phone the shop doesnt really want to give bad advise as they are a reputable name cough splutter maidenhead aquatics cough cough

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

Is it possible she could have accidentally contaminated the water with cleaning products air freshner etc or is it mad hot there and could the tank have over heated? I've turned all my heaters off and have the lids propped open on bluetack as its so hot here.

Emma

 

[Phantom Thief]

I'm thinking pH shock here.

P.T.