Multiple Diseases?

[TaterbugTwins]

Help! I think I have every fish disease under the sun right now. I set up a new tank. Let it cycle for 4 weeks and then hit a pet store for some cheap fish. I added in about 25 fish at one time (really stupid, I realize now) and they were all fine for the first week. In the last week, I have lost a ton of them. I know they had Ick. I have treated for 6 days (3 days of treatment, one day off, then on day 2 of second cycle of 3 days) The ick was better on day 3, but then my heater went out and the water got really cold. I went out and bought a new heater. I have had 3 fish with shimmy, a couple with cloudy eyes, and now, my male guy=ppy is upside down. I thought he was dead, but when I went to get him out, he swam off, but immediately went upside down again. I also had a Pleco, and he was on the side of the tank seeming fine, my kids were watching him and talking about him, and a half an hour later he was laying on his side dead. That is how many of them will do. They will seem fine, and then the next time I look, they are dead. I have my water parameters below. I know a couple of them are a little off now, but honestly, I do not even know if I can save the last few fish, so is it worth it to keep pumping chemicals into the tank? Is there any chance for these last few guys? After they die, if I can not save them, what do I do? do I need to totally start my tank over with al new stuff? Will the Ick live with no fish to feed off of? I am at a loss. Please help. It breaks my heart each time a new fish dies.


1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp, Hardness etc)
Nitrate 40
Nitrite .5
PPM(hardness)120
Alkalinity 120
PH 8.0
Temp- 82 degrees

2. A full description of the fishes symptoms. One swimming upside down, Ick, 2 with cloudy eye

3. How often you do water changes and how much. Tank has been set up for 6 weeks, added fish in 2 weeks ago after running for 4 weeks. Have done a 25% water change per medication for ICK.

4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water. NoxIck

5. What tank mates are in the tank. 2 guppies, 3 black mollies, 2 platties, 2 head and tail lights.

6. Tank size. 30 gallons

7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?
Tank cycled for 4 weeks, then 2 weeks ago I stocked with fish.

 

[fluttermoth]

Hello there, to the forum.

I'm sorry to hear of all your troubles

How did you cycle the tank in those four weeks? If you weren't adding an ammoina to the tank, then it won't have properly cycled ('cycling' means growing a colony of good bacteria in the filter that eat the fish's wastes.

Just running the tank won't do anything to help the cycle,

It's great that you've tested the water, but unfortunately, test strips don't have an ammonia test, which is the most important, as that's what the fish produce.

It's almost certainly ammonia poisoning that's killing your fish, although I notice you have a reading for nitrite; nitrite is also highly toxic to fish at even very low levels. Ich is caught by fish when they're unheathly due to poor water conditions; it is a parasite, but sick fish can't fight it off like a healthy one would.

What you need to do is remove the ammonia and nitrite by doing lots of water changes, until the bacteria grow. Start by doing one large water change now; leave just enough water for the fish to swim upright, and make sure the new water is warmed and dechlorinated. That should make your remaining fish feel a lot happier!

Then you need to do 50% every day, until you can get a test kit for ammonia, to stop the ammonia and nitrite building up again. You want to keep the levels of both those things under 025ppm; anything above that can kill or cause long term harm to fish.

Don't forget you'll need to redose any ich meds you're using to the correct level after you've water changed.

We have an excellent beginner's resource centre, which is full of articles on 'fish in cycing' (which is what you're doing now) and other aspects of the hobby that you might like to peruse. The link for that is in my sig

Hope that helps; don't be afraid to post again if anything's not clear, we're all here to help, and see similar problems nearly every day; there's always someone around who'll be happy to advise you.

 

[AshP1986]

Well first and foremost, how did you cycle your tank?

When you add so many fish at once you shock the ecosystem of the tank. There is no doubt in my mind that you had a massive ammonia spike with that many fish added at once. Do you have an ammonia test kit? I noticed you did give an ammonia reading. Are you using test strips? Many find those to be HIGHLY unreliable. I recommend an API Freshwater Master Test Kit.

Personally, I would do a 70% water change right now since you don't know what your ammonia level is. (Make sure the water you replace is as close to the tank temp as possible and also dechlorinated).

Ich will die off in about 14 days if there are 0 fish in the tank

*sorry I see flutter and I were answering at the same time*

 

[Aqua Tom]

Is your tank cycled?


Tom

 

[OldMan47]

Your nitrite strip reading is way too high for fish health. I would start with an enormous water change using dechlorinated water. Without the water change the fish will not survive long enough to finish the ich treatment. Your nitrite problem will show up as fish trying to get enough oxygen at the water surface, then becoming lethargic as they fail to do so and finally dying. Don't forget to re-dose the ich medication after that water change. This may lead to a need for a longer ich treatment but if you have only started to see a response, the ich treatment has not been successful anyway. Ich treatments must be continued for a few days after the last spot is gone from the last fish.

 

[TaterbugTwins]

Where would I get dechlorinated water?

For cycling, my cousin did some stuff to my tank. He started it with filters that had previously been used and said that was good for the bacteria. The poor fish.

 

[TaterbugTwins]

I do not have a way to get out right now and get anything. My husband is gone with the car. Would changing the water with tap water be better than nothing, or would it just cause more problems?

 

[fluttermoth]

Where would I get dechlorinated water?

For cycling, my cousin did some stuff to my tank. He started it with filters that had previously been used and said that was good for the bacteria. The poor fish.

Dechlorinated water is just tap water with some 'tap safe' or 'aqua safe' or some name like that added to it. If the filters were previously used, but then left in a tank with no fish, then I'm afraid the bacteria will have died off (although the fact you have a reading for nitrite suggests that a small amount may have survived, so that's one postive sign!)

I do not have a way to get out right now and get anything. My husband is gone with the car. Would changing the water with tap water be better than nothing, or would it just cause more problems?

Boil some water and let it cool, that will remove the chlorine. Give it a really good agitate before you add it to the tank, as boiling also drives off oxygen, so you'll need to oxygenate before it goes in; pouring it into the bucket from a height will do

 

[TaterbugTwins]

[/quote]
Dechlorinated water is just tap water with some 'tap safe' or 'aqua safe' or some name like that added to it. If the filters were previously used, but then left in a tank with no fish, then I'm afraid the bacteria will have died off (although the fact you have a reading for nitrite suggests that a small amount may have survived, so that's one postive sign!)



Okay, I have Aqueon water conditioner that says Makes tap water safe for fish, instantly neutralizes chlorine and chloramines in tap water

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes, that's the stuff; use however much it says on the bottle in the new water, before you put the new water in the tank

 

[TaterbugTwins]

Okay, I have done a huge water change. I took it down to where the fish had just enough water to swim. I kept the temp where it was, checking it as I refilled it. I added the water conditioner to the water as I added it in to the tank. Should I add any stress coat? Does the declorinator have that in it? Also, should I immediately add in the Ick meds or should I do that a little later? I am going to go out tonight when he gets home and see what I can find for testing the ammonia and treating it. Is there anything specific that I should look for?

Thank you so much. I wish I had come on here sooner. I actually have a little hope now that I can save them. I did a count when I was changing the water. I have 4 black mollies, 1 female guppy (My male was dead) 1 zebra danio, 1 head and tail light and one platty.

 

[TaterbugTwins]

Here are my new water test results also.

NITRATE- 20

NITRITE- 0

HARDNESS- 120

ALKINITY 120

PH 7.6

 

[Rummynose]

Replenish the ich medication as soon as possible.

All you need right now is a test kit so you know when to do water changes and how much. If you still do have ammonia in your water you want to keep those levels as close to 0 as you can. You do that by doing water changes. There are chemicals you can get to turn toxic ammonia into the non toxic form of ammonium. But you don't even know if you need it yet.

Once you have sorted out the ich problem in your tank you may want to start a new thread regarding your stocking. Is your 30 gallon tank 36 inches long or 24?

 

[TaterbugTwins]

I went to the store tonight and bought an ammonia kit. I came home and tested the water and it came back as zero. However, when I got to looking, the test kit expired in APRIL 2011. I am so ticked. I called them and i will take it back tomorrow and get another one. I hope it is right, but I will retest tomorrow and see.

 

[Three Ring Circus]

Keep us posted. Make sure you maintain water changes daily as you do not know the accurate ammonia result.