My Angels, Pleco And Betta . . . Dead!

[zoekin8yg]

I dont know why they died but bettas shouldnt be kept with angels, so deaths could have happened anyway without the mass deaths. Very sorry for your loss, its hard when they die.

 

[sianeds]

sorry for your loss.

But don't give up

 

[tmack]

You technically can't say any level of ammonia & nitrate are toxic. There are always levels of ammonia and nitrite in a tank. The nitrogen cycle is not a one time thing - you don't cycle a tank and have the nitrogen cycle just stop. It's a continuous, ongoing thing, and while ammonia and nitrites may be below the levels measurable with a test kit, those toxics are still there. The ammonia still gets formed, it just gets converted quickly by bacteria to nitrite and other bacteria to nitrate. In a fully cycled tank the bacterial conversions are quick and under control.

I'm wondering if the filter may have shut down for some period due to a loss of power? That might have let the ammonia build up to toxic levels while you were gone, or release toxics when power was restored to the filter, killing most of the fish. By the time you returned the tank may have recycled. Were you gone long enough for something like this to happen?

 

[Gatorbait]

You technically can't say any level of ammonia & nitrate are toxic. There are always levels of ammonia and nitrite in a tank. The nitrogen cycle is not a one time thing - you don't cycle a tank and have the nitrogen cycle just stop. It's a continuous, ongoing thing, and while ammonia and nitrites may be below the levels measurable with a test kit, those toxics are still there. The ammonia still gets formed, it just gets converted quickly by bacteria to nitrite and other bacteria to nitrate. In a fully cycled tank the bacterial conversions are quick and under control.

I'm wondering if the filter may have shut down for some period due to a loss of power? That might have let the ammonia build up to toxic levels while you were gone, or release toxics when power was restored to the filter, killing most of the fish. By the time you returned the tank may have recycled. Were you gone long enough for something like this to happen?

I agree 100%. There are always trace levels, however, any levels are toxic even the trace levels. With the cheaper kits we use show them they are at more than just trace levels, even at the kits low levels.

You could be on to something about the filter.

I'm not saying I'm right and actually doubt that I am, I'm just trying to help troubleshoot and just starting with the easiest possible solution.

 

[TerraDreamer]

I did a water test just yesterday, results were fine apart from the NO2 and NO3 levels were slightly above their original.

Slightly above their orginal what? Post the numbers in parts per million.

 

[Jozlyn]

Before I new about cycling, I had a tank full of fish die overnight, so it's highly possible for all fish to die at the same time. Mine probably died from massive amonia and nitrIte levels.

I know better now, only have happy healthy fish that I added very slowly over a number of weeks. In fact I just bought my last fish yesterday. Which is a shame 'cause I've made great freinds with one of the girls at the LFS, I'll only have to go in and see her about once a month now, instead of once a week!

 

[edgun88]

I did a water test just yesterday, results were fine apart from the NO2 and NO3 levels were slightly above their original.
The tank was emptied, cleaned and recycled so whats died before isnt relivant!
Some disease prevention/treatment solution was applied to the water earlier but we're talkin afew few drops!

Ive spent well over £400 on this hobby and all ive got is . . . erm . . . nothing! I think im gonna call it a day!

Dont give up man. I takes time to get eveything working properly. You make mistakes sometimes and you learn how to fix them. You should figure out if your tank is fully cycled.

Tank was cycling a month
The cleaning was BEFORE the tank was filled to cycle
Nitrate levels are only ever so slightly above the bottom reading on my test kit so i cant see them being high enough to have killed my fish!
Nothing could have got in the tank, its in the living room, good lid, only opened for feeding. Nothing gets sprayed in the living room!
Last water change was a week ago!
Im really stumped here! Ive spent so much and got nothing but agg . . . If it still goes wrong after that im debating if i should just knock it on the head!
Any ideas what my tanks worth?

It doesn't matter how slightly high your levels are when it comes to ammonia or nitirite. ANY levels are lethal to fish.

You said you cleaned your tank previously after your fish died before. How long was your tank setup before when your fish died? Was your tank cycled? Was your nitrite and ammonia both at 0ppm? How are you cycling your tanks and when/how many fish do you add?

I know you told me it doesn't matter before but it might. At least we can rule out what I'm thinking and move on if I'm wrong.

Not all levels are toxic to fish. Nitrite I would agree but some fish can tolerate high ammonia levels.

 

[qoftheq]

It seems very unlikely that slightly elevated nitrite and nitrate levels would have caused ALL of his fish to die unless they were all super super sensitive fish. And bettas are HARD to kill with bad water quality. If a betta can live for a week in a pint cup at a pet store being overfed and not cleaned, slightly elevated nitrite levels are NOT going to be the thing to do it in. Plecos are pretty hardy too.

Herodave, what do you feed? Live tubifex worms can cause bacterial infections that kill quickly, and that would affect your whole tank.

Where do you keep your tank? I would check all the machinery to make sure its working.

P.S. Where and when did you buy your fish? There's a chance one of them came with something nasty that didn't get them until just now.

 

[Jozlyn]

My Betta died at the same time as the other fish!

 

[brynneth]

Yes, but you had high ammonia too, right? And your stats sounded a lot higher than Herodave's. Really high ammonia and nitrites can kill a betta, but barely readable nitrite and nitrate (heck, half of my tanks read that, and I've got sensitive bottoms feeders doing fine in there) doesn't seem like it would be enough to do one in.

P.S. This is actually qoftheq, accidentally posted in my friend's account.