My Tank Has Whitish Cloudy Gunk

[levic991]

I have a 20 gal. tank. I have something going on and it is hard to describe it and I can't find it online or in a book. But it looks clear but yet cloudy and it forms on the rocks. All the tests are okay except the PH which I have never been able to get it down to normal, it caused from our water. But my fish are dying one by one. I have taken everything out, even the rocks and washed them, no soap or chemicals. I am about ready to give up. I know that after all the fish, which there isn't many, die, I will use a little bleach with everything and let the tank dry for about a week or more. OR, would it better if I bought 20 gals. of bottled water and use it instead of tap water?
PLEASE HELP!!! Thanks.

 

[WILDER]

How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Are you using any ph adjusters as there more trouble than there worth.
What type of rocks are they.
Need location.
How long has the tank been set up.

 

[WILDER]

We can't help you if you don't answer the questions asked.
Cloudy looking slime stuff can be due to the tank cycling.

 

[levic991]

How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Are you using any ph adjusters as there more trouble than there worth.
What type of rocks are they.
Need location.
How long has the tank been set up.

I live in Seattle, WA
I have a 20 gal tank
It has been up for almost a year
PH - 7.6, which I can't get it down and I do use PH adjuster but it seems to not help
Amm. - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm
Ph high range - 7.4
I have now 4 Neons
2 glow tetras
2 female guppies
1 male guppy

I use to have 7 Neons, 3 Black Mollies, 3 red Platies plus the same tetras I still have
The gravel is from my LFS

The clear cloudy stuff clings to the plants and everything. I have notice the tail fins on the fish look jaggered, maybe fin rot or from this bacteria

We have a lot of minerals in our tap water and the PH is high in the water out of the tap before I put it in the tank. Do you think it would be better to let the fish die, get new gravel and use bottled water instead of our tap water. We don't even drink the tap water. And, we have a Min Pin and she gets bottled water instead of the tap water. Any suggestions, I will do. I love watching the fish for I am disabled with my back.

 

[WILDER]

A ph 7.4 is fine for the fish you keep.
Fish get used to the ph if they were gradually climatised to it.
The worst thing you can do is use ph adjusters there more trouble then there worth.
Also you cant do large water changes if there a big difference in tank ph to tap ph.
Best way to lower ph safely is bogwood, or run peat in the filter.

When you say nitrate is 0 do you mean nitrite.
Its rare to have a nitrate reading of 0 unless you have a tap reading of 0 and have live plants in the tank.
Have you seen any fish nipping other fish fins.
How bad is the finrot as you might need to use a bacterial med.
I would look into ph shock if your fish are dying.

pH Shock

As its name suggests this condition occurs when a fish is introduced to quickly into a new environment which has a very different pH from the one it came from, when the pH is adjusted to quickly and the fish have little or no time to adjust themselves, or when the pH is to far outside the fishes normal range.

It is very important that any change in water chemistry is made slowly and fish should never be exposed to changes of pH greater than 0.5 of one unit on the pH scale in either direction.

Avoidance is by far the best solution because in most cases the symptoms don't appear until the second or third day by which time the damage has been done and the fish will probably die.

A fish suffering from this condition will show all the typical signs of shock -

Lying on the bottom and paying little or no attention to its surroundings and ignoring potential threats.
It may even lay on its side or go upside down completely.
There could be other signs to, related to Acidosis and Alkalosis
Excessive mucus production.
Rapid breathing.
Swollen abdomen. (Alkalosis only).
If the condition is allowed to go on for one or two days then the chances of a successful remedy are greatly reduced because a lot of damage will have taken place. If the symptoms are spotted early enough there are a couple of things that will help.

Begin to return the pH to the original pH in steps of 0.4 of one unit on the pH scale and allow 3 hrs in between the adjustments. Make these adjustments until the pH is returned to a safe and satisfactory level.
Treat the tank with a broad spectrum anti-Bacteria/Fungus compound to prevent secondary infections of the Skin and Gills.
Prevention is easy. A successful treatment isn't!