New Clean Tank, Same Fish, Now They Are Sick. Help!

[FishByMyBed]

I left home for a few months and nobody maintained my tanks while I was gone, all they did was feed them. It really went to sh1t as you can see. I drained most of the water out of it before I took the fish out of the old tank so that is why it is low but you can see a pretty consistant water mark on it. The fish were THRIVING in that water, healthy as could be and breeding, but they didn't look too happy that I could see. I bought a nice new tank twice the size. Very clean. Now the fish seem very happy! Apperantly there is a catch, the fish seem to be showing signs of "coning" or whatever it is you guys call it. and I don't know what to do. i'm scared and afraid. I don't want to loose all my happy fish.

HEEELP!!!!

Please Help Me & the Fish!

Thanks,
Truly,
Blake W

 

[guppy love]

Do you have a water test kit? What are the stats?

Did you use the same filter from your old tank?

I can't see much sign of 'pineconing' in the pictures (where the scales lift and stick out like a pine cone).

First thing I would do is a large water change (50-75%) and repeat daily to keep ammonia and nitrite levels down, chances are your tank is going through a mini-cycle.

 

[FishByMyBed]

No everything in the tank is brand new. Mini cycle. Does that effect the fish's appearance? Come to think of it the water was cloudy a few days ago but cleared up suddenly, and I just got the tank like 7 days ago.

I am worried so I want to catch anything that might happen early. The fish just look IRREGULAR. Something isn't right, it's a panicky feeling, sucks. If you remember I had that happen with my black mollies, the "pineconing" and swelling and milky skin. I just don't want that to happen to this community of fish, there are so many of them that seem to be exibiting changes in their apperance.

I will run another test strip and take and post pictures of it.


REMEMBER THIS IS AN OLD PICTURE, THIS FISH DIED.

 

[guppy love]

Ok you need to do a very large water change as soon as possible. There is no 'good' bacteria growing in your new filter yet to deal with poisonous ammonia and nitrites, which are making your fish ill.

Your tank is now in a 'fish-in' cycle - please read the resource centre articles about cycling here:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/ it's all explained very clearly.

You will need to do very big water changes every day until the cycling process is finished or your fish will not survive. Can you get a piece of mature filter media from another fish keeper or a lfs? This will already contain good bacteria which will kick start the cycle and speed things along.

Very best of luck with your fish

 

[FishByMyBed]

A week ago when I set up the new aquarium & after adding the fish the same night b/c I felt sorry for them in that dungeon of an old tank I dumped in about 8 or 10 glasses of water out of the old tank that had the good bacteria. I figured it would be good for the new tank. I still have as you can see from the picture about 3 gallons of that old dingy water. Should I just add more of that? Can you help me understand how much or why I need to do a water change?

 

[FishByMyBed]

Here is the test I just did. I am not posting the test I did for Ammonia, b/c It looked good, it was .5ppm or less.

Let me know what you think!

Here it is at 30 seconds.

...and at 60 seconds.

 

[FishByMyBed]

A week ago when I set up the new aquarium & after adding the fish the same night b/c I felt sorry for them in that dungeon of an old tank I dumped in about 8 or 10 glasses of water out of the old tank that had the good bacteria. I figured it would be good for the new tank. I still have as you can see from the picture about 3 gallons of that old dingy water. Should I just add more of that? Can you help me understand how much or why I need to do a water change?

 

[hillmar77]

From that test strip I see you have nitrite.... Also your missing a ammonia tester. Try using liquid test kits as the strip one isn't as accurate. But with the current readings you going to need to do water changes till your nitrite is pure white.

 

[Harlequins]

Pine coning is often caused by poor water quality,now adding just 8-10 cups of tank water into the new tank won't make a difference,the good bacteria needed is in the filter not in the water.

Did you add your old filter to the new tank? if not then basically you're starting from scratch and will need to build up the bacteria in the filter before its safe for your fish.
Read up in the beginners section on 'fish in' cycle,has already mentioned.
Test strips are highly inaccurate and you'd be better investing in an API master test kit which test for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate & ph.these kits are readily available on ebay for around £20.
You say ammonia looked good at .5,TBH no ammonia in a tank is good,you need for it to be at zero for it to look good for both ammonia & nitrite.

Your best way to go is to do large waterchanges until your filter has cycled,this can take 6-8 weeks.

If not then your fish will continue to suffer and die from ammonia &/or nitrite poisoning.

Good luck

 

[guppy love]

Your ammonia and nitrites need to be 0ppm. You will need to change 50-75% water daily to keep the levels as low as you can and feed very sparingly. Ammonia and then nitrite are produced by the fishes' waste and until some bacteria grows in your filter to neutralise them the fish will be swimming in a toxic soup of their own pee and poo - That's why you need big water changes until your filter is properly cycled. The beginner's resource centre explains it all much better than I can! Good luck.


Oops Harlequins above beat me to the post button!

 

[FishByMyBed]

Would it do any good to put the old filter into my new water pump. I bought a bigger filter pump for the bigger tank, and it's got a slot for 2 filters inside it. So it's got room for me to put that old filter in it. Only thing is IT'S ALL DRIED UP. Do you think the bacteria on the dried up filter is still active or do you think because it's dried up that they are dead?


What would happen if I put an old dried up filter that "HAD" plenty of good bacteria in it?

 

[karin]

If it is dried up the bacteria is gone. You are going to have to settle into a fish-in cycle. Go to the new freshwater tank section and at the top in the beginner's resources read up on cycling and particularly "fish-in" cycling. You will be doing lots of water changes probably once daily. Can you get someone with an established tank to give you some "mature" filter media meaning a piece of a filter sponge or some of the other filter contents? That can speed this along.

 

[FishByMyBed]

I haven't changed any of the water since putting the new tank in 1 1/2 weeks ago and my fish are still alive. I've been adding Stress Zyme, Stress Coat, & nitraban. The fish are still alive. I'm afraid i'll #71### everything up if i try to start changing all the water and adding lots of tap water (treating it with "stress coat" of course first).

 

[twodoctors]

I haven't changed any of the water since putting the new tank in 1 1/2 weeks ago and my fish are still alive. I've been adding Stress Zyme, Stress Coat, & nitraban. The fish are still alive. I'm afraid i'll #71### everything up if i try to start changing all the water and adding lots of tap water (treating it with "stress coat" of course first).

I'm afraid the others are correct. You should keep changing the water and checking the ammonia and nitrite level daily, keeping it as low as possible. This usually means daily 25-50% change until the test consistently shows zero ammonia and nitrite. Fishes don't like ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite will be converted to nitrate, so after 1 1/2 weeks your nitrate will be higher, but whether it is high enough to cause problem is another matter. Your fishes are considered "hardy" so although it is still alive, they are not thriving as you would put it.

Adrian

 

[Gilli]

Media from the old filter that has dried up will be completely useless as the bacteria will be dead. Dont use chemicals to try to put things right. You are now cycling a tank with the fish in method. Read up on this article on this forum for good advise and good luck!

cycling an aquarium