Please Help Me Major Emergency!

[Silencedogood]

Oh...I just read that Guppies will eat their fry as they will mistake them for food. So the sooner you move the adult guppies back to their original tank the better. Just be sure to do a 75% water change first

Yes I know. That's why I was so loath to move them to the 10 gal plus I have my big swordtail in there.

 

[Fishmanic]

do you have some filter sponge material you can cover the intake with? That will lower the suction to hopefully prevent that from happening again.

If you are able to do it, increase aeration in your main tank. Those chemicals can cause oxygen levels to decrease. Move them into their main tank an hour or so after doing the 75% water change. Then turn lights off till morning.

 

[Silencedogood]

do you have some filter sponge material you can cover the intake with? That will lower the suction to hopefully prevent that from happening again.

No I don't but it really shouldn't happen because this filter is probably one of the weakest filters. I think it's from the guppy being to weak to move. He is just floating around in the tank still breathing but not moving.

 

[Fishmanic]

Evidently the fish is in a weakened state and can more easily be sucked into the intake.

Keep us posted as to how the fish are doing tomorrow.

 

[Silencedogood]

Okay thank you for your help.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I know this is late but you need to do that water change tonight. You may even have to do 2 back to back. I hope all works out.

 

[Kritastrophe]

I agree with Deanasue. The longer you wait the more time the chemicals have to permeate. If you have any wood I would take it out and soak and rinse it because wood can soak up toxins and leach them back out over time. Make sure when you do clean the tank to rinse any decor and use an aquarium sponge to scrub the tank. Try to remove any algae you find from the tank as algae can hold chemicals and if the fish eat any they could have issues all over again. You might also want to watch your cycle closely to make sure the algae removal chemicals didn’t kill your beneficial bacteria. I hope your cobalt pulls through! Keep us posted.

 

[Colin_T]

The other members have covered what to do. I am just reiterating their statements.

Chemicals that get in the water will affect fish very very quickly and they do heaps of damage to their body and organs. Massive water changes will dilute chemicals and help minimise the damage to the fish.

The best thing to do if you suspect poisoning in the aquarium, is a huge water change. Don't be afraid to do a 80-90% water change to dilute the chemicals in the water. Just make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Big water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate will dilute the chemical and if you add carbon to the filter after the water change, it will help remove any remaining chemical.

You should also do a 75% water change and gravel clean each day for a at least one week after the poisoning occurred to help flush the chemicals out of the fish.

 

[Silencedogood]

Okay sorry I didn't read the late posts last night. I did a 75% water change three hours ago. My cobra guppy died last night as did another female guppy. I have one alive but immobile guppy and three others have clamped fins. I think that this poisoned them because first they went to the bottom of the tank, then they started shaking like crazy, and then they just float around unable to swim but still breathing.

Just checking, but it doesn't matter if I put the chemicals in the tank in the morning or afternoon, right? It shouldn't make a difference?

 

[Silencedogood]

Btw, I have the guppies in a separate tank and they are still dying. When should I add them back to the main tank?

 

[FishGuest5123]

You can try using some methylene blue. It’s good for treating poisoning. I’ve never seen a treatment specify a certain time of day to use. I’d take that stuff back where I bought it and explain what happened. I’m sorry you lost your fish.

 

[Silencedogood]

You can try using some methylene blue. It’s good for treating poisoning. I’ve never seen a treatment specify a certain time of day to use. I’d take that stuff back where I bought it and explain what happened. I’m sorry you lost your fish

I got this stuff a couple of years ago but yesterday I called the company and the guy told me that it's killing my fish because I used it in the afternoon instead of the morning. (I didn't realize that it said to add it in the morning but I still don't think that matters).

How soon until my tank is safe, do you think?

 

[Colin_T]

Just checking, but it doesn't matter if I put the chemicals in the tank in the morning or afternoon, right?

stop putting chemicals in the water.

if the fish have been poisoned you should do nothing but massive water changes using dechlorinated water, and add carbon to the filter.

if you add more chemicals to the tank now you will kill everything in it because they are still recovering from the first dose of poison.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I can’t really answer that because I don’t know what all happened or contents of bottle. If it were me, I would drain the tank and rinse the substrate really well. Then refill again and add more charcoal. Let it run a few hours and then put fish back in. Sounds like some deadly stuff you used.

 

[Silencedogood]

stop putting chemicals in the water.

My goodness I am not putting anything in the water. I just meant about the algae killer. I don't intend on poisoning any more fish