Problems With Fish Dying

[alisdairkr]

Two problems which may be related.
I had a Platy die suddenly a few days ago, and now another has some fungal infection - I have treated the water. The remaining adult and 3 babies are still okay.
Also got a Whitecloud that keeps hanging vertically and tumbling about in the water flow. My other 4 Whiteclouds are no longer shoaling but hiding in a corner.

Nitrite is fine, but I can't keep the PH steady. I raised it to 6.7 when I did the last water change 2 days ago, and it is already down to 6.0. I cleaned the gravel and the filter as usual at the same time as the water change. Filter washed out in the water I removed from the tank.

Temp is a steady 24, the same as always. Have had the Platys and Whiteclouds for about 2 months with no other problems.

Help please

 

[WILDER]

Need to look at your stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
What your tap ph, why are you altering it.
The fungus is it fluffy and where is it on the fish.

 

[alisdairkr]

Need to look at your stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
What your tap ph, why are you altering it.
The fungus is it fluffy and where is it on the fish.

Only have test kits for Nitrite and PH.
3 Corys, all okay
2 Platys + 3 babies
4 Neon Tetras all okay
5 Whiteclouds - debatable but were fine yesterday
2 Cherry Barbs also okay

16 Gallon tank
Tap PH is around 6.5 and I alter it upwards usually because I thought it should be around 7
Fungus is fluffy, circular and on one side of the Platy about half way along it's body. About 6 or 7mm in diameter.
It is now lying on its side, gasping for breath.

 

[WILDER]

Leave the ph alone there no need to be altering it, fish get used to the tap water ph, the more you keep altering it the fish will be stressed and that why there ill.
You have columnaris what are you treating the fish with.
The fish on the bottom not going to make it sorry.

 

[alisdairkr]

Interpet Anti Fungus & Finrot. Active ingredient is Phenoxytethanol.

Should I have isolated the infected fish?

The Ph is still currently lower than my tap water though.

 

[WILDER]

Like to see your ammonia reading then as high ammonia can alter ph.
Well not the best med for columnaris not very good on it to be honest.
Myxazin and pimafix.
Yes issolate the sick.

 

[alisdairkr]

Thanks Wilder.
Will isolate and take a trip to LFS tomorrow to see what I can pick up in the way of a good test kit and some better medication.

 

[WILDER]

Don't use that ph adjuster anymore.
Would like to look at your ammonia reading and nitrite, to see what going off.
Only do very small water changes from now on, have to swing the ph back slowly.
What substrate and ornaments do you have in the tank.

 

[alisdairkr]

Imitation plants, two small pieces of bog wood and an imitation hollow tree trunk. My LFS says that he has been in touch with local water board and they say there is practically no Kh in our water, so the Ph is difficult to hold.
He suggested using a 6.5 Buffer.
Another LFS said remove the bog wood? He checked my water and says there is no nitrite in it at all.

 

[WILDER]

Bogwood lowers ph thats why he told you to remove it.
Would like to no your ammonia reading as that can alter ph.

 

[Anita]

pH

After a while the pH of your tank can fall a little (aka…Old tank syndrome). This is due to the by-products left over from the nitrogen cycle slowly making our tank water more acidic. Eventually this affects the kH (buffering capacity of the water) and if uncorrected by regular water changes could lead to a pH crash. This is very dangerous for our fish and symptoms of Acidosis and Alkalosis can occur these include
Fish desperately try to escape from their water often by actually jumping out.
Increased mucus production, mucus may be seen trailing from the fish.
The blood will be affected and the fish will be short of oxygen and may be gasping at the surface.
Fins and the tail will fray and rot away.
The fish may go into shock (on it's side and gasping).
The fish will die and this can happen in a matter of hours if your water is soft with a kH less than 3.
My tap water has a reading of 0 it is therefore buffered with coral gravel to 3, which more or less holds the pH stable.

You need to know your kH reading, if your tap water pH is around 6.5 I have a feeling it's low. Just keep doing regular water changes until you can get a kit

Anita

 

[alisdairkr]

pH

After a while the pH of your tank can fall a little (aka…Old tank syndrome). This is due to the by-products left over from the nitrogen cycle slowly making our tank water more acidic. Eventually this affects the kH (buffering capacity of the water) and if uncorrected by regular water changes could lead to a pH crash. This is very dangerous for our fish and symptoms of Acidosis and Alkalosis can occur these include
Fish desperately try to escape from their water often by actually jumping out.
Increased mucus production, mucus may be seen trailing from the fish.
The blood will be affected and the fish will be short of oxygen and may be gasping at the surface.
Fins and the tail will fray and rot away.
The fish may go into shock (on it's side and gasping).
The fish will die and this can happen in a matter of hours if your water is soft with a kH less than 3.
My tap water has a reading of 0 it is therefore buffered with coral gravel to 3, which more or less holds the pH stable.

You need to know your kH reading, if your tap water pH is around 6.5 I have a feeling it's low. Just keep doing regular water changes until you can get a kit

Anita

Thanks Anita.
As I said before apparenrtly the Kh level is very low, only about 1 according to the water board. (Sorry, Kh is a new one on me - newbie still).
None of the symptoms you describe, but the Whitecloud (that has now died too) was hanging vertically in the water, and kept tumbling around in the water ejected by the filter as though it had no energy at all.
One of the Platys simply died, for no apparent reason, the other had fungus as described previously. This too has died.
Have done a major water change today (before I read Wilders last entry - oops). about 50%. But the Ph is still the same as it was before I changed the water - about 6.5.
Also cleaned all the imitation plants etc., and given gravel a deep clean. Quite a lot of muck came out. Maybe I need to feed less to stop old food sinking into the gravel?

Have I done the wrong thing using a 6.5 Buffer as suggested by the LFS?

I will now remove the bogwood as suggested.

Will purchase a kit to test Ammonia

Thanks again

 

[puddle_inc]

your local lfs should have something to help your ph. for the white fungus stuff, aquarium sdalt saved two of my tanks from that
i lost 3 guppies when i had white fungus.

so try some salt and check your lfs. sorry i couldn't help more, good luck!

 

[WILDER]

It's not worth the hassle altering ph in a tank, causes more problems.
If you remove the bogwood your ph should go back up.

 

[alisdairkr]

Thanks everyone.
I have removed the bogwood, and will keep an eye on the Ph.
If I can keep it at 6.5 I'll be happy...and hopefully so will the .