The End Of World Has Come

[Hoppo]

I dont know if it has anything to do with the algae bloom I have going on in my tank or what. But last night I came home and everything in my tank was wiped out, except my Cory Cats. I quickly set up my 5 gal holding bucket that I used for water changes, threw the heater and the filter in with an air stone and moved the cats over once the water temp was right.

I dont have a test kit so I'm going to get my water tested at my local fish store and see what the hell happen. I'll keep the post updated once I get back.

 

[moochy13]

when you go to the shop buy yourself a test kit.

 

[waterdrop]

You'll have to explain your situation in more detail Hoppo. With enough information I'm sure the members can help you get to the bottom of it. Algae is triggered by a very simple thing, Ammonia plus Light! Excess algae can be a sign of an excess of either one of these by itself or a combination of both together. If excess ammonia is involved of course this could be a sign of the problem for the fish, as ammonia is a deadly poison to fish, causing permanent gill damage prior to the level that causes death.

I agree with the others, a decent liquid-reagent based test kit is one of the essential baselines of starting in fishkeeping (at least to help one learn, at the very least.) If one could somehow magically "know" what to get as a first-time beginner, it would be a test kit virtually at the same moment as one's first tank, in my opinion.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I agree. The aquarium kits that are sold should have the tank, filter, heater, canopy, light, AND a test kit, plus a small bottle of 10% ammonia to fishless cycle the new tank...

 

[Hoppo]

Ok thanks for the concern so far. I took my water in to be tested and the guy wrote down my results and showed me my areas of concern. heres what I got

Ammonia 1.0-3.0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 80ppm
ph <6.2
Alkalinity 0
Hardness 75-150
Chlorine and Chloramine 0ppm

The guy said the Ammonia, Nitrate and Alkalinity were the problems.

So this is what I did when I got home. I changed out my sponge filter for a new one, threw away my old charcoal and put in a Ammonia remover filter pack, kept the ceramics for whatever bacteria was still present. I added 10ml of Tetra EasyBalance Plus, it says to regulate the pH and reduce Nitrates, I also added 10ml of Ammonia remover. I cleaned my plants and removed as much of the algae that was on them and re-set the tank back up and its running.

The Cories are still in the bucket with a heater and an airstone.

I didnt get a test kit they didnt have any. He said to come back tomorrow, that they get there deliveries tomorrow. I'm going to take another water sample for them to test it again.

Let me know how I stand with what I did.

Thanks

 

[bullit]

id be doing a 50 percent water changes everyday (obviously declorinated) untill everything reads zero. Make sure you get a liquid test kit, not the strips.

 

[Tizer]

hoppo, fire up ebay, get a API freshwater test kit, delivered for about £20. You need one, fannying around back and forth from the pet shop is daft.

You dont really need an ammonia removing "kit", you probably just got sold something pointless.

You can remove ammonia from your tank yourself.

have a read through the link in my sig, since you are now in a "fish in cycle" you need to do similar to me, ignoring the seeding part.

I suggest 50% water changes every evening, after a water test, ensuring you dechlorinate the new water you put in and temperate match is as best as you can guess. Do that, without fail, for a couple of weeks and you might get back on track and you might just not kill your fish.

 

[Hoppo]

Ok I will do and search for the API test kit.

I havent put my Cories back in yet, their still in the 5 gal bucket with a heater and airstone. Are they safer in there or should I put them back in the tank?

Should I stop adding the ammonia remover and the easy balance plus and just do water changes?

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Do a large water change. I would suggest 100% now the cories are out of the tank. Refill using temperatue matched water to the bucket that your cories are in. Use your hand as a tool unless you have a spare thermometer. Not that important. There or there abouts is fine.

Then put the cories back in the tank.

When taking the water out make sure you do a good clean on the substrate as this will help with ammonia build up.

Also how long have you had the cories in a bucket? The ammonia will be building up in there especially if you used tank water to fill the bucket.

Oh also stop using any chemicals other than dechlorinator. They are next to useless.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I'd be using Prime or Stress Coat for dechlorinator to eliminate any ammonia coming from the tap as well. Other than that follow the instructions above. And good luck. Please keep us posted!

 

[Hoppo]

Ok, I did a 50% water change today. Stirred up the sand quite well to release anything trapped in it. Used the siphon to suck up the floating bits and used the net like a pool skimmer and grabbed whetever else was stirred up. Threw away one type of plant I had, forget what its called. Added some freshed treated water. Re-arranged the tank and let the filter have at it. While I was doing all this I had the filter in the bucket with the Cories, filtering that water. They seem to be doing fine with the airstone and heater. I hope to move them back into the tank soon.

I'll keep you posted tomorrow.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with SABF above, you should not be using chemicals other than the necessary dechlor for your water changes. Your water changing is way too "wimpy." In your situation I would not only have done a 100% substrate-clean-water-change but I would then have filled back to 50% and then substrate-cleaned-water-changed it all right back out again and then finally gone on to the roughly temperature matched refill. I would dose Prime at 1.5x to 2x in the return tap water. You are in a Fish-In Cycling Situation and I agree with the above advice that you should also be careful of the fish in the bucket as you could get rather quick ammonia buildup there also.

Ammonia at 1 to 3ppm is much, much more dangerous than water changing, so there is little point to things like 50% water changes when poison needs to be cleared. The double type cleanout I suggest is also all about also reducing the nitrate(NO3), which tends to hang with the gravel and filter despite water changing.

In any fish-in cycling situation the goal is to do regular testing and use that to figure out what pattern frequency and/or percentage of water changes is necessary to always keep the ammonia (and nitrite if that were to be a problem) below 0.25ppm until you can be home again from work, school or whatever to change water again. It is better not to rely on percentage and time period formulas but to do your changes based on water test results.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Hoppo]

I just want to let everyone know that I have done yet another water change and finally returned the Cats back to the tank. The tank has cleared up and is looking nice and clear again. I'm going to get the water tested again and pick up my own test kit. I just have been busy with work that I havent been able to anything else, but at least do the water changes.

I kinda have grown quite fond of my Cats and want to get more, but what is to many bottom fish for a 20 gal tank. I also was thinking of getting a gourami or 2 for the main attraction for the rest of the tank. How does this sound? BUT I wont get anymore fish until I know my water is correct.

 

[StandbySetting]

If you can find Salifert test kits you're better off getting these instead of the API kits, that is presuming you're in the UK, in total they're about the same price as the API test kits, but the Saliferts are more accurate and reliable, if you can't find them however the API will be fine, it's just that you may as well go for the better test kit if you can find it as they're similarly priced.

 

[Hoppo]

No I'm over here on the East Coast. I have seen the API kits, I will be getting one tomorrow.