Unexplained Fish Loss Setup Diary Logs Included

[eaglesaquarium]

The water ph after standing changed to 8.0 and also same result for after dechlorination

Once again thank you to all of the responces

This forum is a great resource. I can't tell you how much I've learned from the brief time I've been here. The advice here is so much better than at the LFS, they (mostly) just want to make sales. These folks want to help you do what is best for your fish.

 

[brian2708]

Ok, just been out and purchased a test kit for ammonia

Tank size:Juwel Rio 240
pH:8.0
ammonia:0.25mg/l
nitrite:
nitrate:0.8mg/l
kH:
gH:
tank temp:26.7

I really need to do more reading on this site to find out more,I would really appreciate some advice on where to go from here

I'm going to start with a 50% water change whilst i await advice...

I've bin through exactly what you're going through unfortunately, you've just gotta ride it out now (unless the lfs will accept the fish back!?) and face the fact that you will loose fish until the tank is cycled best advise now is read, read, read keep up frequent water changes but try not to get too attached to the fish as all but the most hardy will perish... it sounds harsh of me I know, but like I said I've just gone through the same thing and have now got a nice looking tank and funnily enough have changed my mind completely on the fish I want (I also went with mollys and platys but they weren't to my liking so I haven't restocked them). It's a steep learning curve but you will learn so much from it - I have!

+1 re plec - take a look at the corydoras, otocinclus or siamese algae eaters as an alternative

Good luck!

Disagree.

You may not lose fish, if you keep up with keeping an eye on it you might be ok.

I have been doing a fish-in cycle for about 4 weeks now, ammonia has never gone above 0.25ppm, and nitrite is not registering (I'm waiting for this!) and as of yet, touch wood, I have yet to lose a fish.

Fish-in cycles are perfectly exceptable forms of cycling your tank, it is just hard work!

 

[david0121]

I've got to opt for the Fish-in Cycle.

This morning i have been and purchased a Nitrate test, all of my readings are as follows -:

Temp-----:27.5
PH-------:8.0
Amonia---:Nil
NitrIte--:0.3
NitrAte--:12.5

I have done nothing else with the tank today, only the water test.

Please advise is i need to take and other action, or just leave things as they are, and hope that the correct bacteria start forming...

 

[Loui354]

Hi
All your readings seem fine. As you have quite a lot of fish for a fairly new tank they may have just been stressed out by the conditions whilst the tank was cycling. Or there may be a bacterial infection. If it is still cycling, sometimes you can enter a mini-cycle where you might get an ammonia spike or nitrite spike. A very good treatment to use if you wanted to is Melafix. It kills the harmful bacteria and helps the fish to maintain their natural slime coating that protects them from toxins. We have used it in the past with succesful results.

 

[fluttermoth]

I've got to opt for the Fish-in Cycle.

This morning i have been and purchased a Nitrate test, all of my readings are as follows -:

Temp-----:27.5
PH-------:8.0
Amonia---:Nil
NitrIte--:0.3
NitrAte--:12.5

I have done nothing else with the tank today, only the water test.

Please advise is i need to take and other action, or just leave things as they are, and hope that the correct bacteria start forming...

You need to do another water change; there is no safe level for either nitrite or ammonia. Any time you get a reading for either of those, it's time do do a change.

 

[brian2708]

What test kit are you using?

 

[david0121]

All of the test kits that i have are "Tetra"

 

[david0121]

I have done a large water change today and taken water test,

Details are as follows -:

Date : 28/04/2011 14.48
Temp : 26.5
PH :7.5
Nitrite :0.3
Amonia :0
Nitrate 12.5

Based on yesterdays results the water change today has reduced the the PH by .5 and also reduced the Nitrite by .5

Why would the level on the Nitrite still be showing 0.3 after such a large waterchange?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Why would the level on the Nitrite still be showing 0.3 after such a large waterchange?

Have you tested the ammonia and nitrite levels of your tap? That's another possible source. If it is, using a dechlorination product that deals with that, like Prime or Stress Coat would the answer.

 

[david0121]

I have tested Our tap water for Nitrite and the test shows <0.3ppm
and the Amonia shows 0

I've been adding aquasafe to all water changes at a rate of 5ml for every 10 Liters of water,

 

[david0121]

I've also noticed tonight that my guppies have started to lose some of their colour Why??

earlier today I did a 50% water change, the results are as follows -:

Date : 28/04/2011 14.48
Temp : 26.5
PH :7.5
Nitrite :0.3
Amonia :0
Nitrate 12.5

Based on yesterdays results the water change today has reduced the the PH by .5 and also reduced the Nitrite by .5

Why would the level on the Nitrite still be showing 0.3 after such a large waterchange?

I'm now running out of answers, What do i do next ??

 

[fluttermoth]

Fish tend to lose colour when they're unhappy.

Unfortunately the tests we use aren't 100% accurate. If there's any reading above zero you need to do another water change. 50% isn't that large for a fish-in cycle.

 

[brian2708]

Because your source is at 0.3 for nitrite.

Your tank is not cycled.

 

[david0121]

Thanks for the reply,

I'm more than happy to do a water change everyday if need be,

I'm feeling pretty bad at the moment my fish arn't the only ones losing their colour,

What have my fish been going through?

Is there anything else that i could be doing in order to move this process along?
or just continue to do water changes on a daily basis in order to control the Amonia and Nitrite, and let the bacteria form in filter media.

Nutrafin Cycle, My LFS advised that using this product was a better way of cycling, because it contains the correct bacteria needed to cycle The tank.
How can bacteria continue to thrive or even survive in a plastic bottle sitting on a shelf?

Looking forward to the forums comments.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nutrafin Cycle, My LFS advised that using this product was a better way of cycling, because it contains the correct bacteria needed to cycle The tank.
How can bacteria continue to thrive or even survive in a plastic bottle sitting on a shelf?

Looking forward to the forums comments.

They claim: "Unique processing method keeps bacteria in a dormant state until it comes in contact with ammonia or nitrite to ensure effectiveness even after extended periods of bottled storage. Minimum shelf life of three years is guaranteed. " They are also using a different bacteria (nitrobacter) than was proven to be the most prevalent nitrifying bacteria (nitrospira) The original product, "Biospira needed to be refrigerated, and had a very limited shelf-life. The product currently being tested in another thread (here) is a refrigerated product, "Turbo Start" from Fritz Zyme, and claims to cycle a tank in about 5 days or less. This product also uses nitrobacter.

Then, I will be testing Tetra's "Safe Start", which is the product formerly known as "Biospira", but it is no longer refrigerated. It is scheduled to arrive by Saturday, and I'll be performing a fishless cycle with a 10 gallon tank.

There is another product that is supposed to be good as well, Dr. Tim's "One and Only". No one is currently scheduled to be testing it. If you are interested in joining the experiment, jump in! The more the merrier. All results are being updated to the first post. Just post your water parameters before you added the stuff, then what product you are using, and how you are dosing it. (If you aren't interested in being part of the experiment, no worries!)