Using Garden Hose

[chipster55]

Is it possible that using an outdoor garden hose to fill my 5 gallon bottles that I add during water changes could be harmful to fish. I am trying to figure out why my fish have been dying.

 

[Tetras]

Are you dechlorinating the water first, before adding it?

Post your water stats, size of tank, how long it's been established and what fish are in there. Maybe we can help you better with this info.

 

[chipster55]

Are you dechlorinating the water first, before adding it?

Post your water stats, size of tank, how long it's been established and what fish are in there. Maybe we can help you better with this info.

Yes I am adding water treatment. Ammonia-0 Nitrite- 0 Nitrate - 5.(Readings have been steady since cycle) Aquarium has been up since June 2006. Size is 75 Gal. I had 6 White Couds (all but 1 have passed) 4 Cories ( all but 2 passed) 4 Silver Dollars ( have 2 left) Red Tail Shark (still with us). I had 6 tiger barbs which were fine until I added The current silvr dollars. They started going after all new fish that were added so they went back to the LFS. I added 4 gouramies (still have 3). I had a good established tank...crystal clear water and very healthy fish. Then all of a sudden they started dying. I am stumped at this. I saw some white spots on my silver dollars (after most of fish died) which looked like ich. I am now treating with LifeGuard. That is another thread in the emergency section of this site. So the only thing that I could possibly think of is the Garden hose. We have had it (hose) for a year. I ran the water through the hose to clear any water that was in the hose. So there you have it. Any suggetions you might have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Tetras]

I am stumped to, seems like you are doing a very good job on your aquarium, stats are good, and you have a nice size tank, lucky you.

A lot of people use their hose to fill their tank, so am surprised if this is the culprit.

Are you using liquid testing kit? I really don't know what is going on with that tank and I'm sorry its happening to you as you seem to be doing everything right. Hopefully the medication will work.

Can't really be of any assistance to you but now that you have written the above requested things, maybe a pro will have some input.

 

[WILDER]

Yes garden hoses can carry nasties like parasites and bacterial infections, best to run the hose for a while to clear it through..
The spots how big are they grains of salt or bigger as you can get white bacterial spots and some will have a red circling around them, and where are the spots on the fish.

Got to go now really late and tired just take a look here to make sure the spots are not this.
http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/d...columnaris.html

 

[chipster55]

Yes garden hoses can carry nasties like parasites and bacterial infections, best to run the hose for a while to clear it through..
The spots how big are they grains of salt or bigger as you can get white bacterial spots and some will have a red circling around them, and where are the spots on the fish.

Got to go now really late and tired just take a look here to make sure the spots are not this.
http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/d...columnaris.html

Thanks for your input..I have Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit.. The white spots were on the body and the fins and they looked like grains of salt so I treated for ICH with LifeGuard which is new and may or may not be a good treatment as is dicussed in emergency forum. The silver-dollars look much better now and are very active. Now my Red Tail seems stressed but no physical signs of disease. He just stays in the caves and rarely comes out. When he does he is a little pale but not to bad. I am wondering if this medicine is bothering him..Figuring out aquarium problems is every bit as hard as a doctor trying to find whats wrong with you...I just became re-aquainted with aquariums last January and while I am no expert I have learned alot by reading forums like this. I just hate learning something to late.. Thanks again

 

[Gazoo]

Is it possible that using an outdoor garden hose...

What is the temperature of the water you are adding? If you are doing a large water change maybe the fish are being stressed by a sudden change in temperature and that is causing ich. Are you using water from outside (cold?) or inside (adjustable temp)?

I remember in my early days of fishkeeping, I used cold outside water and all of my fish got ich and died. At that time I didn't even know what ich was.

 

[Tolak]

Go to a store that sells water hoses & read the packages. Some say not drinking water safe. This means they leach heavy metals or other chemicals. I used an old garden hose for a while on my tanks, until I found a water safe rv hose on sale. More than likely my garden hose was made by a different company than yours, I didn't have any problems. I also use Prime to treat my water, which deals with heavy metals.

You could either try running carbon, which would remove chemicals, or use a water conditioner that neueralizes heavy metals. Easiest way would be to not use the hose & see what happens.

 

[SamUK]

Is it possible that using an outdoor garden hose...

What is the temperature of the water you are adding? If you are doing a large water change maybe the fish are being stressed by a sudden change in temperature and that is causing ich. Are you using water from outside (cold?) or inside (adjustable temp)?

I remember in my early days of fishkeeping, I used cold outside water and all of my fish got ich and died. At that time I didn't even know what ich was.

i was thinking the same.

i fill with a hose and coldwater but i run it in slowly from the hose.


chipster55, you mentioned you fill a bucket?


do you jus dump that in? cos theyll get a nasty temp shock if ya do.