Why Are All The Fish Dying?

[Phil2501]

All the results were as they should be, even the amonia & nitrite were at the right levels? (colour charts)

no more fish have died, we have added another filter & done a 25% water change. the water looks alot healthier in colour, will do another test in a day or two.

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Phil,

It would still help if you stated which test kit you are using, which tests you have performed and told us the numerical results. Your situation still has many of the classic signs of nitrogen cycle problems and you may find there is still more helpful advice to be given.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Hi Phil,

It would still help if you stated which test kit you are using, which tests you have performed and told us the numerical results. Your situation still has many of the classic signs of nitrogen cycle problems and you may find there is still more helpful advice to be given.

~~waterdrop~~

i agree with WD, theres a lot of poor quality test kits around and also the interpretation of 'fine' is very subjective. we'd all really benefit from knowing what make and model of test kit you have used and the exact numberical results for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, even if just to exclude water quality from our investigations.

 

[Phil2501]

Nitrate 0mg/l
Nitrite 0.1mg/l
Ammonia 0mg/l
PH Broad Range was between 6.5 & 7

all are now at right levels (0mg/l) & the Ph level colour is more towards the 7 now., since lost the Clown Loach, its tail fin looked like it had been eaten? & also the last neon tetra, that was the day after we did the first test. None have died since.

btw the text is Interpet Liquid master test kit.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

well the nitrite is the problem, i know 0.1ppm doesn't sound like a lot, but it needs to be 0 all the time, even a tiny bit of nitrite is very very dangerous.

sounds like you've got a mini cycle from moving the tank, need to do daily water changes until both ammonia and nitrite are steady at 0.

 

[waterdrop]

OK Phil, now it looks like we are getting somewhere,

You have a kit and have done some tests and reported the actual result numbers, good! I agree with MW: the situation is not yet clear. It could be good news and you are near coming out of the cycling situation. Or, unfortunately, those could be the results of a tank after a water change that is hardly cycled at all.

The best testing approach, I think, would be to test for ammonia, nitrite and pH twice a day (most people do it morning and evening) and then maybe check nitrate maybe once every third day (in this situation.) The nitrate tests are tricky and often don't work well, so follow those steps closely.

Grab a little notebook and be sure to write down your results each time as sometimes the trend of several tests over time will tell us more than just one set of results. The more results you give MW, the more perfect she can be,

By the way, I agree with rabbut on the other major problems of overstocking etc. that will need to be addressed. Oh, and also, don't get discouraged by all this! You have stumbled on a great place. If you stick with it, these experienced members can really help a lot, I've seen it many times!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah i agree with WD, if you can get us a couple of days results, even if it's just 1 test a day, it will definatley help us work out what's going on. Trends are nearly always more important than single results, not just in fishkeeping!