nicmack Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I woke up this morning and my filter was working fine however the tank was all cloudy and all my discus had died I am not sure if I am going to pursue it any further at this point but if I do should I sterilise everything? how do I go about doing this as I am guessing something is toxic! even my cardinals and scissor tail had died completely lost their colour and looked almost scarred !!!! how will I know it is safe to start over?? this is the worst day ever !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Im really sorry to hear that.How long has your tank been set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Oh Nicmack, that's terrible! I am very sorry to hear about your losses. I would suggest emptying the tank and giving it a general clean (just so it's not sitting there looking nasty). Then let some of the helpful people on this forum talk you through what might have gone wrong so you can decide if you want to have another go. Catastrophic losses do happen in this hobby, but they aren't common. Hopefully this will be the only time in your fish-keeping career that you will suffer something like this. If you choose to keep going, it's likely you will end up finding the experience as rewarding and enjoyable as most of us do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 I'm sorry for your loss. That must've been a terrible way to start your day Had the filter been disturbed recently? Have you chucked the water?? It would be worth testing it for Ammonia and Nitrite. The cloudiness sounds like a bacterial bloom?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicmack Posted August 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 I am going to empty the whole tank wash the gravel in boiling water and soak the driftwood in boiling water too and clean the entire filter and pipes then do a restart cycling the tank from scratch - I am devestated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Im real sorry that you have to go through that again.But when you have there are plenty of people on here who will help you.Good on you for having another go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicmack Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 4 and a half hours later my tank is cycling from scratch *fingers crossed* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 I know how bad you must feel about your losses but if you look on the positive side.....you get to set the tank up differently, choose the stock, watch and control the cycle process. I really enjoy that aspect of fish keeping 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorkel Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Sometimes, if the filter hasn't been cleaned in a long time, it only takes a short powercut of an hour or so, and when it starts up again.... poison spews into Ya tank. Sadly, I learned this the hard way. I would hate to think, how many fish have died at my hands over the years..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 You will be okay.The hardest part is the waiting.Do you have any other tanks up and running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicmack Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 I have a small cichlid tank up and running so I have something to look at for the mean time - going to replant the tank out over the week so its kind of a fresh start but my other guys all had names Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 I know its heart braking when you get attached to certain fish.Im going through a cycle at the moment as i switched tanks from my three foot to a four foot.I used the old filter and gravel as will as some of the water from the old tank.It should have been fine but i for got to plug in the heaters two days later.And got white spot.I treated my tank and cleared the white spot,but killed my good bacteria.Lost three fish so far.Im doing daily water changes.And im so mad with my self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicmack Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 good luck with that Mumzy50...let me know how you get on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 oh! sorry to hear that once again that sux. you could use some filter material from your cichlid tank and keep stocking low in the discus tank then you can use it straight away, or cycle new filter material for 2 wks in the cichlid tank then transfer back over to the discus tank. will save you a lot of time altho i imagine you're not in a huge hurry :-? i presume you were doing frequent water changes too yeah? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorkel Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Have you worked out why this happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicmack Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 yes it appears that the cannister filter failed coz it leaked today....grrrr !!!!!!I am thinking that cloudy water was a bacterial bloom as a result?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicmack Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I was water changing twice a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorkel Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 If cannister filters are dirty and they stop, or even slow up pumping water, the bacteria in the cannister suffocate and die. Things quickly go down hill from there. Bacteria populations explode, they use up the available oxygen and fish die. A dirty filter is a enviromental bomb, waiting to go off. Even a short power outage is a danger. My filter is a aukward, messy thing to service, so I have thrown out the filter wool as this is the first thing to clog up. Also I dont bother with the carbon thing, in fact I just use the round ceramic clay/sintered glass things in it. It lasts a long time unserviced like this. Every now and again I check the cannister with a torch, its sort of see thru, and if its getting dirty I put the outflow in a bucket and give it a bit of a shake and it "comes clean". Also make sure all the connections are airtight. If it sucks air into the system, it will also stop pumping. Best thing thou, is dont leg it get so dirty that when it does stop working, You aint gonna have it "go off". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicmack Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 i have dumped the carbon chips given it a good clean and are starting cycling all over I have also setup the aqua one 980 standard filter system to run alongside as well - double help hopefully? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 my understanding is that carbon only has a limited life span then it releases the muck/toxins back into the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorkel Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 I think carbon absorbs gases. I can't really "get my head around" that. You know, what sort of gases are present in a aquarium that need absorbing? I used it once, when I was first starting out, but soon stopped using it. Heres an idea nicmack, if Ya gonna use two filters, how about setting up a longlife one, with just large unblockable filter media in it? One just to grow the bacteria that the fish need,, and use the other one with some fiter wool in it for the small particals? Keep a close eye on the filter wool one and as soon as it starts to slow up, empty it out and start again with new wool. That way you can compare and will get a "feel" for the thing. I find that the more I experiment (play) with my tank the more I appreciate what is really going on in there. Anyway, just an idea. All the best, Snorkel out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 Try googleing carbon in filters.I found this interesting and explains alot about it.I will be using carbon again,but mainly for my turtles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 I had a similar problem with my tropical tank a few months ago. Luckily, I caught it in time and no fish died. I simply cleaned the filter, threw out the carbon (in all my other filters too!), did a 20% water change, added a bit of salt, let it filter for 24hrs then put the fish back in and it was fine. I've stopped using carbon as a result, and add a bit of salt every so often, which seems to help all the fish too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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