Discusguru Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 So sorry to hear what had happen to your tank and discus. Have you got a spare tank to put the discus in so you can treat them? You just need a heater and an airstone in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 yea and if you need furan and don't have any at home PM me your address and ill send you some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 Or you can always pop around for some Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 The one that died today was the mate (not a breeding pair) of the one that died the other day. I had already removed it along with one of my breeding pairs to a different tank. Symptoms were the same as the original one that died, a lot of head up tail down breathing. The breeding pair left in the big tank seem okay atm although not eating a lot, at least they are eating. Everything else in the tank appears fit and healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matto Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 seems very odd....sorry for your losses hopefully the other discus will get better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 HELP! Yesterday afternoon around 4.30pm I did a 20% waterchange on my tank - couldn't do more as there were discus wrigglers in the tank. This took until about 6.00pm. Added prime & water conditioner. By 9.00pm last night the discus were up the top of the tank, along with some rummynose and the snails were heading for the top as well. Couldn't do a lot at that time of the evening so added more prime as it says 5x the dose can be used. This morning they were still near the top, hundreds of snails were up, one rummynose dead. Currently doing another 20% change. Tested water - even with the prime added the ammonia showed .25. Suggestions appreciated. Absolutely no idea as to what is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 This is going to sound a bit strange but what do you use to do the WC? If you are using a bucket has someone used it for something they shouldnt have. Also do you have carbon in the filter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 This is really confusing I have no idea what is happening.. Do you have any other cycled filters or even spare filters lying around? I would get another filter or 2 going on there ASAP.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 wow this is really bizzarre. Is it just in that one tank? Maybe contact the water supply and see if they've added any new chemicals or even ask for their latest water analysis from the closest testing station. I've done that with our local water suppliers and they do get back to you with quite a comprehensive set of results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 When you did the water change did you just replace some water or did you stir up and vac the media? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 how old is the water conditioner? A by product of the chemical reaction that takes place to remove chlorine from water is Ammonia. That is why dechlorinators have an extra ingredient in it to remove that ammonia or neutralise it. what is the other water conditioner you are adding with prime? with prime you need 5mL prime to 200L of water - that dose can easily be doubled or tripled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 how old is the water conditioner? A by product of the chemical reaction that takes place to remove chlorine from water is Ammonia. That is why dechlorinators have an extra ingredient in it to remove that ammonia or neutralise it. +1 The ammonia may be visible on the test kit but it should be neutralised from causing harm; however, if there has been some sort of chemical instability with the water conditioner, that neutralisation process might be inhibited. That would be an awful lot of chlorine to cause that much of an ammonia spike though...a bit of a long shot but it might pay to get some fresh stuff and see how that goes. I also wondered about the substrate, and about what the council has put in the water recently. That snail migration is a bit alarming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 All discus up again this afternoon. When I water changed I gravel vaccuumed but not much as most of the tank is planted. I stirred up very little. My water conditioner is the nutrafin aqua plus which expires in February 2012. I have added prime at the 5x rate which it says you can do in an emergency - I did this last night. The council has done nothing to change the water and is not aware of anyone else with problems. My tap water ammonia is fine - I tested it this morning just in case. The only thing different is that about the time of the initial water changes which had the first problem of the spikes happen is that I started to use flourish comprehensive in the aquarium. Dosing 5 mls once to twice a week. Its really weird - the last two spikes have happened immediately after a water change. I am currently thinking about moving out all my fish and emptying the tank and starting again but first of all have to find either tanks or people willing to look after them for about a month. Unfortunately I have no spare filters available. I have opened up the fx5 today and it is not even really gunked up. Will refill it with tank water and start it up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 do the same, but this time store the water in a drum overnight, before you use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Can't - it would need to hold 225 litres of water lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 no i meant just enough to do one water change. like a 60L drum or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 yes - that is one 50% water change - the tank is 450 litres My ammonia readings were 0 when I came home from work tonight although the discus were still up. I am pretty worried that given this has now happened 3 times in the last 6 weeks that permanent damage is/has been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Test it. Fill a bucket, any size, with the water you use for a water change, then add a dose of the water conditioners and test it after a few hours and again in the morning. If there is no ammonia spike then it must be in the tank and have little or nothing to do with the water you are adding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Chlorine reacts with water to form hypochlorus acid (HCl) so the reaction of Sodium thiosulphate (the active ingrediant in most dechlorinators) with chlorine gives: Na2S2O3 + 2HCl = 2NaCl + S + SO2 + H2O so where does the nitrogen come from to form ammonia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 you have neglected the use of chloramines in water. there are many many other nitrogenous compounds in our water. http://www.drinkingwater.co.nz/mohlabs/ ... bytest.asp for a list of what you may find in water and in what conc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Chlorine reacts with ammonia to form monochloramine, not the converse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Am sending my discus off to board with a forum member for the next month. Will start to catch and move some of the others fish out into some of my other tanks this weekend and look to empty out and restart the tank again next weekend if I can't get it sorted. It only seems to be the discus now so they may have a problem as well although two of them were happily chasing mozzy lavae last night, one of the others was a little interested and one not at all. It will be a mission catching the rest of the fish especially the sterbai. I saw some young in the tank tonight at just over 1cm My fancy plecs won't be too chuffed either I think especially when they have to go share with the female fighters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 I have two spare tanks with heaters if you need to borrow them for a bit ADodge. Only 80x40 and 80x25 (both 25 wide) but if you need them just get in touch. Can also tank fish too if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Here's a thought.... do you have an air stone running at night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 me? 24/7 and always have I've moved most of the fish out now anyway. Just waiting for some new gravel to arrive, then will have a day stripping down and cleaning out everything in the tank. Interesting though as everything else in the tank is fine atm but will rinse out all the existing substrate/filters etc and replant hundreds of plants - I have lots of saggitaria microfolia in the tank, then leave it to cycle for about a month before adding the fish in gradually. I have a surplus of halfmoon female fighters so will use them to cycle the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.