Rixons Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 I had six dead fish this morning, 4 plecos and two rainbows, including my green phantom and snowball. I changed water and cleaned the filter. This evening I found my bluefin pleco dead and loaches at the surface gasping for air, one loach died ther and then. Another wtaer change, but struggling to know what to do next. Nitrits are high 0.2 ish and ammonia is 0.25 ish. Help!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calculator Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 that is not bad, I feel sorry for you. Did you remove the chlorine from the water in your water change, and how did you clean the filter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rixons Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 I have to use tap water as I replaced about 150-200 litres of tank water. This evening I added some seachem stability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Did you use dechlorinator while you changed the water?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rixons Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 No. I just did the same as I normally do. But the fish were dying before the water change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calculator Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Maybe the water is to hard, and/or not enough oxygen in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#!CrunchBang Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 North shore water is chlorinated, you need to use dechlorinator. Is there surface agitation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rixons Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Not much surface agitation, would that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Yeah, all of your plecos that you have/had enjoy a lot of fast flowing highly oxygenated water. Are you running an airstone? co2? etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 likely lack of oxygen, will not be a disease. You should not have ammonia and nitrite, how old is the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Not much surface agitation, would that help? Yep, lack of oxygen - throw an airstone in pronto. In fact, throw in two if the oxygen levels are so low they're struggling to breathe (and dying). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 The ammonia and nitrites will be causing it. If this is your readings after a large water change I hate to think what thy were before it. The chlorine was strong in the taps today, well strong enough to smell. Do another 50 per cent change tomorrow and daily until they go back to 0. Unfortunately gill damage may have already been done. Add an air stone if you have one. What do you think has caused the ammonia and nitrite to rise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dattofish Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 i got told by the fish shop that when a fish dies the others go to the top to get fresh air because its like all the smelly gasses of a dead fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 i got told by the fish shop that when a fish dies the others go to the top to get fresh air because its like all the smelly gasses of a dead fish? :rotf: :rotf: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Did they tell you that the dead fish will cycle the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 dattofish - I do hope you are joking. Yes the others will most probably go to the top because of the ammonia being caused by the dead fish. Dead fish can be used to cycle the tank but this is before you add live ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rixons Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Thanks everyone, the tank seems to have settled now. It is a 550L tank and has been up and running several months now with very few problems. I think the problem was caused by a collection of things. An overdue water change, overdue filter clean, too much food in the tank. I have a long (1m+) air line thing that puts air in along the back of the tank. i have another air pump so i will add that with another air stone. I also have a powerful water agitator, but it is so strong I worry about fish being sucked into it, so have not used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rixons Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Once the tank is fully settled, all I need to do is replace the plecos. The green phantom was amazing and I'd really like to find one to buy. Also there were two blue fins that died, so they need to be replaced too. If anyone knows of any for sale, please let me know. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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