Cybertech Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Guys a local shop where my friends work is having a major problem ALL THEIR FISH ARE DYING tests indicated low ph and spiked phosphate offthe scale this is across all their tanks excepting the quarentine tanks which are out the back. A friend has suggested old tank syndrome but there is no spike in nitrates and it has happened to all their tanks at once the fish develop a slimy like coating and die within the hour. Even goldfish. No gasping at the surface just fish that are very obviously distressed and gasping. the onset was all at the same time Personally I think their tanks have been spiked Your opionion Please and what should they be testing for all the other parameters are normal Help please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Water changes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Yes big water changes and gravel vacs, use prime when replacing water. Thats always the first thing to do when an issue arises and you don't know the cause. A large pH swing will cause excessive slime coat. Are they all running on the one filter/sump system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybertech Posted October 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Yes big water changes and gravel vacs, use prime when replacing water. Thats always the first thing to do when an issue arises and you don't know the cause. A large pH swing will cause excessive slime coat. Are they all running on the one filter/sump system? Hi All tanks are on individual filters Water changes and gravel vacs have been done and prime has been used. the fish just dont seem to respond to even fresh water changes and keep going down hill. Fish are all listless and gasping mainly on the bottom of the tanks or floating head down, Slime coat starts to appear and within an hour the fish are dead. If this was old tank syndrom why would it appear in all tanks at the same time? and why would fish not respond to water changes? Your Thoughts? I am going to advise autopsy of dead fish :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 I think getting an autopsy would be a good idea and also a water sample tested if any of the unchanged water was kept. It is unlikely to be 'old tank' syndrome (which generally shows as high nitrate levels) if tanks are running on separate filters, as I would imagine that like other fish shops, tanks and the substrate would be varying ages. Is it every tank in the shop? Whats the phosphate reading of the tap water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Waterchange again and add salt to help reduce toxicity. It might be too late but at least all is being done that can be. Airlines if available as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Did it happen out of the blue , after water change, after feeding ... Power cut during the night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybertech Posted October 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Did it happen out of the blue , after water change, after feeding ... Power cut during the night? Yes started on Thursday they been doing water changes daily but no improvement,Am going to retest all water parameters today and retest tap supply, Some tanks were left open for new fish to acclaimatise but not every tank :-) Yes big water changes and gravel vacs, use prime when replacing water. Thats always the first thing to do when an issue arises and you don't know the cause. A large pH swing will cause excessive slime coat. Are they all running on the one filter/sump system? Hi All tanks are on individual filters Water changes and gravel vacs have been done and prime has been used. the fish just dont seem to respond to even fresh water changes and keep going down hill. Fish are all listless and gasping mainly on the bottom of the tanks or floating head down, Slime coat starts to appear and within an hour the fish are dead. If this was old tank syndrom why would it appear in all tanks at the same time? and why would fish not respond to water changes? Your Thoughts? I am going to advise autopsy of dead fish :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 If this was old tank syndrom why would it appear in all tanks at the same time? No, and all "Old tank syndrome" is, is a euphemism for a tank with massive amounts of rotting crap built up because of poor maintenance. In a tiny, easy to clean lfs tank with nothing but a few mm of gravel I doubt that's an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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