Deadly water change....

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TheBroc

Feeder Fish
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Apr 1, 2014
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I have a 29 gal and 55 gal. I'm adding a 135 gal but need to put it where the 55 is and the 55 where the 29 is and move the 29 elsewhere. So I moved the 29 first. Emptied approx. 70% of water so I could carry it. After refilling it I had to leave to the LFS and did not turn the pump back on. As well I always add a little aquarium salt. I came home and 2 of the 3 clown loaches were dead/swimming crazily upside down, along with 1 of the 2 pearl barbs. Other stock 3 angels, 1 roseline shark. Any ideas? Ph 7.4 ammonia .25 nitrites .25 nitrates 10

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TheBroc

Feeder Fish
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Apr 1, 2014
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Tomorrow I was going to move the 55 but am scared to because my silver aro clown knife and other fish I really care about are in there

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Simcan

Gambusia
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Dec 9, 2005
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What's hard to tell from your account is why it happened but what is clear is you crashed your biological filter or removed it. Traceable ammonia and nitrite means your biological filter was not converting one into the other and the other into nitrate, and both are toxic. It is not about moving your tank in my view it is that whether because you did not condition the water or did not run the filter, you allowed toxic compounds to accumulate and it killed some fish. Next time you do it, make sure you have a robust population of nitrifying bacteria processing the ammonia and nitrite and you...well, your fish...will be fine.

And before anyone else gets to it, the usual nag is that the 135 for a clown knife and/or an aro won't be good for long even if they are for now, let alone the other fish you really care for.
 
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TheBroc

Feeder Fish
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Apr 1, 2014
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Simcan said:
What's hard to tell from your account is why it happened but what is clear is you crashed your biological filter or removed it. Traceable ammonia and nitrite means your biological filter was not converting one into the other and the other into nitrate, and both are toxic. It is not about moving your tank in my view it is that whether because you did not condition the water or did not run the filter, you allowed toxic compounds to accumulate and it killed some fish. Next time you do it, make sure you have a robust population of nitrifying bacteria processing the ammonia and nitrite and you...well, your fish...will be fine.

And before anyone else gets to it, the usual nag is that the 135 for a clown knife and/or an aro won't be good for long even if they are for now, let alone the other fish you really care for.
Click to expand...
I added API stress coat+ while filling the tank. So I know I added water conditioner.

How do I make this happen? "make sure you have a robust population of nitrifying bacteria processing the ammonia and nitrite"

I understand the size the fish will become, I'll cross that bridge when the time comes. Such as now they are about to outgrow the 55, hence why I purchased a 135 for them. I will do the same in the future.


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Aw3s0m3

Aw3s0m3

Piranha
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May 6, 2012
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Could your city have added something to the water? I know 1 day at my friend's house, exact same thing happened to him and he did everything right. Turned out that there was a leak in 1 of his pipes and somehow high traces of ammonia was gettin into his tap.


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TheBroc

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Aw3s0m3 said:
Could your city have added something to the water? I know 1 day at my friend's house, exact same thing happened to him and he did everything right. Turned out that there was a leak in 1 of his pipes and somehow high traces of ammonia was gettin into his tap.


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Click to expand...
Should I test my tap water for ammonia ?

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Simcan

Gambusia
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TheBroc said:
Should I test my tap water for ammonia ?

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Click to expand...
Sure. But it will come back negative. It would be a pretty big coincidence otherwise. If your tank was fine before the move, and the filtration post-move was turned back on, there would be not be an issue. Read some of the info on the cycle. Basically, you have to have enough bacteria that consume ammonia and excrete nitrite, and enough that consume nitrite and excrete nitrate, that the ammonia and nitrite get processed as they are produced. If you have that, you have a cycled tank. Tank change or not, water changes won't affect that, unless something you do in the water change kills off that bacteria.
 
Aw3s0m3

Aw3s0m3

Piranha
MFK Member
May 6, 2012
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Over there
TheBroc said:
Should I test my tap water for ammonia ?

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Click to expand...
It wouldn't hurt. Like simcan said its highly unlikely cuz you're showing ammonia and nitrite. His tank only showed ammonia but it was extremely high, higher than yours. And he showed no nitrites so unless there's nitrite in your tap as well it's probably unestablished bacteria that caused the problem


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D

DDK

Plecostomus
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May 25, 2013
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Well I'm pretty sure you didnt have a cycle crash. I've left my pumps/filters off for over 5 hours and never got a crash. The ammonia is probably from the fish just crapping in the water while you were gone and the beneficial bacteria on the tank walls, gravels, and decor converted what they could to nitrite and to nitrate leading to the .25 ammonia/nitrate.

Did you add water conditioner? Stupid question I know but we all forget things time to time.
What was the temp of the water added?

If you did add conditioner and matched the water temp relatively close then I would think its just a freak accident. You're probably not going to find out what did it so I would just move on and not stress about it. Seems like you did do everything right so nothing on your end that needs to be corrected. I would test the tap water though, just for some peace of mind though.
 
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TheBroc

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 1, 2014
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CALIFORNIA
Danielcho said:
Well I'm pretty sure you didnt have a cycle crash. I've left my pumps/filters off for over 5 hours and never got a crash. The ammonia is probably from the fish just crapping in the water while you were gone and the beneficial bacteria on the tank walls, gravels, and decor converted what they could to nitrite and to nitrate leading to the .25 ammonia/nitrate.

Did you add water conditioner? Stupid question I know but we all forget things time to time.
What was the temp of the water added?

If you did add conditioner and matched the water temp relatively close then I would think its just a freak accident. You're probably not going to find out what did it so I would just move on and not stress about it. Seems like you did do everything right so nothing on your end that needs to be corrected. I would test the tap water though, just for some peace of mind though.
Click to expand...
Water condition was added. Temp was correct when adding water although it was really hot today (I live in California ) when I returned home my house was really hot and as result the temp did go up, not much, maybe 3-4 degrees.... all the other fish were fine tho. I just looked at the tank the roseline shark appears to have lost ALOT of color but still alive.

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