All my fish are dying, what's going on?

[Raka]

People seem to think RO is a quick an easy fix to water quality but actually requires the proper know how to amend or restructure it correctly, tends to be time consuming.

Used it for years in the indoor garden but have never applied it to fish as you lose water making water, I believe my old system lost 1 gallon for ever 2 made. Its a time consuming extra step to water changes that most people, myself included are not willing to maintain long term.

I would agree with sourcing from local breeders. My recent experience with angels is night and day from locals vs imports.

I have had similar issues with a lack of quarantine tank and its lessons like this that stick with you unfortunately.

 

[Plec123]

People seem to think RO is a quick an easy fix to water quality but actually requires the proper know how to amend or restructure it correctly, tends to be time consuming.

Used it for years in the indoor garden but have never applied it to fish as you lose water making water, I believe my old system lost 1 gallon for ever 2 made. Its a time consuming extra step to water changes that most people, myself included are not willing to maintain long term.

I would agree with sourcing from local breeders. My recent experience with angels is night and day from locals vs imports.

I have had similar issues with a lack of quarantine tank and its lessons like this that stick with you unfortunately.

Definitely learned my lesson... it's a shame that a lot of the plecos I enjoy keeping are WC since no one is breeding them. The one I picked up isn't imported often as it is. I'm gonna have to set up a quarantine tank now as I reintroduce fish to my setup... maybe this will be an opportunity to try again with the same fish and see if they can handle my water. The shop owner said he'd had them for a while.

 

[duanes]

When in the states I had at least 3 Q tanks up and running 24/7, so they were always cycled and ready to go, in case a "must have" species became available. Mine were also plumbed in-line with my other tanks on sumps, so a turn of a valve could isolate them, or bring them easily back.

I'd keep one or 2 fish in them, maybe some grow out plants, things that could easily be transferred elsewhere. They'd often hold either fry grow outs, or something small like a pair or trio of killi's.
Most Q tank can be as small as a 10 or 20 gal, so easy and inexpensive to treat if needed.
Not that aquarium raised fish are any safer, but wild caught often arrive with more complicated and expensive parasites to treat.
If in the hobby for any length of time, we've all learned the hard way about the benefits of QTing.
One other thing I've learned, is setting up a Q tank is usually less expensive than one course of meds needed to treat the main tank.

 

[Plec123]

When in the states I had at least 3 Q tanks up and running 24/7, so they were always cycled and ready to go, in case a "must have" species became available. Mine were also plumbed in-line with my other tanks on sumps, so a turn of a valve could isolate them, or bring them easily back.

I'd keep one or 2 fish in them, maybe some grow out plants, things that could easily be transferred elsewhere. They'd often hold either fry grow outs, or something small like a pair or trio of killi's.
Most Q tank can be as small as a 10 or 20 gal, so easy and inexpensive to treat if needed.
Not that aquarium raised fish are any safer, but wild caught often arrive with more complicated and expensive parasites to treat.
If in the hobby for any length of time, we've all learned the hard way about the benefits of QTing.
One other thing I've learned, is setting up a Q tank is usually less expensive than one course of meds needed to treat the main tank.

I would love to be able to do this. Its ine of the parts of the hobby I've often felt isn't really attainable for me, as I only live in an apartment with the gf and so there isn't much space for a fish room or a qt tank. I think after all this is done I'll set a small one up in our office. There's not much space but itd clearly be better than doing this again.

 

[Raka]

For my qt tank I have a spare 5, 10, 29g, empty until needed. Seems easier to convince the SO to have another tank if its not permanent.

I keep a hang on back filter on my main tank with a disconnected air powered sponge filter in the media compartment. This keeps it cycled when not in use. When I need a qt setup I can grab that sponge out of the HOB and slap an air pump to it and I'm good to go.

I rarely see any ammonia/nitrite spikes in the main or qt tank doing this with some controlled feeding. I monitor stats hard for 72hrs to make sure as well.

 

[Plec123]

For my qt tank I have a spare 5, 10, 29g, empty until needed. Seems easier to convince the SO to have another tank if its not permanent.

I keep a hang on back filter on my main tank with a disconnected air powered sponge filter in the media compartment. This keeps it cycled when not in use. When I need a qt setup I can grab that sponge out of the HOB and slap an air pump to it and I'm good to go.

I rarely see any ammonia/nitrite spikes in the main or qt tank doing this with some controlled feeding. I monitor stats hard for 72hrs to make sure as well.

This is a good idea. I use two canisters on my tank so perhaps I can throw some of the bio media from those into the filter of a qt tank when it's in use. I'll probably end up going with a 10 gallon, i doubt anything going into my 75 will have difficulty spending a few days in a 10.

 

[duanes]

I normally quarantine for 3 months (longer if anything looks amiss), it sometimes takes that long for certain diseases to present, or become obvious. Some people might consider this anal, but....some species I kept were fairly rare and hard to come by, for me too much to gamble with.
A friend who runs an aquatic exhibit at a zoo, QTs every fish for 6 months.
Ick might show up in a few days or a week , but ick or other simple diseases s like it, are relatively easy to deal with. Its some of the more lethal and destructive diseases that are what I worry about most.
I also add a little water every day from the main tank to the new fishes tank, by the end the QT, new fish should be totally acclimated to the micro flora and fauna it will need to coexist with.
And I'm "not" talking about simple water parameters here, but certain bacteria or protozoa that the main tanks current fish might have built an immunity to over time, but the new fish may be non-resistant to, without acclimation.

 

[Raka]

I normally quarantine for 3 months (longer if anything looks amiss), it sometimes takes that long for certain diseases to present, or become obvious. Some people might consider this anal, but....some species I kept were fairly rare and hard to come by, for me too much to gamble

I do the same. Lost everything once before dont think I can stay in the hobby if it happens again. This site has moved me to longevity as a sign of success and I dont want to jeopardize the years of work I have stacked back up.

 

[Plec123]

I normally quarantine for 3 months (longer if anything looks amiss), it sometimes takes that long for certain diseases to present, or become obvious. Some people might consider this anal, but....some species I kept were fairly rare and hard to come by, for me too much to gamble with.
A friend who runs an aquatic exhibit at a zoo, QTs every fish for 6 months.
Ick might show up in a few days or a week , but ick or other simple diseases s like it, are relatively easy to deal with. Its some of the more lethal and destructive diseases that are what I worry about most.
I also add a little water every day from the main tank to the new fishes tank, by the end the QT, new fish should be totally acclimated to the micro flora and fauna it will need to coexist with.
And I'm "not" talking about simple water parameters here, but certain bacteria or protozoa that the main tanks current fish might have built an immunity to over time, but the new fish may be non-hesitant to, without acclimation.

Damn, didn't even think of all the flora in my tank that my fish are used to. Thats a great point.

Learning a lot here. Thank you all .