ALL FISH DEAD IN ONE NIGHT... HELP

[jwitty]

Thanks for the help man. I will definitely do that. The kit I have is API but it comes with high range ph as well as the regular blue bottle. I tested both.

Also just to go through all possibilities since we’ve gone through like all of them involving your tank, did the fish store that you got the fish from having any problems with the fish they have? I’ve had this happen once where I got a fish and it died a week or so later went back to fish store and they were all dead or sick from that same tank that my fish was in. I still would have a best educated guess that it was that the tank just wasn’t cycled.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Thanks, it all is starting to make sense. I understand what I have to do to get it back up again and I see what I did wrong.

No problem, what I would recommend is to clean everything out and restart, dosing liquid ammonia or using a cocktail shrimp to decay and provide ammonia. No point in letting the tank run for very long before adding the ammonia/source.
Or, if you have another aquarium, you could "cheat" by transferring filter media from your established tank to the new aquarium. This will seed the new tank with bacteria and drastically shorten your cycle. Make sure you are adding ammonia (or a couple small hardy fish) as you add the bacteria, so the colonies grow instead of starve.

 

[KelberiFishLover19]

Also just to go through all possibilities since we’ve gone through like all of them involving your tank, did the fish store that you got the fish from having any problems with the fish they have? I’ve had this happen once where I got a fish and it died a week or so later went back to fish store and they were all dead or sick from that same tank that my fish was in. I still would have a best educated guess that it was that the tank just wasn’t cycled.

The place I got them from is the only place around me sadly that carries fish other than what petco and petsmart carry. They had more than 4 OBs and there are still a few there now. The guy gave me 90$ store credit back. Although all the fish still there are fine, they have been known to have “a batch of fish to die”. I know almost all of the people personally who work there and they keep good care of their tanks. So when things like many fish die, I have to blame their fish provider. But they can still try to save the fish.

 

[KelberiFishLover19]

No problem, what I would recommend is to clean everything out and restart, dosing liquid ammonia or using a cocktail shrimp to decay and provide ammonia. No point in letting the tank run for very long before adding the ammonia/source.
Or, if you have another aquarium, you could "cheat" by transferring filter media from your established tank to the new aquarium. This will seed the new tank with bacteria and drastically shorten your cycle. Make sure you are adding ammonia (or a couple small hardy fish) as you add the bacteria, so the colonies grow instead of starve.

Thanks! I will definitely do that.

 

[KelberiFishLover19]

No problem, what I would recommend is to clean everything out and restart, dosing liquid ammonia or using a cocktail shrimp to decay and provide ammonia. No point in letting the tank run for very long before adding the ammonia/source.
Or, if you have another aquarium, you could "cheat" by transferring filter media from your established tank to the new aquarium. This will seed the new tank with bacteria and drastically shorten your cycle. Make sure you are adding ammonia (or a couple small hardy fish) as you add the bacteria, so the colonies grow instead of starve.

Could you give me a link for the liquid Ammonia that you use?

 

[Chefken]

Could you give me a link for the liquid Ammonia that you use?

Household ammonia is fine.....I agree with all of the above comments about cycling with an ammonia load. Without fish in the tank you are just circulating water. Once tank is fully cycled be careful about adding all fish at once....one or two at time skipping a week or two between additions to give your Bio a chance to keep pace. Testing every day will tell the tale.....when Ammonia and nitrites are zero and Nitrates are at 10-20 the tank is ready. parameters should be maintained at that level thru water changes to keep Nitrates below 40ppm. Good Luck!!

 

[duanes]

I agree with the others, putting water in a tank, adding prime, and changing water for a month is "not" cycling a tank.
To cycle a tank there must be a source of ammonia added.
Bottled ammonia, some sacrificial fish, or a dead market shrimp left to decompose.
You must test and see 3 things happen, first ammonia must rise and fall over about 2 weeks (maybe more), then nitrite must rise and fall, another 2 weeks, And then the nitrate appears
Without a source of food (ammonia) the bacteria needed to process fish waste products in filters don't grow.
After a month when you finally put the fish in, they poisoned themselves with their own waste products (ammonia).

 

[KelberiFishLover19]

Household ammonia is fine.....I agree with all of the above comments about cycling with an ammonia load. Without fish in the tank you are just circulating water. Once tank is fully cycled be careful about adding all fish at once....one or two at time skipping a week or two between additions to give your Bio a chance to keep pace. Testing every day will tell the tale.....when Ammonia and nitrites are zero and Nitrates are at 10-20 the tank is ready. parameters should be maintained at that level thru water changes to keep Nitrates below 40ppm. Good Luck!!

Thanks, but is there anything in the household ammonia that could be harmful fish wise and if not how much should I use for 55 gallons of water? Should I add it directly in the water? Also should I add hardy fish to make the cycle better?

 

[Chefken]

Thanks, but is there anything in the household ammonia that could be harmful fish wise and if not how much should I use for 55 gallons of water? Should I add it directly in the water? Also should I add hardy fish to make the cycle better?

Honestly I always use a few rosy minnows to cycle......I hate measuring and adding ammonia everyday or two.....I also add 5-10lbs of sand from my established tanks to jump start cycle. should take under three weeks if you do that. Some decor from an established tank helps too. The beneficial bacteria grow on every surface inside a cycled tank!

 

[Matteus]

Wow to everything that Gourami Swami said. If I could like it twice I would.

Something that people often miss is the initial source of ammonia that triggers the nitrogen cycle. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a commercial ammonia that you need to do this. Throw some fish food that you have already in there. I Have a friend who was told to pee in a cup and pour it in the tank rather than spend money on fish waste lol. His tank is now cycled and is running fine. That might be controversial but it is simpler than the marketing companies want you to believe.

Some things to consider when cycling your tank:
- if using a smaller hardy fish to create your initial ammonia, ask yourself is this fish going to work with the fish I plan to keep once the tank is cycled or will it eat or be eaten by new fish. Either could be fine depending on the set up you plan to have. For instance I used juvenile jewel cichlids to cycle and they eventually killed my baby Oscar that I intended on keeping that was 3x the size of them. I thought the Oscar would eat the jewels and was ok with that(Facepalm)

- also when using old filter media to seed the new tank keep in mind that the beneficial bacteria is not waterborn or I think the term is planktonic. Which means putting old water in new tank has little to no value in regards to B.B. but adding substances such as filter media that has B.B. colonizing on its surface area are much more effective and beneficial. That is why you want to rinse these items in Dechlorinated water or tank water during maintenance rather than under the tap.

- some people seem to think that adding fish poop to your new tank helps. Only as a source of ammonia, not necessarily as a source of B.B. so fish poop is only beneficial if you don’t already have a source of ammonia.

It sucks when you are doing something for a long time and feel as if you are accomplished in an area to find out a small detail missing from the puzzle. I kept fish for 3-4 years before understanding this cycle as much as I do now since joining here. And I am still learning, so if I am incorrect on anything here I am open to Constructive criticism.

Sorry to hear about the loss of the old fish stock, very awesome of the store to credit you for $90. Lots of places would just tell you to take a hike. Good thing you have a good relationship with them. Hope this is helpful not just hot air.