Dieing fish
- Thread starter ajh1989
- Start date
Yes, I put the hose in the tank, fill it up then dump the dosage amount of dechlorinator fir a 55gal tank
I think that's it. You should try putting hose water in a bucket then treat the bucket then pour the decoranated water into the tank intill it's full. The angel fish are probably dying because there getting the chlorine in there body.
This may be your issue, I would add the dechlorinator before refilling the tank (that's what I do) otherwise your fish get blasted with chlorine before you neutralize it
You just need to flip that process. Dechlorinator first, then fill up the tank.
Ive performed water changes for years like that, only time there were problems is if i accidentally drained drastically too much water. Now i have sumps so i just drain and fill the sump during water changes, the dechlorinator mixing there before going to the dusplay tanks.
Only other suggestion i can think of is concerning the hose youre using. Some hoses, especially if old or worn out, can leach toxins that are certainly not helpful if not downright harmful. A few years back i purchased an agricultural rubber hose to use only for water changes. Cant say it made a difference but its one of those better safe than dead fish things.
I always use either silicone or hoses safe for drinking water.
I've used ordinary cheapo garden hoses for decades without issue. I think it's critical to drain the hose after each use, so that water doesn't sit inside accumulating plasticizers and other crap that leaches from from the inside of the hose. Running the water through the hose for a few seconds while filling a tank is harmless.
Edit: forgive the typos and run-ons. I use assistive tech and it’s 3am 
This isn’t overstocked too? He had 6 angelfish 2 plecos, 5 glo tetras and 6 loaches? Angelfish are notoriously sensitive, always dechlorinate and temp match before going into the tank. Did I miss where you listed the tank temp? Do you have a floating thermometer or just a sticker? What temp do you keep your heater at? Do you add salt or anything else to your water besides dechlorinator? How long have you had fish/how long has your tank been established?
I realize you’re only looking for that specific connection to your water changes but you potentially have a lot going on. A tank like yours can be fine for a year or two and then crash, so there are other questions here.
A few notes:
All Strips in general are notorious for being inaccurate. If you can, always use a chemical test, api master test kit is on Amazon and is usually the recommended test. The kit lasts several years as well. (you’ll want to get gloves for testing and a dropper or 5ml syringe is very helpful).
50% new water is a big water change. That would stress most fish. Tanks generally need a 20%-30-% weekly change depending on your levels of ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and oxygen.
Oxygenation isn’t on any test kit although it’s extremely important to your fish. The higher the temp the less oxygen in the water as well and if you are only changing your water every 3 weeks the odds are the oxygen is getting quite low. Sensors to test this are very expensive. Most keepers have a bubbler or two to move water and break up the surface to add O2 and do a 20% weekly water change.
See https://aqadvisor.com/ for stocking information, most tanks are overstocked and this is the #1 cause of fish death after poorly cycled t
Plecos will generally grow huge and require a pond. We have a smaller breed at 15” and he’s in a 120g tank with a single companion. We have a 37g with just one fish in it. Fish typically need way more water than most ppl realize. They may live just fine in smaller but it’s like raising a human in a bathroom, they won’t exactly thrive and will have significantly shortened lifespans.
We found the window/direct sunlight could raise water temp as much as 4 degrees, that’s enough to kill some species or fish, particularly with how quickly the temp changed. We actually have temp sensitive fans as well as our heater and when the temp changes more than 1degree either direction either one (fans or heater) will kick on. The fans are suspended from the cover to cool the water.
We actually let ours sit for about my 20 min before making the switch. Not long enough to cool down but long enough to be certain the prime has mixed sufficiently with the water. I know many would consider the sitting an unnecessary step but we read that particularly in the winter water is treated by most municipalities w/higher chem levels, and many more fish keepers report deaths this time of year. Letting it sit and making sure it’s well mixed has helped to combat that.
This isn’t overstocked too? He had 6 angelfish 2 plecos, 5 glo tetras and 6 loaches? Angelfish are notoriously sensitive, always dechlorinate and temp match before going into the tank. Did I miss where you listed the tank temp? Do you have a floating thermometer or just a sticker? What temp do you keep your heater at? Do you add salt or anything else to your water besides dechlorinator? How long have you had fish/how long has your tank been established?
I realize you’re only looking for that specific connection to your water changes but you potentially have a lot going on. A tank like yours can be fine for a year or two and then crash, so there are other questions here.
A few notes:
All Strips in general are notorious for being inaccurate. If you can, always use a chemical test, api master test kit is on Amazon and is usually the recommended test. The kit lasts several years as well. (you’ll want to get gloves for testing and a dropper or 5ml syringe is very helpful).
50% new water is a big water change. That would stress most fish. Tanks generally need a 20%-30-% weekly change depending on your levels of ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and oxygen.
Oxygenation isn’t on any test kit although it’s extremely important to your fish. The higher the temp the less oxygen in the water as well and if you are only changing your water every 3 weeks the odds are the oxygen is getting quite low. Sensors to test this are very expensive. Most keepers have a bubbler or two to move water and break up the surface to add O2 and do a 20% weekly water change.
See https://aqadvisor.com/ for stocking information, most tanks are overstocked and this is the #1 cause of fish death after poorly cycled t
Plecos will generally grow huge and require a pond. We have a smaller breed at 15” and he’s in a 120g tank with a single companion. We have a 37g with just one fish in it. Fish typically need way more water than most ppl realize. They may live just fine in smaller but it’s like raising a human in a bathroom, they won’t exactly thrive and will have significantly shortened lifespans.
We found the window/direct sunlight could raise water temp as much as 4 degrees, that’s enough to kill some species or fish, particularly with how quickly the temp changed. We actually have temp sensitive fans as well as our heater and when the temp changes more than 1degree either direction either one (fans or heater) will kick on. The fans are suspended from the cover to cool the water.
We actually let ours sit for about my 20 min before making the switch. Not long enough to cool down but long enough to be certain the prime has mixed sufficiently with the water. I know many would consider the sitting an unnecessary step but we read that particularly in the winter water is treated by most municipalities w/higher chem levels, and many more fish keepers report deaths this time of year. Letting it sit and making sure it’s well mixed has helped to combat that.
