EMERGENCY- please help!!!

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annamarie92

annamarie92

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 19, 2015
146
12
18
33
NC
Hi all, I need some major help. I have a 55gal community aquarium with guppies, platys, tetras, and 2 Pictus cats. Yesterday I did my weekly water change and tested the water. Ammonia was 0, nitrite was 0, and nitrate was around 40 (have had problems with nitrates recently) the pH was low, around 6.4. It has tested that low for the last 3 weeks and I cannot figure out why or what's going on. I haven't added anything to change it because I'm scared of shocking the fish. Anyways, tonight my fish are acting strange and my tetras are dying. I've had 4 tetras die tonight and all of the other fish are acting strange- hanging out at the top, not active, breathing rapidly. What could've cause this and what can I do to save them??? I did nothing out of the ordinary yesterday. I did the same thing that I do every week for my weekly water change. Please help!! I would be devastated to lose all my fish :(
 
This is what one of the tetras looks like. Idk what is going on. None of the other fish look like this, just acting off. Could it be my pH?? And if so what should I do??

image.jpg
 
Also, my two 10gallon tanks and 120gallon are fine. No problems at all.
 
So I tested the pH tonight, it was at 6.0 !!! Taking a chance, I added a half teaspoon of baking soda to the tank and it raises the pH to 6.4. I normally don't like to mess with the pH because I know I don't know what I am doing, but I thought I would give it a shot. It seemed to work almost instantly. The fish are all swimming around and acting normal. So I'm guessing it was the pH. I feel so awful for letting it get that bad. I killed my fish :( I'm not going to raise it any more tonight, I don't want to stress them. What can I do to keep it up? Should I take out my driftwood? Increase water changes? Remove some stock? I feel so awful.
 
you recently had any driftwood to this tank?
 
I would just start water channing till the pH returns to normal. Sone thing in the tank is dropping the pH and it'll dilute with water changes.

Edit: it's the drift wood take it out asap and do a water change, your ph will return to normal after a couple water changes
 
Coryloach said:
Hey Anna, read what I wrote in post #22 in the following thread. Same thing is happening to your tank and it's affecting the fish because of the sudden ph drop. Read the entire post.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/nitrates-160ppm.643941/page-3
Click to expand...

Thank you! That sounds exactly like my situation. I guess if I would've done a little digging last night I could have found that, but in my panicked state I didn't think about doing that. So I should start doing daily partial water changes and remove the driftwood?
 
jaws7777 said:
you recently had any driftwood to this tank?
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The driftwood has been there since the tank was started. Nothing new has been added and nothing removed.
 
Danielcho said:
I would just start water channing till the pH returns to normal. Sone thing in the tank is dropping the pH and it'll dilute with water changes.

Edit: it's the drift wood take it out asap and do a water change, your ph will return to normal after a couple water changes
Click to expand...
Thank you, that's what I will do. Will be taking the driftwood out today.
 
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