tank doesnt sound cycled and it is too small. you shouldnt be keeping flowerhorns theyre not for inexperienced fish keepers
HELP!!! MY FISH IS GOING TO DIE!
- Thread starter htyplatinum
- Start date
What test kit do you use?htyplatinum;4305144; said:
What are your KH (carbonate hardness) and GH (general hardness)?
Assuming your test kit is accurate, then the only reason your pH keeps lowering itself is because of zero buffering capacity in your water. You will need calcium carbonate to increase the hardness levels thus preventing your pH from falling too much. A bowl of crushed corals is usually sufficient enough but try to test the pH and hardness levels to be sure.
If I were you, use the API liquid test kit to test all your water parameters. Find out exactly what your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, KH and GH are. All of these are relevant.
Is this tank for quarantine purpose only or permanent?
Pour a glass of tap water and let it sit on the counter for 24 hours. THEN measure the pH. Tap water is pressurized and as a result contains carbonic acid. The pH of your tap water WILL change in a 24 hour sitting. Whether there is a fish in it or not.
Is this change in pH also associated with elevated ammonia?
A 10 gallon tank, are you serious? Yipes.
Is this change in pH also associated with elevated ammonia?
A 10 gallon tank, are you serious? Yipes.
htyplatinum;4305144; said:
The PH of your water is one thing. I suggest you listen to Lupin and try the crushed coral.
What I want to know is how are you adding salt? Are you letting it mix with the new water before adding it to the tank? For maybe 12-24 hours? If you add salt directly into the tank, it is costic. Basically poisoning him.
The tank size is also much much too small. When I got my FH around 2.5", he went directly into a 55 gal all by himself. He's a happy fish and eats like crazy.
I think that's why your fish is stressed.
Also, be aware that as the nitrogen cycle occurs, the pH in the tank drops. If you're feeding a lot of food, this is going to speed up the nitrogen cycle and the pH will drop rapidly, especially in a 10 gallon tank. That little dude needs a 55-75 gallon tank soon. Not only will the water quality be more stable, but he's going to grow fast and require that much space.
that size thank will do alot more damage then your PH!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yea guys i'm only having him in this tank for now, i have a 55 coming, i figured hes still 2'' so for now is alright, and yea he is doing better now, no more stress bars and i do mix the salt with water first b4 putting it into the tank. he is eating well and looking good, no more hiding and lost of colors in his eyes. thanks for all your advice. i will def use all of them, but for now i'm gonna see if the lil bugger will stay stable if not then i have no choice but to hurry and get that 55 gallon!!!! but again thanks for all your advice!! 
As an emergency, get to your LFS (and I don't mean Petsmart or Petco) asap and get whatever ph buffering product they stock (explain the problem and ask questions). That will help to maintain the consistency of your ph. This will give you time to figure out what is going wrong and address it without having to kill yourself, in the meantime, to keep your flowerhorn alive.
