I have been having some serious problems in my tank recently. I have just moved within the last month, and since then, fish have been dropping off, mainly the larger ones (I have livebearers).
Here is a post I recently made:
I am currently keeping a 20 gallon tank which is housing some various live bearers.
The last few water changes have been pretty dirty (with the gravel vac), where the waste water was very brown. The tank is on the verge of overpopulation (probably close to 30 half grown livebearers, mostly small), but I am moving at the first of the month and will set up my 30 gal and 55 gallon for these fish (all guppies and platys.)
After I did the gravel vac the other night, I have been noticing a strong odor in the room when I get home. The only variable that has changed in the last six months is the tank was recently moved, and is close to a window getting plenty of daylight during the day; oh, and now there are many more fish because of breeding.
Also, there have been a few deaths in the tank, 2 of which were my origional female guppies I purchased to start this community almost a year ago. Both lost thier color (almost becoming opaque), tail fin rot, and some slimy coating on them which almost resembled ick. I treated the tank with some melafix and removed the sickend fish, which expired. (These deaths were on seperate occasions, one after another within about a weeks time.) 3 other deaths have occured, 1 was before the 2 i just talked about, and it was found on the rocks and looked as to have been fed upon on its side. One was just the other day, but the fish appeared healthy, just expired. Another was found under a decorative rock when I was trimming back some plants. Other than the 2 first discussed deaths, these fish were all only about half grown, where the first 2 were full grown adult guppies.
So my concern is that there might be some infection in the tank, due to the smell, but none of the other fish appear to be sick or showing any signs of fin rot or ick or any other disease. I did some research on the symptoms that the adult guppies had shown, and it matched what was called Fish Tiberculosis, but I am not totally sure, other than they lost the greyish color on thier spine, which made them look sickly and opaque, rotted fin, red spots, and slime/white spots.
What steps can I take to reduce smell/prevent further infection and death, and what precatutions should I take if I am going to transfer half of this population into a newly set up community tank?
Sorry for the long windedness
WELL I tested the water and here is what I have found:
PH is at 6, or lower because this is the lowest measurement the test will show. I guarantee that before i moved, it was around 7 (dunno if this has an effect on the fish??)
NITRITEs are at about .25 ppm
AMMONIA is at 4-8 ppm, which I am guessing is probably lethal?
NITRATEs are what appear to be 80-160 ppm
WTF DO I DO NOW? The last time I tested the water, all this stuff was at ZERO.
Here is a post I recently made:
I am currently keeping a 20 gallon tank which is housing some various live bearers.
The last few water changes have been pretty dirty (with the gravel vac), where the waste water was very brown. The tank is on the verge of overpopulation (probably close to 30 half grown livebearers, mostly small), but I am moving at the first of the month and will set up my 30 gal and 55 gallon for these fish (all guppies and platys.)
After I did the gravel vac the other night, I have been noticing a strong odor in the room when I get home. The only variable that has changed in the last six months is the tank was recently moved, and is close to a window getting plenty of daylight during the day; oh, and now there are many more fish because of breeding.
Also, there have been a few deaths in the tank, 2 of which were my origional female guppies I purchased to start this community almost a year ago. Both lost thier color (almost becoming opaque), tail fin rot, and some slimy coating on them which almost resembled ick. I treated the tank with some melafix and removed the sickend fish, which expired. (These deaths were on seperate occasions, one after another within about a weeks time.) 3 other deaths have occured, 1 was before the 2 i just talked about, and it was found on the rocks and looked as to have been fed upon on its side. One was just the other day, but the fish appeared healthy, just expired. Another was found under a decorative rock when I was trimming back some plants. Other than the 2 first discussed deaths, these fish were all only about half grown, where the first 2 were full grown adult guppies.
So my concern is that there might be some infection in the tank, due to the smell, but none of the other fish appear to be sick or showing any signs of fin rot or ick or any other disease. I did some research on the symptoms that the adult guppies had shown, and it matched what was called Fish Tiberculosis, but I am not totally sure, other than they lost the greyish color on thier spine, which made them look sickly and opaque, rotted fin, red spots, and slime/white spots.
What steps can I take to reduce smell/prevent further infection and death, and what precatutions should I take if I am going to transfer half of this population into a newly set up community tank?
Sorry for the long windedness
WELL I tested the water and here is what I have found:
PH is at 6, or lower because this is the lowest measurement the test will show. I guarantee that before i moved, it was around 7 (dunno if this has an effect on the fish??)
NITRITEs are at about .25 ppm
AMMONIA is at 4-8 ppm, which I am guessing is probably lethal?
NITRATEs are what appear to be 80-160 ppm
WTF DO I DO NOW? The last time I tested the water, all this stuff was at ZERO.
