Losing fish at wc time
- Thread starter Guapoteguy291
- Start date
There's something in the water? Or your water conditioner is no good? Test for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, see if maybe chloramine in the water has nuked your bio-filter. Maybe water conditioner isn't removing chlorine/chloramine like it should, the Umbee doesn't mind because it's alot bigger and not as susceptible to the effects of chlorine as smaller fish.
I'd go with smaller, more regular changes; 35% over two nights is better imo, I avoid anything over that for the same possible reasons you've lost fish, shock to either chlorine, or possible contaminants in the water itself as well as temperature flux risks.
A lot of CO2 in cold wintertime tap water maybe? Like you say, I've never had issues with this and do fin level WCs to my Oscar tank and 50% on others.
I agree with freshly fish, in winter, because cold water under pressure in your pipes can be super saturated with gas, if put directly into the take, can cause gas bubble embolism, harmful, and sometimes deadly to fish.
If you draw a clear glass of water, and it comes out cloudy, clearing from the bottom up, it has a large buildup of gas, that could be dangerous.
When I lived in Milwaukee, this was a common problem, so when I added new water after a water change, it was sent to the sump, but not directly to the tank. In that way it had time to degas, before entering the main tank.
You can also put an airstone directly under the flow entering the tank, to help it degas, run it thru a HOB filter, or cascade the flow over a rock near the surface.
If you draw a clear glass of water, and it comes out cloudy, clearing from the bottom up, it has a large buildup of gas, that could be dangerous.
When I lived in Milwaukee, this was a common problem, so when I added new water after a water change, it was sent to the sump, but not directly to the tank. In that way it had time to degas, before entering the main tank.
You can also put an airstone directly under the flow entering the tank, to help it degas, run it thru a HOB filter, or cascade the flow over a rock near the surface.
