need help fast guys

[hmt321]

i have a 125 gal heavily planted, native american tank,

4 orange spot sunnies
20 sailfin shiners
2 speckled madtoms

I have co2 injetc (im new to it and i think that is my prob)

fert dose

kno3 1 1/8 tsp per week
cal sufate 9 tsp
mg(epsom salt) 6 per week
fleet 1 ml

test from like 5 min ago

ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate = 15 ppm (i dose for this)

ph 6.8 at lights on, 6.6 at peak photo

kh was 4 last thurs
kh is 12!!!!!!!! today

fish were listless, and barely eat, these fish litterly jump out of the water to get food,

one of the orange spots is on its side,

the only thing i have changed in like 2 weeks is a added a bag of crushed coral to a filter. (someone told me it would bump up ph, but i think it just effects kh, now that i have read about it)

I have done a 10% water change
and i am running 2 air stones

does this sound like o2 depletion??

my water temp is like 70 f I have 2 age water to do a large change (my tap water is like 80deg)


help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mac]

the coral will definitly affect kh scrap that idea and make sure you research things before trying them. It sounds like you have a nice setup it would be a shame to see it spoiled because of lack of research

 

[Newt]

Wow! How much crushed coral did you use to bump the KH up that high so quick!

Anyways, my fish were acting like that before I started monitering the CO2. I have one of those little do-dads from Red Sea that changes color to help you see how much CO2 is in your tank. I found out the CO2 was getting super concentrated during the night so I started running an airstone about an hour after lights out up until the light came on again in the morning.

Your water temp is only 70? What kind of fish do you have? If it were me I'd shoot for 75 or so in a tropical planted tank. In fact my tank is at 80. Maybe your fish are just a little cold.

 

[HarleyK]

the only thing i have changed in like 2 weeks is a added a bag of crushed coral to a filter.
[...]
does this sound like o2 depletion??

I think you already pinpointed the problem: It's not O2 but your water chemistry. Remove the coral asap!!!

Good luck,
HarleyK

 

[hmt321]

I pulled the coral last night, checked the ph it was 6.6, or slightly less

this morning i checked it ph is 7.6 or so.

that would have had my co2 lvls somewhere near 60 or so

I never saw any pearling on my plants, (i do have duck weed covering the top of the tank so i removed it) I will see today.

the fish i have are all native american natives and they spawn at the 72-75 degree mark, so keeping them at 70 deg is fine, the plants i have are all native to NA (except for the wal mart bulbs, i could not resist)


the fish are doing MUCH better as of 5 am


thanks

 

[guppy]

If the fish are locals check the pH at their source as it does sound abit like pH shock though hardness stress could also be the culprit. Excess co2 tends to acidify the water and all three specie listed are often found in somewhat alkaline water. High 60s and low 70s should be great for those fish, they start to stress in the low 80s.