Not so monster fish question

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missmeliss

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 16, 2011
19
0
0
New Jersey
OK so I posted this on AC and nobody seems to care enough to post even an "IDK" so I figured that I might see if anybody on here has any ideas.... This is my boyfriends tank, but I am kinda trying to guide him through this.

Tank Info:
55 Gal
Whisper EX70 HOB
Sand Substrate
FAKE: Plant, Wood, Cave
Set up about 2 weeks

Params:
pH: 8.2 (this is slightly higher then when we set the tank up, it was 8.0)
Ammonia: between 0 and .25 on the API Master Test Kit
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 0


We used the Safe Start with the biospira in it, from the refrigerated section of our LFS (I have used this before with success). We added 5 Zebra Danios the next day, one died within an hour, but he had red gills to begin with. The other 4 were fine up until yesterday, when we came back to his house to find 3 dead Danios and 2 dead stinkbugs in the tank. There is one little guy that we moved (temporarily of course) into a 1 gallon corner tank with an air stone since he seemed to have a little bit of heavy breathing.

What killed 3 of 4 danios? Did the change in pH have something to do with it? What would cause a pH change? He does have well water that they use a salt solution to soften - could that have had something to do with it?

We're kind of at a loss here and stressing because we are supposed to be getting a ton of fish from another member on here and AC in about a week and this pH thing/mystery deaths are throwing us through a loop....


Thanks in advance!
Melis
 
Im not an expert but i don't think its your ph. It sounds like your tank didn't cycle and ammonia is the problem. If you don't have nitrites yet that means your tank needs a couple wks to cycle. when you start seeing nitrites they will spike than turn to nitrates. Small fish i noticed have a hard time dealing with ammonia and will die quick. But ammonia is bad for all fish it burns them and bigger fish just take longer to show the affects.
 
I think you might have added the fish too soon. If the tank is in fact cycled I would look at surface agitation as a possible cause of breathing problems. On my smaller tanks I sometimes end up running air stones for surface agitation to promote O2 exchange. On my larger tanks I just angel the spray bars for surface agitation and have no need for air stones.
 
Im guessing one of those problems

1 - Did not cycle the tank (Did you use biospira when u set up the tank or when you add the zebra danio. If it is the former, most likely the bacteria in it has already died of starvation).
2 - have not enough aeration in the tank
3 - the pH is too high for zebra danio (they prefer 6.5-7.2)
4 - Yes the salt
 
I tryed that bottle stuff to and it never worked. The best way if your cycling with fish is to keep doing water changes and leave your gravel and filter alone so they can build good bacteria. See if the Local pet store has filter media you can use to speed up the cycle.
 
Hello...

Most everyone here prefers fishless cycling. With a "pre-cycled" tank, just about anything can wipe out your fish and it's going to be hard to determine what parameter is the cause. Besides, it's really hard on the inhabitants that are put in the tank even if they do survive.

The preferred way to cycle a tank is to add SEACHEM STABILITY and then seed the tank with supermarket fish fillet pieces or similar organic matter.

Well water is a tough cookie to anazlyze. There can be any sort of toxin present that can wipe out your tank and you'll never know why. Pesticides, Fertilizers, etc can all leach into a well.

Not questioning you of course, but I find it hard to believe that you have 0 nitrates with well water. Is it possible to have a second source test a water sample?

Obviously, something is up. Danios are a pretty tough fish, and to lose them in numbers like that is not a good sign.

Keep posting your findings. Good luck!
 
Hmmmmm...ok I'll try.

1. Whatever killed the first one may have killed the others. They contracted it from him and it took a while to gestate. I doubt this but maybe.

2. Stinkbugs are not toxic but are attracted to pesticides. They may have been carrying a poison that was transmitted to your fish.

3. The ph change was slight but could have been an issue. Well water is a bit unpredictable.

4. You did not mention temperature. Did your heater malfunction? If you don't use one, was there a shift in air temperature?

It is hard to say but the stinkbugs may be your culprit as all of the fish died so quickly.
 
By the numbers your tank is not cycled yet , it looks like it just started with the ammonia # mine comes out of the tap with that # also I find messing with ph is a never ending ordeal its easier to let the fish adjust . Just do watrchanges and use a good conditioner, I use prime . Good luck
 
Thanks :-) you're probably right abt the bacteria - we didn't put them in again til the next day, we'll redose with that stuff and I am going to give him a biobag from my 1yr established 45(we have the same filter so they will match up perfectly hah). Do you know of any fish stable enough to withstand a cycle with that pH? His eventual residents will be 10-12 marble hatchets, 2 angels and about 6-8 Kuhlii loaches.
 
there was mouse poison in the room, I am wondering if the stinkbugs landed on that then landed in the tank and spread it. If he syphoned all of the water out of the tank and bleached all decor, rinsed the sand and everything and refilled the tank with bottled water, would that be a possible solution?
 
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