1 fish dying each day

[Back in the fold]

That’s right out of Mad Max and Thunderdome . Two fish enter one fish leaves .

 

[Colin_T]

That’s right out of Mad Max and Thunderdome . Two fish enter one fish leaves .

Mad Max 3, Beyond Thunderbowl. Two fish enter, one fish leaves.

 

[Vjfish]

your power bill is gonna be huge

Hahaha not looking forward to the bill but priority now is the fish. Will pick up an aerator and tub today. However can confirm water temps were exactly the same at 5am as they were at 9pm last night maybe even a 0.5C higher this morning compared to last night.

Again will also test hardness of water and tap water later today.

 

[Colin_T]

If the temperature is staying the same and sitting on 26C, then that isn't the problem. It could be poisoning if there is a contaminant in the tank.

Did you use anything to wash the tank out with when you got it?

Did you use clean buckets when washing the gravel?

Does anyone have anything on their hands (moisturising cream, perfume, hand sanitiser, grease, etc) that might have washed off into the water?

You could try doing a 75% water change but get some aeration into the container first, and make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

 

[Vjfish]

If the temperature is staying the same and sitting on 26C, then that isn't the problem. It could be poisoning if there is a contaminant in the tank.

Did you use anything to wash the tank out with when you got it?

Did you use clean buckets when washing the gravel?

Does anyone have anything on their hands (moisturising cream, perfume, hand sanitiser, grease, etc) that might have washed off into the water?

You could try doing a 75% water change but get some aeration into the container first, and make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

My old man cleaned the tank. Unsure what chemicals he used. I thoroughly wash my hands before handling the aquarium with hand soap and rinsing for 30 seconds.

Have done a lot of water changes during the cycling process to keep the nitrate levels down. Only thing that I have done over the last 24 hours was install another 100w heater. That may have stablised tank temperature. Will go to my parents tonight to assess the fish and test water quality from both tap and tank (including hardness). I’ll also bring the tub and air pump to rescue the fish if needed.

 

[Colin_T]

Ask you dad what (if anything) he used to clean the tank with

 

[Vjfish]

Ask you dad what (if anything) he used to clean the tank with

He rinsed it thoroughly with tap water only then let dry in the sun. Just checked on the remainder of the fish. All alive, swimming as usual and eating. Small Endler female is looking well aswell. Temperature of the water has remained consistent around 27-28C. Will be moving the aquarium indoors in a couple of days.

 

[Colin_T]

You could drop the temperature to 25-26C.

 

[Vjfish]

so it’s been 4 days without any further casualty. Tested hardness of water GH is 200ppm. All other parameters have stayed stable. Nitrate hasn’t really moved from 10ppm. No signs of ammonia or nitrite.

4 days ago added another 100w heater to help stabilise temperature in the tank. Lowered temps to 26-27C from 28C. And added a cover for the top of the tank. Fish are swimming between columns happily. Platys love swimming into the flow from the outlet. And the tiniest female endler is freely swimming with the Platys.

Thankyou to everyone who helped with advice. Unfortunately I busted my shoulder playing soccer. So unable to move the tank indoors. Temperature over the next week is a little warmer than last week. So I believe the heaters should be able to cope (parents power bill not so much). Will move the tank indoors once my shoulder recovered and parents are back from their little holiday.

 

[Colin_T]

Good to hear things are settling down with the fish

Bad to hear about your shoulder, ouch

If you can insulate the back and sides of the tank with 1-2 inch thick polystyrene foam, it would help to insulate the tank and reduce the power consumption. You could also drop the temperature another 2 degrees C

 

[TNG]

so it’s been 4 days without any further casualty. Tested hardness of water GH is 200ppm. All other parameters have stayed stable. Nitrate hasn’t really moved from 10ppm. No signs of ammonia or nitrite.

4 days ago added another 100w heater to help stabilise temperature in the tank. Lowered temps to 26-27C from 28C. And added a cover for the top of the tank. Fish are swimming between columns happily. Platys love swimming into the flow from the outlet. And the tiniest female endler is freely swimming with the Platys.

Thankyou to everyone who helped with advice. Unfortunately I busted my shoulder playing soccer. So unable to move the tank indoors. Temperature over the next week is a little warmer than last week. So I believe the heaters should be able to cope (parents power bill not so much). Will move the tank indoors once my shoulder recovered and parents are back from their little holiday.

Good to hear your tank has stabilised.
I expected the GH in Adelaide to be much higher, but 200ppm is good. My water here is around 50ppm, yes 50! But I don't keep livebearers.

My guesstimate of your power usage:
2 heaters 400W, or 0.4kW
Assume they’re fully on 20hrs a day, so daily consumption is 8 kW hours per day
If the rate is 25 cents per kW Hour, daily cost is $2
Quarterly power bill in winter (3 months / 90 days) will be $180
Will your parents notice that? They certainly will if you have another tank, then a third one - especially if they’re kept outdoors!

My tanks are heated to 22C – 24C.
Hope you enjoy the hobby.