All Dead

[Xraymark]

New to hobby.
Have a 180 rio. Aquarium gravel, pro flora soil and have been using tetra aqua safe and aqua start to kick of the bacterial filter when fish are being introduced.

Introduced 6 pearl danio(hardy fish) and they died less than 24 hours later. All water checks fine. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates zero. PH 7.2. LFS thought fish introduced to quickly.

Took 1hour 30 min introducing 6 black skirt tetras. They died less than 24 hours. I had put a large rock from homebase in the tank meant to be fish friendly. LFS suspected that was the culprit. Removed rock removed water down to gravel and changed carbon filter. Ran tank 48 hours. Added 6 lemon tetra.

They died less than 5 hours later. I decided there was something toxic in tank so removed very thing and cleaned tank down with water only. Changed carbon and nitrate filter and washed the rest of the filters. Washed the gravel and put new pro flora down. Ran tank for 3 days and introduced a few plants. On day 6 introduced 5 black skirts. They died less than 5 hours later.

The water levels have always been normal. LFS agrees. I am only 10 minutes from LFS. I am deeply frustrated as I had done my research and don't know were to go from here. I am going to get my water tested for copper.

Any suggested most welcome.

 

[tyler88]

DId you use water conditioners to remove everything from the tap water? If not the chlorines and other chemicals can effect your fish very quickly.

 

[Overload]

Also what test kit are you using?

 

[Xraymark]

I used tetra aqua safe 5 mls per10 litre.

I used the api liquid tests and LFS to confirm. My temperature is 24 C. The fish are dying so quickly they don't have time to poop to add ammonia to tank

 

[HayzH]

i suggest a fishLESS cycle on your filter. i put 3 mollies in my uncycled tank on recomendation from my local P@H and they all died by day 3.
I would say your tank isnt cycled and its poisioning the fish.
You'd be surprized on how often they wee and poop..i never saw any of my fish poop and an ammonia level of 0.25ppm killed them all.

dont get anymore fish till you have ensured your tank is cycled....

the fact you have no nitrAtes, says there is no good bacteria in your filter, also you shouldnt need to clean your filter for a long time after its cycled, and it should be cleaned(swished around) in old tank water..not tap water.
have a look in the new fishwater tank section, there you will find the beginners section which is very informative and helped me alot x

HTH


EDIT...Just to add...your local P@H will keep selling you fish....to make money!! they don't care if they dont survive....because surely you WILL go back to buy more!! they haven't a clue on cycling a tank!

the water they tell you to bring in to test will bound to be all clear" to keep fish ...its your dechlorinated tap water!!!! xxxxx

 

[Xraymark]

The water is biologically zero. There is something toxic in the tank. The only two elements left is the water and gravel.

Has anybody had issues with Hugo Kamishi gravel? Went back to LFS, they have suggested stripping tank down again and only put water in. Run up to temperature and add two fish. If they survive then it's the gravel causing the issue. If not it's my water. I'm so close to LFS we use the same water supplier.

I understand the fishless cycle and advantages but if I run the same set up for several weeks and then add fish, they will still die until I identify the contamination.

It's never easy.

 

[Tizer]

when you introduce the fish, do you leave them in the bag floating and do nothing else? Or do you add a little of your tank water to the bag as well?

if your fish shop keep their fish in processed RO water, or a mix of RO and tap water which most fish shops do, then if you dont slowly mix the waters together, fish can and will often keel over.

 

[Xraymark]

After the first fish died I take 1 hour 30 min to acclimate the fish.

20 min in the bag for the temperature, then add water into bag every 10 min for the remainder of the time.

 

[Overload]

It sounds like a combination of new tanks shock for the first ones and an uncycled filter.

I strongly recommend you do not add any more fish.

Try a fishless cycle, it does not sounds like there is any external contamination

 

[Xraymark]

My worry about a fishless cycle is after the several weeks of wait I may end up with more dead fish at the end of it. From what I have read using a bacterial starter with a few fish is an okay way to proceed. I'm using tetra safe start. At the end of the day cycled or not, all the fish should not die within 6 hours repeatedly.

At the moment my tank is cleaned I've decided to get different gravel and start from the beginning. I've rinsed my filters with tap water. There is no good bacteria to destroy.

Thanks for your time and posts.

 

[Overload]

To be honest you may as well pour those bacterial starters down the sink, they will make about the same difference to your tank.

You need to commit to a fishless cycle (my recommendation) or a fish-in cycle and follow that trough until it is complete

 

[laura120381]

+1...fishless cycle would be best. Bacterial starters are a complete waste of money!! if you want to have the best chance of your fish surviving when you add them, imo a fishless cycle is the way to go.

L

 

[Xraymark]

Okay. I'll have a proper read at the fishless cycle. I have a few plants in a bucket at the moment saved from the last set up. I assume i can place them in the tank and start the cycle?

 

[HayzH]

Okay. I'll have a proper read at the fishless cycle. I have a few plants in a bucket at the moment saved from the last set up. I assume i can place them in the tank and start the cycle?

plants dont do well in fishless cycles...as they absorb the ammonia...making the cycle even longer...at the end of the day...if you chose to put fish in..thats completely up to you...but the fish IN cycle requires 2/3 water changes a day, takes twice as long and i dread to see your water bill!!

 

[Xraymark]

My local fish shop suggested putting water only in tank, run up and then add two hardy fish.

This is to see if my water is causing the fish death. If they live then it was my gravel which was the contamination. The tank is 180 litres so assume that ammonia should not be an issue for a while.

Does this seem like a reasonable course of action.