All My Fish Are Dying

[WILDER]

Did you sterlise the plants, so you used the neons to cycle the tank is this right, when did you add the other fish, before the tank had cycled.

 

[ArielC]

I added the neons about 5 weeks after i set up the tank. When i first set up the tank, i grew two aponogentons from bulbs before i put any fish in the tank, there were 4 serpae tetras to begin with, but then i moved them a week ago and put the neons in.

 

[WILDER]

What was the ph of the store to your tank, and how long are you climatising the fish for.

 

[ArielC]

I am not sure what the ph of the store tank was, but i let the fish float in the tank for 20 minutes, adding water from my tank for the last 10.

I dont think i did anything wrong introducing things, but i might have with the plants i added last week ( before the neons), i didnt know i had to wash them first, is that really bad??, i really dont want to tear down the tank and clean it out.

Oh, and i never let any of the store water in my tank.

 

[WILDER]

Well you should always ask the store for the ph of there tanks, as if there is a big swing in ph it can take hours to climatise then or they get ph shock.

 

[ArielC]

I wish i would have known that before, but when i put the fish in i thought they would be okay becaus my tank water was the preffered ph for them, 6.5.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Its advisable. Were the plants in the tank with fish? or an all plant tank with snails?

Also, is there any chance anything accidetnly got in the tank? Like arisol air freshners, some cleaning products, ect? That could be one possible cause. Did you use dechlorinator after the last

I don't know where sunrise flordia is, but i have a friend in FL in an area hit by Wilma, and i know she has had alot of problems with her water quality and her fish. She told me a story of when she cleaned her niece's betta tank the betta's skin literally began peeling off after a water change. Was your area hit hard by a hurricane and did you have water probs after?

 

[WILDER]

So the neons were the last fish to be added to the tank, and the other fish were fine up until then, sorry for all the questions but they have to be asked to get to the bottom of it.

 

[ArielC]

When we got hit by Wilma, we werent supposed to use the water for about a week and a half after, that actually might be the problem, because I have not seen a single healthy fish tank in a long time, except one particular miracle fish store which were out of neons when i decided to buy them.

Im ok with the questions Wilder, ask away, as long as it's helping my fish.

 

[WILDER]

I agree with ttnjfttt, that's your problem then, sad but at least you have found your answer, sorry.R.I.P.

 

[ArielC]

Hmm, well ill just keep hoping for better water and doing my water changes. thanks for the help guys.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I know this is an expensive solution, but you may consider buying bottled spring water to do water changes with. How big are your tank(s)?

 

[ArielC]

29 gallon, 5 gallon, two one gallon bowls. I have been doing the dechlorinated water with all of the tanks excpt the 29. I will try using the distilled water from now on and see if my situation gets any better. The people at the water plant may have put extra chlorine in the water or something.

Is a 20% water change every week too much?

 

[WILDER]

Always use declorinator, good luck hope things improve.

 

[tttnjfttt]

its not, but you want to make sure you are using bottled spring water rather than distilled. Fish need some of the minerals and other stuff that is normally in water, and distilled water has none of that.

20% isn't too much. You can also test your nitrates alot and figure out how much you have to do. I know 20% weekly is on the high end of what is recomended (but thats also what i do)