Big Problem

[EP13B]

Hey , im new to the forum and i have a bit of a problem

l8ly my fish have been dieing one by one, usually there is a week or so between each one.
the tank is double filtered, the water temp is fine and the ph level is fine

it started with my angel fish, about a year old then 5 of my 6 tiger barbs

before they die they get really slow and aways have there head at the top of the water and tail end real low (they are almost straight up and down)

any help on what this could be would be appricated

cheers

 

[smb]

Sounds like it could be ammonia poisoning.

Have you checked your ammonia levels?

How often do you do a gravel clean/water change?

 

[KnuckleHead]

Sounds like it could be ammonia poisoning.

Have you checked your ammonia levels?

How often do you do a gravel clean/water change?

I couldnt agree more. Also could you give us more info on the tank? Size, stocking level, water parameters etc. We'll do our best to help you thru this.

 

[IHaveANewHobby:)]

Sorry to hear about your fish

Do you have any water movement in the tank? Particulary on the surface? I have heard that one of the causes of the fish at the surface like you describe is lack of oxegen. Have you done a water change lately? I use a "bubble wand" as I call it to keep movement on the surface. It sticks to the glass on the bottom of the tank. Let us know when you last did a water change on your tank? Good luck

 

[AquaNut]

NewHobby - You're right about lack of oxygen causing fish to hang near the surface, but as he's said his tank is double filtered, it's unlikely that there's insufficient surface movement. Other things, like high ammonia levels, affect the water's carrying capacity for oxygen, too. Please don't feel that I'm correcting you, as that's not at all my intention. I just wanted to explain to you why smb and Knucklehead didn't give what might seem to be the obvious answer to this question.

 

[wuvmybetta]

test your tap water, mine has had nitrites of over 1.0 lately & equal ammonia, the water in my tanks is cleaner than the water from the tap,it's been a real problem.

Plus the chloramine level is outrageous, one of my cichlids died as I poured clean dechlorinated water into the tank....the culprit (after MUCH mind boggling clue searching & evaluating everything possible) CHLORAMINES!! another one died during the night but the other fish survived,go figure, but I'm in the US and you may not have the same situation at all, hope you figure it out

 

[EP13B]

thanks for the help people

the ammonia levels are at zero (i bought a test kit today )
the ph is fine

the are alot of live plants and i have a filter that sucks the water out and it goes through a filter then back in , and also the normal intank style filter

the tank is 2 foot x 1.5 feet high x just over 1 foot deep there are only 2 fish in there casue the rest have died but before that there was 2 dwarf gourami's and 4 tiger barbs

 

[George Farmer]

Have you tested your aquarium water for Nitrite. In a mature tank Ammonia is normally immediatly converted to Nitrite, then to Nitrate. If, for some reason, you have a Nitrite spike this may explain your losses. I found that Nitrite was really high after about 4 weeks of initial setup.

 

[EP13B]

hmm i will have to check , looks like i will have to go buy another test kit

the tank has been set up for about 8 months, if not longer

its really annoying me now

 

[EP13B]

ok my nitrie levels are at 0 as well.
any ideas

 

[Eelzor]

you have a heater, don't you? Its just that my fish used to die like that until I got a heater (which was the most obvious thing)

 

[Alien Anna]

ok my nitrie levels are at 0 as well.
any ideas

I hate mysteries!

Anyway, what I'd do in your situation is immediately institute a regime of frequent partial wate changes (10% every few days).

I'd also test for nitrates - nitrates are generally considered harmless but the concentration can build up (particularly if you're water comes from a farming area and is contaminated with nitrates). Over 25ppm nitrates could weaken the immune system of your fish.

Also check for "dead spots" in your gravel (ie anaerobic bacteria) - that is, clean your tank and make sure you clean the gravel thoroughly under rocks, bogwood etc. If you notice any bad smells (sulphur dioxide), do an immediate 100% water change and preferably move all your fish into a holding tank with 50% of the used tank water and your filter (no decorations). Also, if that is the case, get back to us because its a tank emergency.

Check temperature and pH. If pH is low, check KH just in case your water is too soft to maintain a steady pH. If the temperature is a little high be aware that warm water holds less oxygen. However, angelfish can go near the surface where the oxygen is highest and in that case, I'd expect your bottom-feeders to die first. It's weird that your gouramis were among the first to go.

Have you got CO2 in your tank? If so, check your CO2 levels.

If none of that is the possible cause, we need to consider other possibilities. Has anyone cleaned the tank glass with a glass cleaner of some description? Has there been painting, crop spraying or pest spraying in your area or in your house? Do you use air-freshener? Have you checked your house for carbon monoxide? Have you sprayed a cat or dog with flea spray anywhere near the tank? Has anyone been using housemite insecticides on the carpet? I had a friend lose every single fish in her marine tank because her cleaning lady cleaned the front glass with Windolene and the fumes dissolved into the water. We only figured it out when she was cleaning up the remains and we kept noticing this strange chemical smell.

If your Sherlock Holmes'ing draws a blank on toxins, you'll have to consider disease. I'd keep the water absolutely pristine and use a bit of Melafix tonic in the water - and pray.

All the best - do tell us what happens.

 

[EP13B]

ok temp and ph is fine, so no prob there,

i havent used any glass cleaner neither has my mum,

i could be cause i didnt do fishless cycling the first time i set it up (didnt know about it) therefore shorting the life span of my fish

i have bought a few new cleaning devices so im going to put my fish in a holding tank and start over, and of course use the fishless cycling and then follow the rules very closely

thanks for the help guys

cheers