I flew from London to NYC for a long weekend just to watch it - worth every penny as well!
Hello! Newbie, First Tank, 25 Gal, 2 Tiger Barbs...
- Thread starter ninpomajic
- Start date
I flew from London to NYC for a long weekend just to watch it - worth every penny as well!
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
OMG, the Death Star has fired blasters at Adam in Kentucky, someone help!Hi again everyone, and thanks for all of this advice. And a padawan is a Jedi apprentice that has not passed the Jedi Trials Miss Wiggle.
Anywho, onto the serious issue. MY FISH ARE DYING
Oh, and also, they still have not eaten anything. I have tried to feed them again today.
If one of our experts doesn't comment soon I'd suggest a 50% water change immediately.
I might question the temp going that high (lets hear what others say re temp though) and start backing it down a couple degrees when you do the water change.
If the broken heater put anything bad into the water then you might have to resort to putting some of the tank water and then the fish into a bucket (but only if you know the heater stuff in the tank seems serious.)
Then.. I guess if I were you I'd now be inspired to run back to that petsmart and get a new heater (with high enough wattage) along with that test kit. I'd bring the test kit back and get readings of pH,Ammonia,Nitrite in both your tap and tank water and post them here.
Study the fish carefully and see if there are any more symptoms to describe for the experts.
With the number of water changes you've been doing, that bacterial bloom clouding the water should have been cleared out by now, is that true?
ninpomajic
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Yea, its crystal clear in there...
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Hi,
Padawan's post is all good advice.
You need to do a big water change now, say 50%, wait an hour then do another 50% change, same again after another hour.
You need to know how much ammonia is in the tank, and by the sound of it, it's probably quite a lot. Get a test kit for ammonia a.s.a.p.
You say you've been changing 50% daily, and thats a step in the right direction without a doubt, but without knowing how much ammonia is in the water, you can't say if 50% daily is sufficient.
80F should be ok but ideally you want the temp at around 77F. Turning the temp up is a good treatment for whitespot, but also lowers oxygen levels in the water. As you don't necessarily have whitespot, you should turn the temp down to allow maximum oxygen saturation.
Obviously the temp will have fallen if you don't have a heater now (and you need to get a new one asap), but don't turn it back up to 80 when you get your new heater.
Don't feed the fish until you get the problems sorted. They don't want to eat just now anyway, so they wont mind, and not feeding will go a long way to minimising ammonia levels in the tank.
The sooner you can get ammonia, nitrite and pH readings for us, the better the chances of saving your fish. However, regardless of these readings, increase your water changes to 2 x 75% changes per day until we have a positive ID of what is making your fish unwell.
Good luck and keep us updated.
BTT
Padawan's post is all good advice.
You need to do a big water change now, say 50%, wait an hour then do another 50% change, same again after another hour.
You need to know how much ammonia is in the tank, and by the sound of it, it's probably quite a lot. Get a test kit for ammonia a.s.a.p.
You say you've been changing 50% daily, and thats a step in the right direction without a doubt, but without knowing how much ammonia is in the water, you can't say if 50% daily is sufficient.
80F should be ok but ideally you want the temp at around 77F. Turning the temp up is a good treatment for whitespot, but also lowers oxygen levels in the water. As you don't necessarily have whitespot, you should turn the temp down to allow maximum oxygen saturation.
Obviously the temp will have fallen if you don't have a heater now (and you need to get a new one asap), but don't turn it back up to 80 when you get your new heater.
Don't feed the fish until you get the problems sorted. They don't want to eat just now anyway, so they wont mind, and not feeding will go a long way to minimising ammonia levels in the tank.
The sooner you can get ammonia, nitrite and pH readings for us, the better the chances of saving your fish. However, regardless of these readings, increase your water changes to 2 x 75% changes per day until we have a positive ID of what is making your fish unwell.
Good luck and keep us updated.
BTT
ninpomajic
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OK, I'm doing a 75% change right now... I havent been able to get to the fish store as I have been working 12 hour shifts and the store is 45 mins away... I'm going to send my G/F to get one tommorow while I am away. I really am trying to do right by my new fish, in fact, I should be in bed now... I will post my findings as soon as I can aquire a proper test kit. Thanks again...
Here is what fred looks like, he is breathing and will move if he is startled, but thats it.... I think he's a goner. And his buddy isnt looking so hot either...
Edit: they have also completely dugg up the air hose to the dinosaur to "rub" on... dont want to stick my hand in there and mess the chemistry up more...
I will post my findings as soon as I can aquire a proper test kit. Thanks again...Here is what fred looks like, he is breathing and will move if he is startled, but thats it.... I think he's a goner. And his buddy isnt looking so hot either...
Edit: they have also completely dugg up the air hose to the dinosaur to "rub" on... dont want to stick my hand in there and mess the chemistry up more...
Miss Wiggle
Practically perfect in every way
ammonia test kit
without this we don't know what you're facing and therefore we can't advise anymore than just doing loads of water changes.
without this we don't know what you're facing and therefore we can't advise anymore than just doing loads of water changes.
AngelOfDeath
Fish Crazy
Hi again everyone, and thanks for all of this advice. And a padawan is a Jedi apprentice that has not passed the Jedi Trials Miss Wiggle
Anywho, onto the serious issue. MY FISH ARE DYING
Oh, and also, they still have not eaten anything. I have tried to feed them again today.
i had a similar problem, i had a black moor and fantail that kept contracting itch
they looked in serious discomfort, so i euthanised them with clove oil
you may want to do the same if things dont improve
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Adam,
If you happen to see this prior to your G/F making the petsmart run, petsmarts in the US generally carry API products. The Freshwater Master Test Kit is your best bet as it will include all the tests you need (plus a couple you probably won't right away.) If your store doesn't have that kit, then look for the smaller boxes (a little bigger than box of playing cards) and first of all try to get an ammonia kit, then also get a nitrite and pH kit, but the ammonia is the most important. Strips are useless as stated before. I doubt the petsmart would have a choice of another liquid reagent based test kit other than api but of course that would be worth looking for rather than leaving with nothing.
~~waterdrop~~ (aka Padawan!)
ps. Your hands will not harm the water chem. Aquarists plunge their arms into their tanks all the time (if the arm melts off you know its time for more water changes plus you get handicap status) ... well, a hand washing habit both before and after is in fact good (for both them and you) (for them be sure soap is rinsed off.) For you its good because you know you're getting exposed to mild bacteria/ammonia, but its not really anything to really worry about.. (gosh, forgot it will be noon when you see this, darn)
If you happen to see this prior to your G/F making the petsmart run, petsmarts in the US generally carry API products. The Freshwater Master Test Kit is your best bet as it will include all the tests you need (plus a couple you probably won't right away.) If your store doesn't have that kit, then look for the smaller boxes (a little bigger than box of playing cards) and first of all try to get an ammonia kit, then also get a nitrite and pH kit, but the ammonia is the most important. Strips are useless as stated before. I doubt the petsmart would have a choice of another liquid reagent based test kit other than api but of course that would be worth looking for rather than leaving with nothing.
~~waterdrop~~ (aka Padawan!)
ps. Your hands will not harm the water chem. Aquarists plunge their arms into their tanks all the time (if the arm melts off you know its time for more water changes plus you get handicap status) ... well, a hand washing habit both before and after is in fact good (for both them and you) (for them be sure soap is rinsed off.) For you its good because you know you're getting exposed to mild bacteria/ammonia, but its not really anything to really worry about.. (gosh, forgot it will be noon when you see this, darn)
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