Help I Need Answers!

[GlidergirlUK]

When I got home from work today I noticed that my gobys in my tropical tank were acting a bit odd, being so close to the surface and almost sticking their heads out of the water! Thought maybe they need a bit more aeration so put the air stone on for a bit. Turned it off and all was well again. Then I went shopping and got home at 10pm to my gobys trying to get out of the tank! Again I panicked and put the air stone on.....what happened next shocked and scared the hell out of me!

ALL my fish went belly up like they were dead and floated around in the tank!
So off went the air stone out came my water change jug (very small!) and in went water from my puffer tank (into the jug that is) I figured better they have a small dose of salt than all die in the tank!

So I literally scooped the fish out with my hands...they were still floating! A few seconds later they recovered and started swimming around in the now cramped jug! When I say all I actually lost 2 of my 3 rummy nose tetra who sadly didnt recover and just carried on floating!


So panic as to what the hell to do next! So got my bucket filled it up with tap water at rough temp and dechlorinated, in went the jug and its occupents. Out came the tank decor & filter into the bucket with fish. then I removed all the sand substrate and threw away (it had gone a funny grey colour and stank! it has only been in the tank a few weeks) emptied all the water out and refilled with 100% fresh dechlorinated water, put everything back together and added fish...touch wood all ok and no floating when the airstone is on!


So more info -
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

Forgive me if they are the wrong way round!

These were the results from the test yesterday (didnt have time to worry about testing when it all went wrong!

also currently dosing melafix for parasite problem.

so now everything seems happy... I have done a huge 90% water change on my puffers tank as well just in case its the meds as they were being dosed as well. Also put carbon back in both filters to try and remove and remaining meds.


Anyone experienced anything similar? Or have any answers?

 

[GlidergirlUK]

Well I am cream crackered now so going to bed...will check everything is still fine in the morning ...

 

[monkeyhanger]

Well I am cream crackered now so going to bed...will check everything is still fine in the morning ...

How often do you siphon the waste debris from the bottom of your tank? What water changes do you generally do (% and frequency)?

If siphoned on a regular basis, your sand shouldn't change colour and stink. Sand is inert, only things stuck to it can cause the changes to appearance and smell.

Not sure why you tun your aeration on and off when you think the fish need it, what's wrong with leaving it on all the time? Most aerators use only 3 to 5 watts of electricity - thats about par with a dvd player on standby.

 

[GlidergirlUK]

I do weekly water changes of 25% (if the stats are fine, if not I do them more regular and bigger)
I do vac the sand and all stuff off the bottom (a neat little trick when vacing sand is to swirl so to make a cyclon) this is exactly why I cant understand what has happened!

As for turning the air on and off, it is on a timer as we have a large noisy pump that feeds 2 tanks (believe me its noisy!) so it comes on for 30 mins every 45 mins...so on very regualar throught the day.

I have never had any problems with anything illness wise in my whole tank before.

Update this morning, everyone is swimming around normally, goby still looks a bit white but this is probably stress.

Fingers crossed this will never happen again!

 

[monkeyhanger]

Looks like everything you do is right in your cleaning. I asked about the air on and off because I didn't know whether it was hardly ever on - to be on most of the time like yours should be fine. Some meds knock down oxygen solubility in the water, and having a high tank temp also reduces water oxygen levels. Unless your water is above 28C, there should be plenty of oxgen in the water for the times you have it on.

Not sure if you've taken such measures with air pump noise, but mine (Rena 200) is supposed to be quiet, but it used to cause a vibration on the shelf its on. It now sits on some foam, the kind that looks like the inside of an egg box and lines briefcases filled with camera equipment. The pump sits on the flat side, with the dimples on the shelf - my water pump is now loder than my airpump (both are quiet).

 

[GlidergirlUK]

Yeah Its all bizarre! I will try the foam out but honestly can not see it working as its the pump thats noisy. It can get rather annoying when you have 3 filters a PC and then the airpump all at the same time.

The airpump is an Elite I think 802model, we got in a value pack with air pad, stone and airline return valves etc.

 

[GlidergirlUK]

thinking back not all my fish went belly up...my stonesucker didnt and they are the ones who need the most oxygen!

 

[GlidergirlUK]

Day 2 and all is still well!

I will put this down to a strange accident.


Oh and my parasites didnt die!