Help!!!!!!!

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Another of my Neon Tetra's has died, he seemed fine last night, but woke up this morning and he was floating vertically face down at the top.

My ammonia levels are fine, but my Nitrite doesn't seem to be going down.

I've done 2 water changes in 10 days, I've added an air pump and air stone. I've added an extra filter and I've also added some Nitra Zorb into one of the filters.

Will it have been the high Nitrite that caused the death of my Neon Tetra?

What else can I do?

 

[Davy Reynolds]

I can't remember but do you have any plants. If not Amazon swords are good at absorbing some of the Nitrites.
More plants.
Remind me what size of tank and filtration your using

 

[mrV]

but my Nitrite doesn't seem to be going down

How high is it?

Well, any way... You should do partial water changes (about 50%) everyday until the nitrite level decrease.. It's the only way to keep nitrite level low enough.

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

My Nitrite level is 1.5mg/l.

I have plastic plants.

My tank size is 24 x 15 x 12.

My filters are both internal Aqua EL filters.

If I do 50% water change every day, will that not take away the beneficial bacteria?

 

[Davy Reynolds]

If you don't touch the filter and use conditioner when adding the water the bacteria will be fine. But 50% everyday is a bit much. 25% everysecond day would be fine.

You've had trouble with overcrowding yes. The reason the waste is high is usually because of this. Thats why it's hard to come down. Your fighting against the waste. Try and bring this down and I'll look up info on for filters

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

overcrowding?

I've only had 6 fish initially - 5 neons and 1 betta.

Is that overcrowded? I estimated I eventually should be able to have about 20 fish allowing 1 inch per fish

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Thats not overcrowding. Must be thinking of someone else

 

[mrV]

But 50% everyday is a bit much. 25% everysecond day would be fine.

Fresh water (without chlorine or heavy metals) isn't harmful for fish or plant's. This is the only way to keep nitrite level down, otherwise fish will die.

Nitrite level is 1.5mg/l

Hups! When nitrite level gos over 0,2mg/l it's definately something wrong in aquarium. Over 0,5mg/l is harmul and it doesn't surpise at all that your fish died.

Do you vacuum gravel too while changing water? How often do you wash your filters?

 

[mrV]

And how much NO3- is in your aquarium? It's not unusual when there is high nitrate-level that nitrate reduces back to nitrite.

 

[Alien Anna]

But 50% everyday is a bit much. 25% everysecond day would be fine.

Fresh water (without chlorine or heavy metals) isn't harmful for fish or plant's. This is the only way to keep nitrite level down, otherwise fish will die.

Nitrite level is 1.5mg/l

Hups! When nitrite level gos over 0,2mg/l it's definately something wrong in aquarium. Over 0,5mg/l is harmul and it doesn't surpise at all that your fish died.

Do you vacuum gravel too while changing water? How often do you wash your filters?

As far as I remember, he came to us with an un-cycled tank and dying fish. Initially the problem was ammonia, of course, but now he's got that under control. Now the problem is nitrite, which of course can last a couple of weeks before the tank starts to cycle properly.

I definitely believe a nitrite level that high could easily kill neons. I personally would do about 20-25% water changes daily - with a high nitrite level, twice in 10 days is just not sufficient. Also, the damage may have already been done and the neons will continue to die off after the tank chemistry is stabilised.

I worry about nitra-zorb - I don't think it works properly in an un-cycled tank. It will just mask the problem and as soon as it wears off, the nitrite will be shooting up again. Personally, I wouldn't use it but rely on very frequent water changes. I've done up to 3 water changes a day when I cycled a tank with fish in it.

 

[Dragonslair]

I'm going to ask you what state was your Neon in when it died? I have recently had a few neons die on me and I am now able to do a post mortem with proper surgical and microscopic precision. The reasons mine died were because they carried an anti immune bug inside them that literally destroyed their muscles from within, very much like NTD(neon tetra disease) The first sign was the colouration started to fade and then a very small abscess like ick started to form on its tail base. This led to further discolouration and finally loss of body movement and death. The danger however is that the virus is able to spread if the other tankmates decide to have a nibble and ingest the virus. So back to my first question what state was your fish in...other than being dead.
Were it's gill red? Any discolouration, any abscesses, any sores, any bloating and any damage to tail or body?

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Hi, just got back from work.

The neon that died yesterday appeared to be fine.

Although one of my neons at the moment is swimming at a 45 degree angle??

I have a feeling that that one may not make it through the night.

Is there anything I can add directly to the water to reduce the Nitrite??

Should I just start from scratch and leave it running empty for a longer period??

 

[pete]

Hmmmmmmmmmm 50% waterchanges are OTT to say the very least and will cause more problems due to water shock  :what: so smaller wterchanges would be a good idea as davy sujested.

Do not feed the fish until the nitrites have come down as the fish will just keep polluting the water if they are still being fed :what:

Keep both filters running and remove any venturi air devices if fitted as this will increase the water flow through the filters  

Things should settle down in a day or two........and keep us posted

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

How can can the fish go without being fed? I don't want to starve them or for them to start eating each other!!!

Also, what do you mean by venturi air devices???

Lastly, would it be OK to change about a bucket of water a day, and add the anti-chlorine stuff AND the bacteria daily

Thanks!

 

[reg2k2]

Fish go without food, sometimes for days, in the wild.  I've read that a well-fed, adult fish can go up to a couple of weeks.  I would not purposely try this myself, but a couple of years ago, I had set up an automatic feeder while I was gone for a week.  I was horrified to find when I returned that it had tipped over the first day!  Well, looking back, those fish did survive.  But I've read (I think it was) fry should not go without for more than a day.  
Being a new tank 'n' all, I assume you have juveniles, as I do.  I'm not sure what the rule would be for them. (???)