I just lost my entire tank!!

[smackitsakic]

So sad. Last night I needed to move my 55 gallon tank as we are getting new carpet. Only had to move it 20 feet. I emptied it down to about 30%, but didn’t take the fish out. I moved the tank with 30% in it (was able to slide it) and refilled with 70% new water. Tank is well established and fully cycled.

Two hours later I had lost 6 black skirt tetras and 3 neon tetras. By this morning I had lost another black skirt, 6 more neons and 2 cherry barbs.

All I have left is 3 black skirts, 4 cherries and 5 guppies plus the pleco. Lost almost my entire tank. Sad day!!

Was it stress that caused this? My water parameters are all fine. Nitrites are zero, ammonia is zero, nitrates are nill. PH is on the high side (7.8).

 

[itiwhetu]

Did you use dechlorinator when you did your water change

 

[Colin_T]

The most likely cause of death when you add a lot of new tap water is chlorine/ chloramine poisoning. The other common cause is a contaminated bucket/ container used to fill the tank.

Chlorinated tap water should have the chlorine removed or neutralised before it is added to the tank otherwise you can poison the fish and other inhabitants.

If the fish are poisoned they usually gasp straight after the new water is added and die within minutes. However, sometimes they die a few hours later, depending on the amount of chlorine/ chloramine in the water.

The best thing to do for chlorine/ chloramine poisoning is add a double dose of dechlorinator and increase aeration/ surface turbulence for at least 2 weeks.

 

[smackitsakic]

Thanks. I think you’re right. I usually add tap conditioner as I’m adding the water through my hose and didn’t last night (I ran out). What a silly mistake! I feel bad. Ugh.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

A 70% water change should not have been an issue*, even though it sounds extreme...provided the water added was safe.
Sounds like a contaminant issue.

*Think of the amount of water change in the natural environment.

 

[Byron]

A 70% water change with no conditioner will easily kill a tank of fish, depending upon the level of chlorine (and chloramine if the water people add that) in the tap water.

Once many years ago i was busy changing the water on my 8 tanks in the fishroom, and when the 70g began refilling I saw the fish had moved to the opposite end of the tank from where the Python was, and were beginning to gasp at the surface. Fortunately, I have a habit of always observing the fish when I start the refill, and during it, and after for an hour or so, and this means I caught it in time. I immediately knew what had happened...I had for some reason forgotten to add the conditioner. I grabbed the bottle and squirted it in across the surface, and stirred it in. The fish within a minute or two began moving around; I had caught it in time.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Sorry for the losses.

I leave my pre-measured syringe of dechlor on my tank lids during a WC, cannot begin adding water w/out lifting the lid, so (hopefully) I never make this sort of mistake

Out of curiosity, how long has the tank been set up?

How are the remaining fish doing?