Just Having Such Bad Luck :(

[Ny82]

First of all I just want to say sorry if I come across as snippy or anything i'm just really about to pack it all in.
I have a 64 litre well planted tank. I've only had it 3 weeks or so. I'm using the old filter from my old tank I had since november along with the new filter I got with this tank and I was adding the controversial bottled bacteria to the new filter for the first week. The old filter is horrible and brown and sludgy and the new filter is about 90% brown and horrible

The ammonia is at 0, the nitrites are at 0 the ph level is about 6.8 it's always a greeny blue colour. I use the tetra easy balance to keep the ph levels from dropping.
On friday I added 3 guppies to the tank. 1 male 2 females.I had done a 70% water change that morning and the stats were perfect. I did the whole floating the bag and adding tank water a bit at a time over the course of an hour. I let them in and after about an hour they started circling the top of the tank. I thought that was a bit odd but tested the water. Ammonia 0, nitrites 0 ph 6.8 I did a 50% water change anyway to be on the safe side. I tested the water. Again it was the same stats. The guppies then started swimming around.

I do water changes on a sunday anyway so just did a 20% change. Again stats were spot on. They then started swimming around the top again. That afternoon I did another water change but 50% this time in case there was something wrong even though the tests were fine.

Monday I did another 50% water change cus they were circling the top. Stats still spot on.

Yesterday I started moving the plants and stuff around and added slate. After I added the slate the guppies were at the top again, and I noticed the corys going up for air a lot more frequently. I tested the water, there was a slight hint of purple to the nitrites so a 90% water change was done. After this the water tested fine. The slate was removed in case it was that and the guppies were fine. I moved the female to the breeder trap as she was massive and ready to drop. She died. I then noticed I couldn't find the male and he was white/yellow I was looking about for ages and then found him late last night he was also dead. I did a water change straight away at half 12 last night. The stats were fine. I couldn't sleep last night my back and shoulders and arms were killing so much - i've had back problems since I had my girl and sometimes can't even climb the stairs it's that bad. My girls 2 now and i'm still on the waiting list for physio

This morning I woke up to the last female guppy dead. I did a water change again. I am so pissed off at everything and the fish dying and the water being fine and having to do 2/3 water changes a day which leave me floored. I just don't know what to do. Every other fish in my tank is fine. The waters always so cloudy as I had to do so many water changes, it's a permanent sandstorm in there. Then the plants get uprooted

I know I probably sound pathetic and feeling sorry for myself and that I knew the commitment before I took it all on-but I didn't. I knew nothing about cycling, or test kits. 7 years ago I kept 4 black angel fish in a 4 foot long tank no chemistry sets, no chemicals nothing. I had no deaths. I had those angel fish for 6 years until I had to move and couldn't take them with me. I had to move them on They were beautiful.
Now I test the water like a woman possessed and I still can't get it right

What's going on? my platys are fine, my tetras and danios are darting about and my corys are fine. I really am banging my head against a wall here and ready to just give everything away. What can I do? I'm just feeling so low about it and ready to pack it all in.
I'm sorry i'm just having such a bad week

 

[Ozle]

Might be a silly question, but have you checked the temperate is right?

My fish all used to swim to the surface regularily, until i lowered the temp a bit and now they are all fine

 

[Ny82]

Oh you know-I didn't think to check! It's about 25/26. Is this ok?

 

[PerryClem0842]

Oh you know-I didn't think to check! It's about 25/26. Is this ok?

Yeah this is fine, tropical tanks should usually be between 24 and 27/28 really.
Spot on by any means.

Also it might be a good idea to leave it for a few days and put your thoughts somewhere else

And then when you come back to it the sand will have settled and you can start fresh, obviously not completely though (but do a water change small and frequent or when really needed)

 

[nigsy]

It might not be water quality, it sounds like they need oxygen.

Make sure your filter output is breaking the surface or causing it to ripple, this will aid the gas exchange at the surface.

I had exactley the same problems and frustration when I started, then some one mentioned the above. I bought a power head to stir up the surface, it runs for an hour in the morning and in the evening. No issues with fish gulping at the surface since.

 

[Lufbramatt]

I don't think guppies are as hardy as everyone makes out nowadays, they have become so inbred to get the fantastic colours on their tails through selecgive breeding, the genepool probably isn't very big so the slightest bit of stress from a tank move or mini-cycle and they die. Leave it a month or two before adding any more fish to let things settle down.

Maybe its worth investing in/making a python (basically a hose pipe with a few fittings on the end to enable the tank to be emptied and filled without carrying any buckets around) to make water changes easier?

 

[This Old Spouse]

What kind of tests do you use to measure ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? I didn't see any mention of nitrate results. If you're not using a professional-type liquid test kit that uses test tubes, you might not be getting accurate test results.

It also sounds like you haven't cycled your filter. I can't quite tell if you rinse your filter regularly either. If your media is clogged up with mulm it won't filter properly. You should gently rinse it in used tank water (never tap water) to get the mulm out.

Sorry if you know all this, but it's hard to tell from your initial post.

 

[guppi]

Sorry for this question but are you adding declorinator when you do water changes .

 

[Ny82]

I have 2 filters that have that long thing on them and it has 4 streams each. Do you know what I mean? It's a bar and when it hits the water it makes bubbles. Quick vid
http/s1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa466/TiggsGTI/New%20tank%20progress/?action=view&current=VIDEO0089.mp4

The new filter that came with the tank is rubbish. It has tights over it to stop it chugging on the sand. I want the fluval u2 filter but would I just take the filter out and put the fluval in with my old filter?
I was going to get that disc that makes bubbles but I was confused as to what I need and found out it was yet another plug

I have 2 syphons, the first one I thought stopped working but I don't think I am using it right as I went out and bought another one and now that's stopped working too. It just makes the sand fly and i'm easier with my 2nd net picking up the debris that way.

 

[Ny82]

What kind of tests do you use to measure ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? I didn't see any mention of nitrate results. If you're not using a professional-type liquid test kit that uses test tubes, you might not be getting accurate test results.

It also sounds like you haven't cycled your filter. I can't quite tell if you rinse your filter regularly either. If your media is clogged up with mulm it won't filter properly. You should gently rinse it in used tank water (never tap water) to get the mulm out.

Sorry if you know all this, but it's hard to tell from your initial post.

It's ok, I have the api test kits I was told the 2 most important ones are the ammonia and nitrite so that's what I have but I also have the ph one.
I don't touch the filter very often. I sometimes squeeze the sponge down but it's covered in brown sludge when I open it. It's horrible.

Guppi - I have the interpet bio active tap safe, the api stress coat + and the api accu clear which is now finished.

Even though the waters white-I have just noticed one of my corys acting strange. He is zooming around the tank at some speed. He is actually going flying around

 

[smokeyjo]

It may of been a bad batch of guppys. Maybe they had a horrible trip to the store then the move from the shop to your tank was too much to take? Just a guess lol I'm currently havin the same problem with my corydoras. Its only the 3 bronze I bought together that have died all the rest seem fine.

 

[Ny82]

Well now you mention it-my car isn't the smoothest ride. It's very bouncy due to being lowered on springs, and the potholes don't help. Plus I don't get anything from pets at home now. Last time I got 3 peppered corys from there. 1 was killed by my female gourami who is rehomed. He had flesh wounds and she would go out her way to hunt him. The other 2 couldn't even sit on the sand. They kept drifting up the way. I even tried swimbladder treatment but they were gone
These corys I have at the moment are from dobbies garden world and are doing great. I have 2 ambiacus, 2 sodalis and 1 bronze boy.
The last time I had guppies they all died within hours of each other they are so pretty I just need to stop myself getting them.

 

[steve1]

try guppys from somewhere else? incase it's there batch that is crap

 

[Ny82]

The first batch I got -1 male 3 females were from pets at home. Then I got another 2 males about 2 weeks later from dobbies. They were fine. I added an endler from pets at home - I was so excited to have finally found one-they only had one left and all my guppies died within hours.
Water stats were spot on. It really was defeating.

I am put off getting them again but if I did I think I will try dobbies. I never got any females from them but they hardly had any they told me due to the winter time they found it really hard to have guppies survive.

I will wait until this water clears. I have no accu-clear left but all you see is white and blue flashes as the tetras zoom by

 

[guppi]

Try to get as much top surface water movement as you can with the spray bars.