Nearly all fish appear to be ill!

[adamvaughan9]

Hi, I'm a bit new to keeping fish. I've had my tropical tank running for around 4 or 5 months and I've never had any issues until now. I have a 60 litre tank, temperature around 25°c-26°c with a filter and air stone.

I have 3 female Betas, 5 Platys, 3 Coreys, 5 minows, 3 tetras, a swordtail and a couple of daneos.

A few days ago, I woke up to 2 tetras and one swordtail dead. I removed them from the tank right away, did a part water change (probably around 1/4 ish) and treated the water with tapsafe. I've checked all the water levels and they're all spot on.

Today I noticed 3 coreys floating on their backs not really doing much which I figured was unusual. Since then they've all become pretty much unresponsive, occasionally moving around randomly before floating around again. One of the minows is doing the same, and until an hour ago so were 2 of the betas.

As mentioned, the water levels are perfect with nothing out of the ordinary. I haven't fed them anything different but almost all of them seem seriously ill. Any ideas anyone? Apologies if this explanation is a bit vague as I'm pretty new to this but I need advice ASAP!

Thanks!

 

[adamvaughan9]

Hi, I'm a bit new to keeping fish. I've had my tropical tank running for around 4 or 5 months and I've never had any issues until now. I have a 60 litre tank, temperature around 25°c-26°c with a filter and air stone.

I have 3 female Betas, 5 Platys, 3 Coreys, 5 minows, 3 tetras, a swordtail and a couple of daneos.

A few days ago, I woke up to 2 tetras and one swordtail dead. I removed them from the tank right away, did a part water change (probably around 1/4 ish) and treated the water with tapsafe. I've checked all the water levels and they're all spot on.

Today I noticed 3 coreys floating on their backs not really doing much which I figured was unusual. Since then they've all become pretty much unresponsive, occasionally moving around randomly before floating around again. One of the minows is doing the same, and until an hour ago so were 2 of the betas.

As mentioned, the water levels are perfect with nothing out of the ordinary. I haven't fed them anything different but almost all of them seem seriously ill. Any ideas anyone? Apologies if this explanation is a bit vague as I'm pretty new to this but I need advice ASAP!

Thanks!

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Hi there! Can you give us the exact test readings please? Some of us more experienced folk may spot something and be better able to help....personally I would do a bigger water change of around 50% when something is off like this

 

[adamvaughan9]

Nitrate & Nitrite:0
Ammonia:0
pH 6.8-7.2
Carbonate Hardness: 6
General Hardness 7

 

[adamvaughan9]

One of the Coreys is still lay on the bottom on it's side but still breathing, another corey now appears completely fine. But the rest of the fish in the tank are at the surface but not gasping for air or anything.

 

[Naughts]

The tank is too small for the type and quantity of fish that you have. Is the tank cycled? Have you recently seen ammonia or nitrite reading above 0?

 

[adamvaughan9]

The tank is too small for the type and quantity of fish that you have. Is the tank cycled? Have you recently seen ammonia or nitrite reading above 0?

I've never had any issues at all. I test the levels pretty regularly and I've never seen anything above 0.

 

[Naughts]

If it has been running a few months it should have cycled.
Have you changed the filter media/ cartridges at all? How do you clean the tank and filter? Could anything have got into the water - cleaning products, perfume, paint fumes, hand sanitiser?

 

[adamvaughan9]

I cleaned the filter the other day with tap water, but soaked it in tank water before putting back into the tank. Other than that, just partial water changes etc really. I can't see how anything could have got into the water.

 

[Naughts]

Just use old tank water to clean the filter as chlorine will kill some of the beneficial bacteria.
Any other recent changes to the tank?
Toxins get in from the air or on hands. If you can't think of any possible way we are back to ammonia/ nitrite. Check these daily.
Keep doing large daily water changes anyway.

 

[Colin_T]

pictures of the fish from the side, not above?

 

[adamvaughan9]

Quick update,

The fish seem somewhat okay now. I did another half water change as I don't believe the test strips were 100% accurate. I'm pretty sure there was an ammonia spike due to the few dead fish. But now the water is changed they seem alot happier

 

[Colin_T]

Keep doing daily water changes for a week just to make sure everything is ok