New Fish Hanging At Surface By Filter

[Queen Bee]

Just suffered my second total tank loss in 6 days.(Topic is posted in new to hobby) (Don't know how to link it to here.)

I tested the water yesterday after 2 cleanings and removing all ornaments and fake plants (No real plants in tank)
The ammonia read 0. The tank is a 29 Gallon Been running for 6 weeks with a aqua filter (Sponge in it only), air sponge filter, and heater. The air sponge filter came from a smaller tank that had been running 4 weeks longer.

I added to dwarf gourami about 3 hours ago. They immediately went below and hid in the plants. Just noticed now that they are both at the top of the tank (Same position as the 10 fish I just lost). I immediately tested the water. Nitrate & Nitrite both at 0. Ph is at 6 and ammonia is at .5 This is all done using the api liquid drop tests. Don't know hardness of water. I used a dip test for the cloramine and it is at .5ppm.

From advice given in New to hobby topic, it seems like I've suffered a bacteria bloom.

Used no meds in the water. Only water conditioner is ever added with the occasional waste control added.

Going to perform a 25% water change immediately. I do have a smaller 10 Gallon which holds one new swordtail (Also 3 hours old) The ammonia in that tank is reading 0.

Should I move them immediately? What is happening to my tank?

[post="0"]2nd Tank. All fish dead[/post]

 

[Queen Bee]

Just suffered my second total tank loss in 6 days.(Topic is posted in new to hobby) (Don't know how to link it to here.)

I tested the water yesterday after 2 cleanings and removing all ornaments and fake plants (No real plants in tank)
The ammonia read 0. The tank is a 29 Gallon Been running for 6 weeks with a aqua filter (Sponge in it only), air sponge filter, and heater. The air sponge filter came from a smaller tank that had been running 4 weeks longer.

I added to dwarf gourami about 3 hours ago. They immediately went below and hid in the plants. Just noticed now that they are both at the top of the tank (Same position as the 10 fish I just lost). I immediately tested the water. Nitrate & Nitrite both at 0. Ph is at 6 and ammonia is at .5 This is all done using the api liquid drop tests. Don't know hardness of water. I used a dip test for the cloramine and it is at .5ppm.

From advice given in New to hobby topic, it seems like I've suffered a bacteria bloom.

Used no meds in the water. Only water conditioner is ever added with the occasional waste control added.

Going to perform a 25% water change immediately. I do have a smaller 10 Gallon which holds one new swordtail (Also 3 hours old) The ammonia in that tank is reading 0.

Should I move them immediately? What is happening to my tank?

Update after water change. One of them appears to have a cloudy residue over his eyes. One eye is worse than the other. Almost a white dusty look when I hold a flashlight to him. Both still at the top of tank by the filter.

Half hour later, one with cloudy eyes is lying on his side, the force of the filter is throwing him around. While I cleaned out a new 2 1/2 Gallon tank and filled with water from the stable 10 Gallon the gourami was lying lifeless on one of the ornaments. I removed the other gourami to the 2 1/2 Gallon as the swordtail in the 10 appears fine and I don't want to contaminate that tank. The one lying on ornament is barely alive, so I moved him to a bucket. Unfortunately I don't have any extra air or filtration to put in the bucket.

[post="0"]2nd Tank. All fish dead[/post]

 

[WILDER]

Has any household chemicals got into your water.
Had any storms around your area lately.
Any signs of gasping or darting around the tank.

 

[Queen Bee]

Has any household chemicals got into your water.
Had any storms around your area lately.
Any signs of gasping or darting around the tank.

Chemicals are not used near the fish. The tank has a cover and I always wash my hands before & after touching the tank.

The buckets are only for the fish and have been used for nothing else. The same bucket is used for emptying the water that I use to fill with new water. These buckets usually are a bit wet before each use. (They are stacked and don't completely dry out after each use). However, after I had to drain my small tank that everyone died in, I did leave the buckets out separately, and the gravel vac so that everything would completely dry out.

There have been storms on & off for a while now. Some of them quite intense. Nothing big around the time the tank crashed though.

The fish first just migrated to the top corner and stayed there. No gasping . After I did a water change (for the second time that day) a couple of them would venture down to the bottom, wouldn't stay long and would dart back up to the top again.

 

[aquatics_mike]

have you used any chemicals to help the tank cycle?? like Nutrafin Cycle or Stress Zyme.
this stuff adds the bacteria needed to remove tese toxins into the tank. and a tiny pinch of fish food will also help as this rots away and provides an ammonia source for the bacteria to feed of and helps them colonise in the filter.

 

[Queen Bee]

have you used any chemicals to help the tank cycle?? like Nutrafin Cycle or Stress Zyme.
this stuff adds the bacteria needed to remove tese toxins into the tank. and a tiny pinch of fish food will also help as this rots away and provides an ammonia source for the bacteria to feed of and helps them colonise in the filter.

Thanks for the info. Didn't use anything first time around. I am tearing down the tank and starting over from fresh. I will make fewer mistakes this time around