New Tank, Dead Fish

[benji87]

Hi all,

This is probably a typical noob question but we've all got to start somewhere I guess! Hopefully there will be some people here willing to give me some good advice!

I set up a 100 litre freshwater tropical tank around 4 weeks ago now and this is what I've done so far.

1. Filled the tank and let it run for around a week to allow everything to get running and let the dust settle
2. Added filter starter
3. Tested my water levels using a API testing kit
4. Purchased some bog wood and live plants
5. Purchased around 6 neons and 2 corys
6. Done weekly water changes

At this point all was well until a couple of the neons decided to die. I didn't think much of this as all the water levels were good and I made sure I introduced the fish properly by leaving them in the bag for a while. I just put it down to the fish already being unwell. I decided then to buy some more hardy cardinal tetras. These integrated well with the neons and I thought all was going well until I noticed that some of the fish had white spot.

I managed to treat this with 2 doses of interpet anti white spot which seemed to do the trick perfectly and it seems to have all cleared up. Trouble is after the 2nd dose of medication the cardinals now seem to be dropping dead one by one. There seems to be no symptoms apart from they seem to be constantly opening and closing their mouths as if they are gasping, although they are not at the surface of the tank so I don't suspect it's an oxygen problem. As soon as they start doing this a day later they are dead.

However the corys seem to be perfectly happy.

The only thing I've noticed is that the pH level may be a little high. Probably due to my inexperience originally I was testing with the API low pH test only which showed a level of 7.6. I read somewhere that neons like a lowe pH level so I decided to test the high level pH and it came out is 8.2. Obviously where I was only using the low level it was showing as high as that range could. Could this be the root of my problems?

If not, what else could it be? I've not got off to a great start with my aquarium as I've lost around 5-6 neons/cardinals so far and more will probably follow.

 

[sadguppy]

Your tank will still be cycling, its probably ammonia or Nitrite poisoning which is common during a fish-in cycle like yours. There are plenty of places you can read up on new tank syndrome and the nitrogen cycle.

 

[balajake]

http/www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_51/fishless-cycling-article.htm

a good read

 

[Cazgar]

You are now in a fish in cycle.
Your filter isn't coping with the bioload & your fish are being poisoned by ammonia.
The filter starter you used did not work.
Have a look here on how to do a fish in cycle

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

 

[benji87]

I don't believe it is though as my ammonia is reading 0.25, nitrite 0 and nitrate 40. Correct me if I'm wrong but these levels are good are they not?

 

[TropicalLad21]

At this point all was well until a couple of the neons decided to die.

They had no choice... they didn't decide anything - have a good read of the beginners section.

 

[balajake]

0.25 ammonia isnt good and if they are in that for even a short time they can die.

 

[benji87]

Ok so ammonia at 0.25 is not perfect as I understand the ideal reading is 0 but for an unestablished tank I thought this would be acceptable. For a start fish need to be introduced to help the biological filter get going surely?

I appreciate all the responses so far but I've already read the fish in/out cycle sections etc and I wouldn't have purchased fish if my water levels didn't read well.

 

[Cazgar]

Any ammonia is toxic to fish.
You need to a large water change to get that ammonia level down

 

[balajake]

Ok so ammonia at 0.25 is not perfect as I understand the ideal reading is 0 but for an unestablished tank I thought this would be acceptable. For a start fish need to be introduced to help the biological filter get going surely?

I appreciate all the responses so far but I've already read the fish in/out cycle sections etc and I wouldn't have purchased fish if my water levels didn't read well.

no they don't, thats what fishless cycles are for. we do the same thing but instead of using fish we dose the tank with household ammonia. if you use fish in cycles then you need to do frequent large water changes.

 

[sadguppy]

You can do what's known as a fishless cycle bu adding ammonia or fish food to an empty filtered tank. However if you can't do that as you, as I did, added fish first, you need to do daily water changes - sometimes more than once a day - until you've seen the ammonia and Nitrites rise and then fall to 0. Sounds like yours is just getting going.

You can also use media from an established tank and stick it in your filter. Good option if you have a mate with a tank who doesn't mind giving you the content of their filter.

 

[chokko]

my API test kit has never shown a 0ammonia reading, always 0.25 ...which i (and many others) believed was a "feature" of this kit

this could the the answer though:
http/forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/showthread.php?t=81519&page=3

(cant test myself yet, my tubes are still wet )

 

[Xraymark]

Don't let the ammonia go above 0.25. If you get that reading do a 50% water change. This will provide enough ammonia to get your filter cycled and at the same time protect your fish.
Use a dechlorinator like seachem prime which will detoxify the ammonia in the tank but still feed the bacteria in your filter.

my API test kit has never shown a 0ammonia reading, always 0.25 ...which i (and many others) believed was a "feature" of this kit

this could the the answer though:
http/forum.practic...?t=81519&page=3

(cant test myself yet, my tubes are still wet )

Yeah I've had false results with poorly washed test tubes.

 

[benji87]

Thanks for the link chokko. I don't bother to dry my tubes between tests so that infact could be the issue with the reading.

I will do a 50% water change at the weekend too and see what happens. Hopefully things improve and I don't keep losing fish.

Stupid question but how would I know the difference between a cycle just getting started and a cycle that is now in full swing if both would read 0.25 or 0?

 

[riogal_11]

.25 isn't crazy bad (as in some fish will definitely survive it), but Neon Tetras are particularly sensitive to water conditions, so that's probably why they died at that low of a level.

I have done fish-in cycling (didn't know any better) and recently completed my first completely fishless cycle. A fishless cycle is stress free and super easy. If you can take any living fish back and start with a fishless cylce, you won't be disappointed and won't have to deal with dead fish.