Ph Level 6.4, Losing Fish, Think This Is The Cause But How Do I Correc

[deansplit]

I've lost a few fish recently, I do water 20% changes usually weekly but confess due to work recently `i left it 2.5 weeks and my last Cory died. I have friends who rarely change the water so no idea if this is the cause. Spoke to my fish shop today where I bough 7 more fish but now done a test and PH is 6.4 (or closest match to the indicator). 'm doing a water change and cleaning the filters. I didn't know I had to change the carbon monthly, I've not changed since the start (1 year!) so changing those in the 2x filters too. Any advice as to how I can get the PH back to normal, as I have to put the new fish back in tonight!
 
It's a 35L wall tank, only has 7 neons (had 8 but 1 died today!), 2 algae shrimp. Used to have 3 Cory's but now none, but have 3 more to replace. Used to have 2 Molly's too but they both died. Not really having much luck, have lost a Fighter in the past, so now have another to replace, plus 3x blue platy's. 
 
Been told on forums that too many fish for volume but shop said not if I change weekly - they have a 22L tank with 30 fish in!
 
Thx for any help, fast!!

 

[Blondielovesfish]

That is way to many fish in a 35L. Also a lot of those fish need bigger tanks.
Dont trust your LFS, they're just there trying to make a profit and very few LFS actually give trustable advice. Your ones have already showed that they are not trustable!
With their 22L tank with 30 fish, it's only temperary, those fish will either get bought or die.
Please don't replace any more fish.
Also, you should really be looking to get a 100L+ tank and then you can have the 35L for the fighter or you can use it as a quarantine tank.

Also, test your tap water. If its the same reading then buy fish that will suit your pH

 

[Lateral Line]

A pH of 6.4 is going to be liked by some of your fish, and tolerated by the others it is weakly acidic, as are most tropical freshwater environments. That is not your problem. Your tank IS overstocked which generates a large waste load, but you say you "clean" the filters" weekly. What do you do when you "clean the filters". What I'm wondering is if you've destroyed your biological filtration by replacing the carbon, the carbon would have been colonised by biological agents - and they are now gone.
 
Try to give us some more information.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I agree with blondie.


You've recently changed your carbon, correct? There's the issue. This tank was overstocked, but somehow coping. When you replaced the carbon, you removed the beneficial bacteria that had colonized it that deals with the ammonia created by the fish. Your fish didn't die from the pH but from ammonia or nitrite poisoning. Carbon isn't necessary most of the time in the filter. But it provides a great home for the bacteria. Filter media should be rinsed in old tank water, never "washed". But not replaced unless it is falling apart. It houses the vast majority of your bacteria, so changing it just starts you back at square one.


What's in the tank right now? (And please don't add anymore "replacements" )
Do you have a test kit for ammonia and nitrite? ( These are far more vital than pH)

 

[DoubleDutch]

Agree !!

 

[deansplit]

No, I've 'never' changed the carbon, in a year iy's been going - even the label in the new carbon I bought says change monthly? so I thought I should at least do that? Well I have, and washed out sponges in boiled water and rinses in tap water. If I don't put the fish in what do I do with them? The shop is 45 mins away and I can't go back tomorrow! I've changed 9 litres with chlorine treated tap water, was just going to let it sit for an hour and put them in...?

 

[DoubleDutch]

Change the carbon for sponges or better filtermedia but neverrrrrrr rinse sponges too much and never with boiled water aso!!!! You're killing the bacteria that do the actual cleaning !!!!

 

[fluttermoth]

No, I've 'never' changed the carbon, in a year iy's been going - even the label in the new carbon I bought says change monthly? so I thought I should at least do that? Well I have, and washed out sponges in boiled water and rinses in tap water. If I don't put the fish in what do I do with them? The shop is 45 mins away and I can't go back tomorrow! I've changed 9 litres with chlorine treated tap water, was just going to let it sit for an hour and put them in...?

Have you got a large storage container or something you can put all the fish and the filter in? Anything that's bigger than the tank you have, as you need the extra volume of water to dilute the fish wastes as much as possible in between your water changes.
 
If not, they'll have to go into the tank, as you have them now, but you'll have to change nearly all the water, at least once a day until you can take them back or get a larger tank.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If you already have the fish, it's better to temporarily house them in your tank, but best to return them as soon as possible.

You killed off all the bacteria in your filter. it just needs a gentle swish to keep the water moving through. The bacteria are NECESSARY to convert lethal ammonia to tolerable nitrate.

The chlorinated tap water needs to be "dechlorinated" with a product like Prime or tap safe, etc. The chlorine can kill the bacteria as well, and also burn the fishes gills, but to a far lesser extent. Generally I don't worry about de chlorinating for a MATURE tank, if I am doing a small water change.

 

[deansplit]

Change the carbon for sponges or better filtermedia but neverrrrrrr rinse sponges too much and never with boiled water aso!!!! You're killing the bacteria that do the actual cleaning !!!!

The filters (have 2 of them) have sponges too, below the carbon section. So how do you clean a sponge, just rinse a bit of the clogged crud off but not all of it? Doesn't make sense cos if clogged it's surely not effectively working?
 

No, I've 'never' changed the carbon, in a year iy's been going - even the label in the new carbon I bought says change monthly? so I thought I should at least do that? Well I have, and washed out sponges in boiled water and rinses in tap water. If I don't put the fish in what do I do with them? The shop is 45 mins away and I can't go back tomorrow! I've changed 9 litres with chlorine treated tap water, was just going to let it sit for an hour and put them in...?

Have you got a large storage container or something you can put all the fish and the filter in? Anything that's bigger than the tank you have, as you need the extra volume of water to dilute the fish wastes as much as possible in between your water changes.
 
If not, they'll have to go into the tank, as you have them now, but you'll have to change nearly all the water, at least once a day until you can take them back or get a larger tank.

No, no larger container, and getting a larger tank is not an option.

 

[fluttermoth]

Change the carbon for sponges or better filtermedia but neverrrrrrr rinse sponges too much and never with boiled water aso!!!! You're killing the bacteria that do the actual cleaning !!!!

The filters (have 2 of them) have sponges too, below the carbon section. So how do you clean a sponge, just rinse a bit of the clogged crud off but not all of it? Doesn't make sense cos if clogged it's surely not effectively working?

It's more what you clean them in as oppose to how you clean them. Raw tap water will kill the good bacteria that eat the ammonia for you. You don't want to scrub the sponges too much; get most of the actual lumps of dirt off, but do it in a bucket of your old tank water when you do your water changes. Filtration is about more than just filtering out visible particles.
 

No, no larger container, and getting a larger tank is not an option.

Has to be large daily water changes until you can get your own test kits (for ammonia and nitrite at least), and you really should think about returning some fish if you can.
 
 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

By large, she's meaning 75% plus.

 

[deansplit]

By large, she's meaning 75% plus.

So remove 3/4 of the water?? 
 
`I changed 8L out of 35, then removed a further 3L as I emptied the shop's water once fish were in - thought it better to use some of theirs seeing as I've ruined all my filters and bacteria!  

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The water doesn't do much.  Generally speaking its not a good idea to add LFS water to your tank.  But, in this case, I don't think it will hurt anything.
 
 
Yes, remove 3/4 of the water from the tank.  It will remove 3/4 of the ammonia as well - which is the goal.  Add dechorinated, temp matched water to refill.

 

[b3cca]

Obviously get your stocking levels, filter and cycle sorted as has been advised first and foremost.
 
Then once you have an established tank and  as I presume you live in an area with slightly acidic water then simply research find out which fish like those conditions and in future buy fish to suit your natural water parameters rather than constantly trying to change your natural water parameters to suit your fish