Sick Tank: Please help!

[jrd77]

Okay, I have a 40 gallon tank that has been up and running or almost 2 years. Although for the first year it gave me nothing but problems, the past six months have been wonderful and healthy. So, we decided to get a puffer fish.

We brought it home (and it looked great as did the tank it came from) but made a fatal mistake of not quaratining it (I have learned my lesson and will never do this again). It had been so long since we even got a new fish...we forgot. So, the first day the puffer was great, as was everyone else, having a big time, eating, being healthy. On day 2 the puffer seemed lethargic hanging out at the bottom of the tank. On day 3, it was dead.

So, immediatly checked the water parameters and found the following results:

pH = 7.4 (VERY HIGH for my tank that is usually 7.0)
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 2 (and its ALWAYS been zero since its been cycled, not sure about this)
Nitrate = 25 (when 12.5 is par for the course in that tank, not sure about this either)
gh = 20, soft as usual
kh = 30, again, soft as usual
phophates = 5, down from off the charts for once, that was nice...

I concluded that the pH killed that poor little puffer that I just loved but now I don't know. Is this correct?

Last night (the eve of the puffer death) my loaches coloring became dark and muted. They are all hovering together under the heater or in this rock I have. They are not eating and their breathing is slightly more rapid than usual.

So, I did a 25 % water change to lower that pH back to neutralish but I haven't tested the other parameters yet today.

Although the loaches' coloring is slightly better, they are still pretty dark and not behaving as their usual selves. I also think one might have a small spot on the tail fin which I'm afraid is Ich...which has never happened in our 42 gallon tank. And these loaches have never looked so bad...

Just so you know, the tetras are as happy as they can be but the ropefish is hiding in her cave...not coming out unless I drop some beef heart down there for her. Its hard to say is these 4 have been really affected yet...

I am so afraid of losing the other fish and I do not know what to do. Should I raise the temp in the tank? If so, how high (I don't want to hurt the ropefish or loaches)...Could that spot be ich? If so, what do I do considering I have 4 scale-less dish in there...I don't want to hurt their skin...And, I've never had to deal with Ich before and the info. I have read so far this am is very conflicting...Please advise. I am so worried...

 

[WILDER]

Darkness in colour can also indicate a bacterial infection how big is the spot on the tail, when you bought the puffer fish how big was it, how many fish do you have in the tank and which type, if your water stats have changed I wondering if your bacteria colony couldn't cope with the extra fish and sent your tank into a mini cycle.

 

[jrd77]

My signiture has my tank info...Sorry I didn't say that in the other post. So, in my 40 gallon I have 3 bengal loaches of good size so far, one is about 3 inches and the other two are about 3.5-4; One female ropefish who is still pretty small, maybe about 7 inches and pretty thin and then six red eyed tetras that are maybe 1.5-2 inches. (I'm not sure about cm in length; I can't find a ruler to cobert...sorry if you use metric)

The spot on the loach's tail is very small but now I see a small rip in the fin near the spot. The area around the small rip is alittle bit dark in color. The loach also has a strange mark on its head now. It looks like a scrape but its more white...hard to explain. Its not a growth I don't think...it looks like a scrape but not red...Its color has also changed thoughout the day. First it was really dark then it was really light and now its somehwat dark again. It starting to swim around a little.

The puffer was really small, maybe an inch. It was so cute! It was one of those South American ones with similar coloration as a bengal (queen) loach.

I was thinking a mini cycle too because I vaccumed the gravel when I did the 30% water change and the dead, decomposing puffer might have contributed a little which would account from the nitrite level which is normally 0.

Here's what my reading usually are:

pH = 7.0
Ammonia = 0 mg/L
Nitrite = 0 mg/L
Nitrate = 12.5 mg/L
gh = 10 mg/L
kh = 20 mg/L
phophates > 10 mg/L

Here's what they were last night:

pH = 7.4
Ammonia = 0 mg/L
Nitrite = .2 mg/L
Nitrate = 25 mg/L
gh = 20 mg/L
kh = 30 mg/L
phophates = 5 mg/L

And then just now:

pH = 7.0
Ammonia = 0 mg/L
Nitrite = .1 mg/L
Nitrate = 25 mg/L
gh = 40 mg/L
kh = 30 mg/L
phophates = 5 mg/L

My tank is also slightly cloudy right now..maybe bacterial bloom? I raised the temp from 78F to 80F just for good measure. I didn't know what else to do...

Any comments or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[WILDER]

It's gone into a mini cycle shouldn't take long to get back to normal, the fish with the the spot and ripped tail try an anti internal bacteria med, good luck.

 

[jrd77]

Thank you so much...