still losing fish ?

Ted H

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Help .... despite my other post of me not having a bio load .. no nitrates ammonia etc... I'm still losing the odd fish ,,,,I've lost 3 over the last few days 2 mollies and a platy .....any ideas why ,,,,,,,
The last molly to die was swimming about fine during the day then he just seemed to give up..started swimming to the top then sinking back down and then taken by the currrent around the tank before swiming back to the top again .he eventually gave up and passed away ...I do have a slight white cloudyness in the tank ,,,,,possibly a bacterial bloom??? . I've done my weelky water change today .....
please help I dont want to lose any more if I can help it .. I cycled using fish !
 
The white cloud is usually a bacterial bloom and generally happens as the nitrite is being converted to nitrate usually just before the nitrite level drops to 0. I remember your other post and have been puzzling about how that could happen ever since. I was betting that the test kit was faulty but i believe you got the lfs to test as well and all seemed fine. I might try getting a friend or another lfs to check. This sounds awful suspiciuos to me. The white bacterial bloom only happens when there are nitrites and/or nitrates in the tank as far as i have ever seen. So if you still get 0 for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate then something is wrong with the test kit or the way the tests are being conducted. I will rule out the latter (you have read the instructions and do follow them ;) ) So the only thing i can say is get the water tested somewhere else if possible. Something is killing the fish and causing the white cloud. you need to find out what it is.
Good Luck and keep the forum posted on any readings or events. :)
 
thanks for your reply ..... whats the remedy . do you suggest more regular water changes .. each day ?, every other day? weekly ?. Its just that I read about this bloom and that new water can increase the it?
 
THe remedy is to get accurate readings of your water chemistry and then procede from there. If you have no nitrates in your tank then you are not cycled. Nitrates are the by product of the cycling process and unless you have a very heavily planted tank or are using chemicals to remove the nitrate then you should have a positive reading for them.

Could you post the current levels in your tank for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Also what if any decorations, plants, wood,rocks do you have in your tank. Are you using any chemicals at all in the tank and if so what are they.
Hopefully with these answers we can help you solve the problem. :)
 
Hi Ted,
Sorry to hear this is still going on. You are getting some great help from tstenback I'll keep watching to see if I have anything to add.

ALASKA
 
I have today done another water change and also tested the water as well as a second opinion at the LFS. I have zero ammonia and zero nitrite, nitrate appears to be 5ppm. Ph is 7.
I have 4 live plants already in the tank (plus 2 added today). I have no rocks and only 2 decoration from which there are 2 airstones running. I have used no chemicals. However since my original post I have put some filter wool into the filter as well as renewing the carbon and this seems to have brought the water clear, (almost crystal clear). :rolleyes: The rest of the fish appear to be fine.
However every cloud has a silver lining and whilst cleaning the tank today we found a single baby platie, god knows where he came from ...... :dunno:
 
The baby plattie probably came from the union between a male and a female plattie. I'm just guessing as I would not consider myself to be a plattie expert.

ALASKA :D

Glad things may be looking up Ted
 
Hmmm alaskan.....maybe Im missing something my parents didnt tell me !!! :rofl:
Ps I've found a second one in the tank too ....now with two women to keep happy no wonder my plattie died !!
 
Just an update for those that were interested, my water is now crystal clear . I've changed the carbon and added filter wool and the bloom dispersed...The rest of the fish are fine and I've removed the two fry to a smaller tank untill they grow a bit..... Thanks for everyones help :thumbs:
 
mabey the water were u bought the fish had a probalem and they were already sick.?.?¿?¿
 

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