erichegloff
10-23-2006, 10:32 PM
Hi all,
I'm fairly new to the aquarium hobby. I have a question about fish loss that I'm hoping that someone can help me with, because I'm at a loss for reasons as to why they died.
Background: I have a 20 gal "Aqua" brand glass tank that I bought about 5 weeks ago from a newly open LFS that I am trying to get fish into. I purchased the tank and filled it with a natural pebble type gravel (bought at a gardening store, but rated for aquarium use) and some bigger rocks (from the same store) to start. It has a new Emperor 280 filter and a Whisper 20 air pump with fine bubbles for aeration. The pebbles and rocks were rinsed thoroughly and once the filter was set up, I began to condition the water. I put in Tetra AquaSafe (which I use to dechlorinate for my 6 gal) and dosages of Cycle per the label to initialize the biology in the tank. I used a small amount of goldfish food (which proved very potent) to start up the ammonia. After about 2 weeks of cycling at 79 degrees initially down to 77, I decided it was time to add a fish. I had seen ammonia up, then nitrate and then adjusted them down to 0 or close with a decent (30-40%) water change and AmQuel+. I thought I had lucked out and gotten a really quick cycle.
All readings were reasonable. pH 7.5, Am: >.25, nitrate 0, GH 7.5, KH 9. I added my "prize" (not literally) goldfish that I had very successfully used to help cycle my 6 gallon. It was a common goldfish won at a fair that had thrived in my 6 gallon. The fish was dead in a matter of 2-3 hours. Symptoms will follow at bottom.
After the goldfish died, I changed all the water, replaced it with fresh conditioned water (Tetra AquaSafe), and I took out the bigger rocks. I changed 1 of the 2 disposable filters as I wanted to keep some bacteria; I rinsed the remaining filter well in healthy used aquarium water from 6 gal tank. I took my gravel level down from about 2" to 3/4' to 1", rinsed the remaining gravel well in healthy used aquarium water and added some silk plants and a sandstone and some maylasian driftwood. I added a bacteria sample from my LFS and used Biozyme to supplement this time. After about 2-3 weeks, my test kit showed ammonia up then down then nitrate with 7.4ish pH, Am: >.25, NO2 0, KH 6 and GH 7.5.
I want a tetra and rasbora tank, so I introduced one X Ray Tetra from LFS. The pH there is 7.4 and I got a bacterial sample from him to start, so I figured stress would be at a minimum. The fish was dead in about 4 hours.
Both fish died the same exact way. Once introduced, the fish looked healthy and happy to have the space, swimming and zipping. Then the fish got a little sluggish. Both fish congregated near the tank intake/output (hard to say which since it's the same area). The sluggishness progressed. Then the fish moved back out into the open. It would zip to the top, grab some air, then go back down. At this time, there was visible gill swelling with a consistant purple/red gill color. After a while, the fish keeps to the top for air. Eventually the fish will be nearly vertical to try to get to the top, but to no avail, and then eventually sinks to the bottom to meet it's end. To put it bluntly, it looks like the fish has sudden overwhelming gill damage and loses motor control eventually until death.
I don't want to lose any more fish. I tansferred the fish back to my regular tank, but the symptoms are so sudden that it was too late for both.
I have a TetraTest liquid test kit that I think is very reliable based on use in my 6 gal. Neither times of introduction showed levels to be alarmed about using the tests in this kits.
Any ideas as to why this is happening would be much appreciated. I am suspect of some sort of chemical toxicity since the death is so fast, but I cannot be sure since all my tests come up negative. My last few suspects are:
-The gravel. Perhaps it leaches an undetectable (with my kit) toxin.
-The filter. Too much flow? It certainly does not underperform.
- The aquarium. I rinsed it well twice and never used soap, but perhaps the glass had a toxin on it or the silicone seal is somehow toxic?
I don't intend on any new fish until I can verify what killed these two. Thanks for your help.
I'm fairly new to the aquarium hobby. I have a question about fish loss that I'm hoping that someone can help me with, because I'm at a loss for reasons as to why they died.
Background: I have a 20 gal "Aqua" brand glass tank that I bought about 5 weeks ago from a newly open LFS that I am trying to get fish into. I purchased the tank and filled it with a natural pebble type gravel (bought at a gardening store, but rated for aquarium use) and some bigger rocks (from the same store) to start. It has a new Emperor 280 filter and a Whisper 20 air pump with fine bubbles for aeration. The pebbles and rocks were rinsed thoroughly and once the filter was set up, I began to condition the water. I put in Tetra AquaSafe (which I use to dechlorinate for my 6 gal) and dosages of Cycle per the label to initialize the biology in the tank. I used a small amount of goldfish food (which proved very potent) to start up the ammonia. After about 2 weeks of cycling at 79 degrees initially down to 77, I decided it was time to add a fish. I had seen ammonia up, then nitrate and then adjusted them down to 0 or close with a decent (30-40%) water change and AmQuel+. I thought I had lucked out and gotten a really quick cycle.
All readings were reasonable. pH 7.5, Am: >.25, nitrate 0, GH 7.5, KH 9. I added my "prize" (not literally) goldfish that I had very successfully used to help cycle my 6 gallon. It was a common goldfish won at a fair that had thrived in my 6 gallon. The fish was dead in a matter of 2-3 hours. Symptoms will follow at bottom.
After the goldfish died, I changed all the water, replaced it with fresh conditioned water (Tetra AquaSafe), and I took out the bigger rocks. I changed 1 of the 2 disposable filters as I wanted to keep some bacteria; I rinsed the remaining filter well in healthy used aquarium water from 6 gal tank. I took my gravel level down from about 2" to 3/4' to 1", rinsed the remaining gravel well in healthy used aquarium water and added some silk plants and a sandstone and some maylasian driftwood. I added a bacteria sample from my LFS and used Biozyme to supplement this time. After about 2-3 weeks, my test kit showed ammonia up then down then nitrate with 7.4ish pH, Am: >.25, NO2 0, KH 6 and GH 7.5.
I want a tetra and rasbora tank, so I introduced one X Ray Tetra from LFS. The pH there is 7.4 and I got a bacterial sample from him to start, so I figured stress would be at a minimum. The fish was dead in about 4 hours.
Both fish died the same exact way. Once introduced, the fish looked healthy and happy to have the space, swimming and zipping. Then the fish got a little sluggish. Both fish congregated near the tank intake/output (hard to say which since it's the same area). The sluggishness progressed. Then the fish moved back out into the open. It would zip to the top, grab some air, then go back down. At this time, there was visible gill swelling with a consistant purple/red gill color. After a while, the fish keeps to the top for air. Eventually the fish will be nearly vertical to try to get to the top, but to no avail, and then eventually sinks to the bottom to meet it's end. To put it bluntly, it looks like the fish has sudden overwhelming gill damage and loses motor control eventually until death.
I don't want to lose any more fish. I tansferred the fish back to my regular tank, but the symptoms are so sudden that it was too late for both.
I have a TetraTest liquid test kit that I think is very reliable based on use in my 6 gal. Neither times of introduction showed levels to be alarmed about using the tests in this kits.
Any ideas as to why this is happening would be much appreciated. I am suspect of some sort of chemical toxicity since the death is so fast, but I cannot be sure since all my tests come up negative. My last few suspects are:
-The gravel. Perhaps it leaches an undetectable (with my kit) toxin.
-The filter. Too much flow? It certainly does not underperform.
- The aquarium. I rinsed it well twice and never used soap, but perhaps the glass had a toxin on it or the silicone seal is somehow toxic?
I don't intend on any new fish until I can verify what killed these two. Thanks for your help.