Ok, sad morning so far

F

Felix T Cat

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Nov 28, 2008
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Added my fish last week after a fishless cycle and I had one cardinal that was hanging out towards the top last night. When I got up this morning I had lost 2 cardinals and one Panda ?

The only thing I can figure is that my PH is too High after doing a full range of tests this morning.
PH - 8.0
Am- 0
Ites - 0
Ates - 10
Tap Water PH - 7.4
Water temp 76

I was concerned with the large coral rocks in the tank raising my PH levels, last wc was on saturday (50%) w/ Prime added

Is there anyway to buffer the PH back down ?. Do you think there is something else going on ?. I have well water with a large softner in the basement for tap.

Fish load in 55 Gal
4 Neons (been in since wed)
4 Cardinals (been in since Friday)
5 Pandas (3 since wed, 3 since friday. I don't know if the one this morning was first batch or second)
3 Powder Blue DG's (in since friday)
2 Oto's (In since Friday)

I didn't see anything unusual about the Panda or the Cardinals (one cardinal was missing his tail but he was also back first into the filter intake so I think the filter caused that damage). No other fin damage or marks.

I'm open to any advice !!!!
 
I'd be real worried about the coral.. if it's not fake coral, it shouldn't go into a freshwater tank.

Very sorry about your fishes. That's always so sad.
 
You could add peat to your filter media and that will help bring the PH down, but as was said before - the coral prob needs to go.....
 
A PH of 8 is very high for some of your acidic water loving fish.

Look up the profiles of each of your fish, get the conditions they like, and find the overlap for PH, hardness, and temperature.

Seachem Discus buffer is a good way to lower PH without swings. Add it a bit at a time so as not to shock your fish.

Get the coral out of your tank. It does not belong in a freshwater tank.

You may have issues with hardness. I don't know just what your water softener takes out of the water but I do know that fish need some minerals in the water. Perhaps not as many as in your bore water. Perhaps someone with a better knowledge of water chemistry can answer that one.
 
Kashta said:
I'd be real worried about the coral.. if it's not fake coral, it shouldn't go into a freshwater tank.
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This is my problem, I'm not sure if it is real or fake since it came with the tank and previous owner. I "THINK" it's fake but I'm not sure.

I do know the Panda's love to hide in the nooks and holes in it. Took me forever to find them this morning.
 
Felix T Cat said:
This is my problem, I'm not sure if it is real or fake since it came with the tank and previous owner. I "THINK" it's fake but I'm not sure.
Click to expand...

It must be the real thing. Take it out and let it dry off. Real coral looks great with some pretty seashells sitting on your bookshelf.

That "previous owner" may have given up on keeping fish because they kept dying on him/her -- never knowing there was anything wrong having that coral in there.
 
It's not the pH. Fish, including cardinals, don't give a monkeys about pH, despite all the hysteria you'll hear over it and all the lovely chemicals your LFS will try to scam you out of your money for to "correct" it. It's the fact that the coral is pushing the hardness (and therefore the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) through the roof). Cardinals are also not too keen on Ca++ in and of itself; they're not evolved to cope with it and it can precipitate in their tissues, apparently. Coral doesn't belong in a freshwater tank, and this is one of the reasons why. If you're using a water softener then the TDS is already through the roof. Use the water direct without using a water softener, unless you (a) have plants in the tank and (b) use KCl in the softener instead of NaCl.
 
Ok, so the coral has been pulled from the tank and I did a 30% water change as well. Panda's are pissed I took away their hiding spot but otherwise everybody is doing ok. Thank you for the feedback and now I will have to come up with another scaping idea.
I'm not sure of the details for the softener but given the location of the "pre softener tap" using it instead of the tap is next to impossible.
I see TDS testers online (and can see having one in the future because I want to have a nanotank one day), are there any other "hardness" tests available to check the before and after water at the tap ?.
 
Have you looked at deionizers?
they will help with the softener situation.

personally I doubt the hi PH did in your fish, I have kept Cardinals in Ph of 8-8.4 before...
 
The Zigman said:
Have you looked at deionizers?
they will help with the softener situation.

personally I doubt the hi PH did in your fish, I have kept Cardinals in Ph of 8-8.4 before...
Click to expand...

Not yet but I know I will need one if I turn to the salt side (or RO system). Good to know that the PH may not have been the cause but it definitely sounds like the coral was the wrong idea.
 
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