Chaotic Tank

coolwade

coolwade

Experienced Novice
Sep 24, 2003
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www.users.tpg.com.au
Alright, I am having some trouble.

I am losing fish like you won't believe.

I have a 56 gallon tank. I change the water (25%-50% more 25%) every three or so days.
Ammonia 0.0 ppm
NitrIte 0.0 ppm
NitrAte 0.2 ppm
pH changing was 6.8. Now 7.8. Tap water is 8.4-8.6 I use a buffer but it is not working anymore. Ph is not stable.

I have 4 angels (two medium and two very small)
Two small ones died. They were schooling with the medium angels and all got on well. a big and a little angel following was how they schooled. The two small angels died after a week or so in the tank. The first was not looking very vibrant then found him dead, no damage. Then I found the other small one (a really nice veil tale) dead. I found he smelled really 'fishy' and his gills well really read and damaged.

I have 12 Cochus Blue Tetra, all OK but one or two are losing there colours and separating from the shoal. What should I do?

10 Rummy Nose Tetra. I found 2 dead, 2 are AWOL. No damage to them.

6 Cory Panda. 2 have died. No bodies.

3 Otocinclus 1 left.

The 'Wade's Tanks' link has the full stock list.

Was I too over stocked and Mother Nature has 'culled' the numbers to a reasonable level?

I was going to separate the Angels if they paired up to breed so as soon as they were too big they were going to be moved.

I want to restock the Rummy Nose Tetra, Corys and Otos what sort of numbers should I restock to. I believe the two remaining Angels will be a pair (I have a feeling). I want 2 Otos, 2 or three Corys and 5 Rummy Nose Tetra. Too many?

Help!!
 
A few too many. I'd cut at least one full school. Even without chemical stress (ie, ammonia), crowding can cause serious stress for fish. When were the last additions? How frequently do you test?

I would also be suspicious of the buffer you are using--what is the pH of the water from the tap after it has sat out overnight in a large bowl? If it comes out that high and then drops so low, you may want to check you KH as well--it can help stabilize the pH...But some buffers don't provide a stable change--what are you using?
 
Last additions were a Saturday last week. I test everyday or so.

The buffer I am using is a Seachem one. It is not a pH down.
 
SO I would suspect that the last round of additions may have introduced something, in addition to disturbing the hierarchy of the tank and caused a brief spike. Without knowing your KH, it's tough to determine why you're having pH swings, but I'd suspect that either a) the water source has changed (happens a lot) or b) something is eating through the buffer faster than it's being added.
 
I have just had it confirmed. It was Nean Tetra Disease. On of the shipments from Asia contained it. All the fish from my usual LFS were ok as they Quarantine them for well over the required time. The shops that I brought the two dead Angels from sound ok but the shop I brought the Cardinals from is the culprit. I am not sure if they Quarantine them there. Total Casualties so far:

current stock / what is left
2/4 Angels
1/6 Corydorus (Found one that was stuck next to the heater and saved him! woo hoo)
1/3 Otos
3/10 Rummy Nose Tetra
0/13 Cardinal Tetras
12/12 Cochus Blue Tetra

So losses are:
2 Angels, 1 Corydorus, 2 Otos, 7 Rummy Nos Tetra, and 13 Cardinal Tetra.

Also My Siamese Fighter contracted the disease (I must have cross contaminated the wateer :( )

Now the question is,
HOW THE HELL DO I GET RID OF NEON TETRA DISEASE?

(It is illegal to use the reliable antibiotics here)
 
Sorry to say but those fishes you lost are fairly fragile.
Sorry about your fish. :(
 
coolwade said:
Alright, I am having some trouble.

I am losing fish like you won't believe.

I have a 56 gallon tank. I change the water (25%-50% more 25%) every three or so days.
Ammonia 0.0 ppm
NitrIte 0.0 ppm
NitrAte 0.2 ppm
pH changing was 6.8. Now 7.8. Tap water is 8.4-8.6 I use a buffer but it is not working anymore. Ph is not stable.
Click to expand...

I would suspect that the changes in pH are at least partially to blame. You said the pH changed from 6.8 to 7.8.. that is a fairly big swing.. How long (time) was it between getting these two readings?

Also: you said you use a seachem buffer: They make a bunch of pH chemicals, post the product name and we might be able to help more. Also, I would set a bucket of your tap water out for 24 hours and then test the pH, tap water often has a different pH after it has set for a while. I have no personal experience using chemicals to adjust pH, (Aside from a little bit of crushed seashells for kH in my tank) but I have read many places that a steady pH, whether high or low is *much* better than one that changes rapidly.
 
When I posted it my pH kit was playing up, I have since purchased a pH pen and my pH has stablised at 7.3. Not as bad a swing as I thought. The supplier for my LFS brought the NTD into the area and the owner told me last night that it was definately NTD. pH Swings could be responsible for some of it but NTD is most likely the cause.

I now use peat filteration to lower the pH and I am having fun experimenting with that. Is it possible to wait NTD out? Or am I going to have to dismatle and start again?
 
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