Cursed Tank? But seriously, HELP.

[metaluna7]

So here's an update. Earlier today, I tested for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates again using my liquid API test kit. Again, no traces of anything showed up.

In light of the conversation here, I decided to take a water sample in to the fish store for testing. He tested the sample twice and his test strip showed nitrate levels that were pretty much off the chart.

So I'm freaked out at that point. I buy a set of strips similar to what he used and rush home. I test the tank with the new strips. In fact I test several times just to be sure the results are consistent. They show a nitrate level somewhere between 40-80ppm. High but nothing CLOSE to what his two tests showed.

I did a 25% water change. Re-tested. Just trace levels of nitrates after the change according to the new strips.

I really have no idea what could cause such a huge discrepancy between tests. On another note, my water tested as being extremely hard (GH 180+), which isn't something I've ever tested for before. Supposedly guppies are pretty tolerant of hard water. I'm reading conflicting information as to how serious that issue is.

 

[fishorama]

Yes, guppies are pretty hard water tolerant...but no fish is ammonia or, worse nitrite, tolerant. High nitrate is usually a very slow killer, if it outright kills at all. It sure doesn't help.

Is this LFS that tested your water the same place you got the guppies? I see a conflict there...

 

[metaluna7]

Yes, guppies are pretty hard water tolerant...but no fish is ammonia or, worse nitrite, tolerant. High nitrate is usually a very slow killer, if it outright kills at all. It sure doesn't help.

Is this LFS that tested your water the same place you got the guppies? I see a conflict there...

So nitrate wouldn't explain why the guppies started dying off so quickly then. They were purchased less than a week ago. First one died within a few days.

The test was performed at the store I bought them from, but I stood there and watched him do the test from start to finish. The store has a 14 day no-fault refund policy on fish so there wouldn't really be any reason to skew the results.

 

[Award Aquarium]

Those are high nitrates, and the fish could be shocked if they go from a low nitrate tank at the shop to high levels at home. Dramatic swing in water chemistry can be hard on fish. It is called old tank syndrome, which is kind of ironic to have this on a new tank.

How much and how often are you feeding? What is your water change schedule? Have you been shaking the bottles of you liquid tester? I know that the Api nitrate test bottles need to be well shaking to work, there are solids in the solution that settle.

Guppies love hard water, so once you get this settled they will be perfect for you.

 

[metaluna7]

Those are high nitrates, and the fish could be shocked if they go from a low nitrate tank at the shop to high levels at home. Dramatic swing in water chemistry can be hard on fish. It is called old tank syndrome, which is kind of ironic to have this on a new tank.

How much and how often are you feeding? What is your water change schedule? Have you been shaking the bottles of you liquid tester? I know that the Api nitrate test bottles need to be well shaking to work, there are solids in the solution that settle.

Guppies love hard water, so once you get this settled they will be perfect for you.

Yes, I do shake the bottles. The tests seemed to work fine when I had the catfish in the old tank because there were definitely times the tests picked up issues and I'd have to do some extra water changes. We did move over the summer though and I'm wondering if they got exposed to heat somehow. I don't remember exactly how we moved them to the new house. They might have sat in the garage for a while. Maybe heat exposure doesn't matter but that's the only thing I can think of.

I had been following the instructions on the food bottle. It suggests feeding them what they will eat within 2 minutes, 2-3 times a day. I was going with 2 times a day. Yesterday I just fed once in the morning and I'm thinking maybe I should feed every other day while things get under control.

With the catfish I did frequent water changes in the beginning based off the API test, at times, several times a week. Then after a while it was pretty much just as-needed. I only had two corys in the tank.

With the guppies I did the 25% change yesterday. I was planning on testing again today and tomorrow and doing another 25% change based on those results. Should I start doing a larger % for the change, shoot for a nitrate reading of 0, or just keep up with doing the 25% every other day or so depending on the test results?

 

[Award Aquarium]

Yeah something is weird with your testing. You are feed to much, cut back to every other day for now, and feed just a little, just enough so that they will consume it in 1 minute. If there is still food scoop it out and give less next time. I recommend pre soaking the flake food in tank water.

25% is good, just do it daily until you get this tank settled. I like to keep my nitrates between 10 and 20, but definitely under 40. Higher nitrates are not a huge issue, but sudden changes can be.

I think you are on the right path. I recommend you watch some videos on YouTube about the nitrogen cycle, it is the most critical thing to learn.

Do you have 1 male and 1 female guppy? Is their poo stringy?

I hope a am being helpful, this has been a little chaotic.

 

[metaluna7]

Yeah something is weird with your testing. You are feed to much, cut back to every other day for now, and feed just a little, just enough so that they will consume it in 1 minute. If there is still food scoop it out and give less next time. I recommend pre soaking the flake food in tank water.

25% is good, just do it daily until you get this tank settled. I like to keep my nitrates between 10 and 20, but definitely under 40. Higher nitrates are not a huge issue, but sudden changes can be.

I think you are on the right path. I recommend you watch some videos on YouTube about the nitrogen cycle, it is the most critical thing to learn.

Do you have 1 male and 1 female guppy? Is their poo stringy?

I hope a am being helpful, this has been a little chaotic.

The guppy that was starting to act sick is now DEFINITELY bloated and having trouble swimming. Keeps trying to point head down. I separated him from the remaining guppy, who is still acting perfectly healthy. Any chance of me saving the sick one?

What poo I have seen was very fine and stringy, almost transparent. I think all the guppies were male but I'm not 100% sure how to sex them.

This is helpful. I'm just kind of embarrassed it took me so long to realize the test I had at home was faulty. Especially since I test water for a living as part of my job.

 

[Award Aquarium]

Transparent stringy poo is most likely one of 2 things. Internal parasites, or constipation.

Sounds like constipation to me. You can try Epsom salt baths. 1 TBS per gallon, in a separate bucket and let him bath for about 30 minutes. Epsom salt is a laxative. Also skip the flake food feeding and try the frozen peas. I take one pea and warm it at the tap to remove the shell, cover in water and heat it in the microwave until it boils. Drain the water, mash the pea, then feed it to your fish. They will tear it up, and it will help them poo. Some garlic can be added to the mashed pea, it will attract the fish and boost their immune system. I use garlic powder, just make sure it is just garlic no other ingredients. If the sick fish is still eating you have a chance to save him.

Internal parasites can be cured with general cure, every fish I bring home is treated with general cure. I follow the aquarium coops quarantine process.

Guppies are easy to sex, just do a Google image search.

 

[OrionGirl]

Old Tank syndrome is when the buffers of a tank have been depleted so the pH drops, and a water change results in massive swings because the tank water is vastly different than the source water. Not really the issue here.

Heat will kill animals quickly, it's not something that will harm them and cause them to die weeks later.

If the fish is constipated, look at why--feeding the wrong diet, overfeeding. But again, these aren't things that will kill an animal quickly.

In terms of the differences in test results--what did you take the water sample in to the store? how long did it sit between being removed from the tank and the testing? Test strips are not as accurate, and based on hobbyist comparisons, are particularly inaccurate for nitrates.

 

[metaluna7]

Old Tank syndrome is when the buffers of a tank have been depleted so the pH drops, and a water change results in massive swings because the tank water is vastly different than the source water. Not really the issue here.

Heat will kill animals quickly, it's not something that will harm them and cause them to die weeks later.

If the fish is constipated, look at why--feeding the wrong diet, overfeeding. But again, these aren't things that will kill an animal quickly.

In terms of the differences in test results--what did you take the water sample in to the store? how long did it sit between being removed from the tank and the testing? Test strips are not as accurate, and based on hobbyist comparisons, are particularly inaccurate for nitrates.

I mentioned heat as something that might have made my API test kit go bad. The tank temp has been steady at 76F for weeks, so I know that's not what is killing the fish.

I took the water sample in a glass jar. It sat in the jar maybe 10 minutes before being tested (the store is about a mile from my house.)

So my liquid API test showed 0 nitrates, the store showed "off the chart" nitrates and my new test strips showed between 40-80ppm before I did the first 25% water change.

The last guppy (that ended up dying) definitely was bloated but the two before that were not. They just up and died. The last remaining guppy still seems healthy as of this morning although I get super paranoid whenever I see it hanging out up at the top of the tank.

I'm starting to feel like the tank really IS cursed.