Do I have to worry?

[junyor]

Hi There:
I have a 36g bow front tank with 2 HOB filters and a chiller (78 degrees F), the chiller also have a pre filter with sponges and ceramic media, I have this tank running for 3 months and a half now, my parameters are .25 ammo ( is always at this # even after WC) 0 nitrite and 20 Nitrate, I use API master kit, I just ordered a KH and GH kit, I have purigen in one of the filters, now, my stock is :

2 Denison Barbs
1 clown Pleco
4 Tiger barbs
1 Blue Ram
1 Electric blue Ram
2 sword Tails
1 Oto
2 Zebra Danios

All of them look fine and eat with no problems, but, suddenly one of the Denison is dead, yesterday it was just fine and swimming without any issues, today looking for both of them to feed them with worms I just found one, the other was dead in back of the tank, I was looking for marks of bites since I already lost 2 fishes because of the tigers ( once we get out of this quarantine I'll remove them), but I didn't find any, I checked the water parameters and are all good, yesterday I did a WC in the tank.

Do I have to Worry?

Thanks

 

[the loach]

Any new additions? Is it a planted tank? The issue is you only have 4 tiger barbs, you need to keep them in a school (meaning 10+) then they are not aggressive. Same with the denisons and danios, they're schooling fish as well.

 

[junyor]

Any new additions? Is it a planted tank? The issue is you only have 4 tiger barbs, you need to keep them in a school (meaning 10+) then they are not aggressive. Same with the denisons and danios, they're schooling fish as well.

Thanks Loach, I added a driftwood a week ago for the pleco, no there's no plants only moss balls, yes I know about the school, I was looking for options before this quarantine, the barbs were a gift from my wife, but I'll get rid of the them eventually.

 

[the loach]

If all the other fish are fine and acting normally there is no reason for concern as of yet

 

[junyor]

If all the other fish are fine and acting normally there is no reason for concern as of yet

All are normal and eating well. Thanks

 

[Sprinkle]

As I understand you have 0.25ppm ammonia? Then you should worry, you tank is not cycled and you will either find more dead fish or find more health issues in your fish. I'd suggest doing more frequent water changes until you tank is fully cycled with no ammonia (NH3) and no nitrites (NO2).
I would say, you're a bit overstocked. Danios need a school of 6 and the rams will get agressive towards each other.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

It doesn't sound like your tank is not cycled to me. I would be more inclined to think that small amount of ammonia was either due to the dead fish or else it is a false reading which is not uncommon with the API test kit. I would say this is most likely if you are saying that no matter when you test you always see a reading of .25 ppm. To determine why you are seeing .25 always I would need a bit more info.

1. What does always mean? Give examples of when your are testing. After a WC, before a WC, at random times?
2. What dechlor do you use?

I am not a fan of purigen and generally do not run carbon either excet for cause such as pulling meds etc.. Why are you using it?

As long as your pH is under 8.5, ammonia on an API kit at .25 will not harm you fish over the short term. If your pH is 8.0 or lower, you can ignore the .25 reading even if it is real. It will not contain enough of the toxic form of ammonia to matter.

There could be any number of reasons the barb died. Fish can have things like heart attacks or strokes. Fish can have genetic issues which are internal and which can kill prematurely. Some diseases are pretty virulent and can kill fast. However, you should see more fish dying without any obvious symptoms if that were the case. It is also possible that something spooked the fish and it bolted into the glass. Your tank is really too small for redline barbs.

I have had redlines since I saw my first ones on Aquabid about 14 or 15 years ago. I currently have about 15 full size adults in my 150 gal. I used to buy them as imports to sell when I did fish events. Here is a batch doing a several month Q in my inwall 75 gal.

 

[loganriley]

Hello, I would recommend you to address the professional cleaning company.