Fish are dying, no real symptoms that I can see.

[Nuro]

I started with 6 swordtails, 3 dwarf gourami, 3 angels, 2 pictus catfish, 2 bristlenose plecos and 3 silver dollars. In the last two weeks I have lost 3 swordtails and 2 dwarf gourami.

The first swordtail had been acting erratically for a couple day prior to death, I assumed it was just a weak fish. A week later I found one of my gourami dead, with no symptoms. Two days later 2 more swordtails died without any symptoms. Today another gourami was found dead, but this one had visible swelling near one pectoral fin and was slightly bloated.

I have moved my last gourami to another tank, he was getting nipped to death by the angels who are half his size.

This is a 75g tank with gravel substrate. Water params are 78-80F, 7.8 pH, .25 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 20 nitrate. Nothing I do seems to get the ammonia below .25, I suspect its simply the tap water but I have not tested this.

 

[OrionGirl]

If it's the tap water, it should go away after a while in the tank, since the bacteria will break it down just as readily as the ammonia from fish waste, unless you're constantly doing water changes before testing. You mention another tank--does it also test at .25? You might want to consider taking in a sample to have tested by your LFS and test the tap water.

This is the new setup, right? Where did you get the fish from? All one source? Do they quarantine?

 

[Nuro]

The other tank tests the same. I got the fish from a few different places, but they all quarantine. 2 big als and a mom & pop shop.

 

[OrionGirl]

Is everyone eating? No other signs of aggression?

This is just a guess, but it could be stress. There's a lot of research into the hormones fish release in the water when they're stressed, and while it won't impact water quality, one stressed or injured fish releases hormones that can stress the other occupants. In the wild, water volumes are large enough that healthy fish can get away, but not so in tanks. Do you run carbon?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Nuro, do you use Prime as your dechlorinator and an API Master Test Kit by chance? Some folks in the hobby have read false positives on ammonia using this combination. What is your water change schedule? How much water? On a side note, why so high on the water temp?

 

[Nuro]

My dechlorinter is API as is my test kit. As for the water temp, my heater is set to 72, but I have 3 thermos in the tank and they all read 78-80. I'm thinking of taking it back and getting a replacement.

Yesterday I did a 50% change to try and knock down the ammonia, normally it is 25% on Thursdays.

I think the fish are eating everything, but I'm not sure. I just assumed the pictus were getting any extra as they roam around for about an hour feeding off the bottom before hiding again.

I took a water sample to a new LFS today and they told me that it still wasn't finished cycling. They suggested that I cut feeding down to once every other day and if I'm really worried I can get some ammonia lock.

I got the ammonia lock and I'm going to use the schedule that they suggested. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ktrom13]

False negative ammonia reading could be at fault as Freshy said or stress as Orion said. You could also be feeding to much or too often. How much do you feed and how often? Also test the tap water just to see how the params compare to that of the tank's.

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[ktrom13]

Oh and i forgot to ask, do you vaccuum your gravel by any chance? Alot of nasty stuff can build up and because dangerous to your fish such as excess foods and fish waste.

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[Nuro]

I feed them a pinch of flake twice a day and 2 algae tabs for the plecos. But that is getting knocked down to every other day until the water params stabilize.

The tap water tested to 0 ammonia, that was after a day sitting to gas off.

I do vacuum the gravel, but it seems to have a hard time picking up solid waste. I've been considering changing to sand for this reason, but I don't know if I can do that with fish in the tank.

 

[Rbishop]

If your tap water is treated with chloramine, it won't gas off......