any ammonia or nitrites coming from the tap? have you noticed an increase in chlorine in your tap water (like maybe it smells or tastes a little stronger)?
Guess what I got for Christmas? (not good)
- Thread starter GuppyGirl1230
- Start date
Hello all!
Thanks for your insights and questions, I'm sorry I have not responded any sooner, this time of year is pretty busy. Thanks for the sympathy, I really appreciate it. To answer all the questions:
Chlorine in the water: I have noticed that it smells a bit more like chlorine lately. I don't taste it because we drink filtered water from the fridge, but I imagine that if I can smell it, its there.
Old Prime: Nope, smelled just like prime when I used it (ew) lol, but I did slightly overdose in my 100, on accident, I poured too fast.
Nitrates/Ammonia from tap: No, not that I found
Dirty equipment: Extremely possible. We had people over nearly every day, and I remember some of them going through my fish stuff asking questions about everything. No kids tho, we are not a kid-friendly house. By that I mean we swear a lot, drink and smoke plus my smallest dog is a biter, so kids don't come over. However, I ordered the python for christmas, it didn't get here until yesterday. We were using a syphon and buckets. It's also very possible that my buckets got contaminated somehow.
Basically, I know that somehow this is my fault, either dirty equipment or water quality, which I know isn't directly my fault, but as a fishkeeper, I should have prevented this a long time ago. SO, this is what I have done. I have ordered a rather expensive water filter for the house, it hooks into the water line under the sink and filters out all the impurities before they come out of the tap so the water will be super safe. I also cleaned every piece of equipment I own in a 1 to 100 bleach solution and then rinsed with prime at 1 to 10. I know bleach is drastic but I had to. It was either that, or throw everything away and start over. Everything is clean, safe and put away in rubbermaid containers that have tight fitting lids and sit under my tanks. So far I have done daily 75% wc on both the 100 and the 55 for the last 3 days, I tested the water and I am running no amo, no nitra, no nitri, but I have no fish in the tanks so basically I am going to do a couple more 50% wcs today and start adding the fish back into the 55. I have 20 guppies left, out of about 25, so they did well. I also just got a shipment of blue and ivory briggs, so I am going to add them into the 55. And my otos survived so they are going back in. After 24 hours, I will be doing a 50% wc, and then 24 hours after that, another. I will let you know what happens. The 3 cichlids that are left and the tinfoil barbs are going back into the 100, with the same wc schedule.
Let me know if there is anything else you think I should do. I appreciate all the feedback.
Maribeth
Thanks for your insights and questions, I'm sorry I have not responded any sooner, this time of year is pretty busy. Thanks for the sympathy, I really appreciate it. To answer all the questions:
Chlorine in the water: I have noticed that it smells a bit more like chlorine lately. I don't taste it because we drink filtered water from the fridge, but I imagine that if I can smell it, its there.
Old Prime: Nope, smelled just like prime when I used it (ew) lol, but I did slightly overdose in my 100, on accident, I poured too fast.
Nitrates/Ammonia from tap: No, not that I found
Dirty equipment: Extremely possible. We had people over nearly every day, and I remember some of them going through my fish stuff asking questions about everything. No kids tho, we are not a kid-friendly house. By that I mean we swear a lot, drink and smoke plus my smallest dog is a biter, so kids don't come over. However, I ordered the python for christmas, it didn't get here until yesterday. We were using a syphon and buckets. It's also very possible that my buckets got contaminated somehow.
Basically, I know that somehow this is my fault, either dirty equipment or water quality, which I know isn't directly my fault, but as a fishkeeper, I should have prevented this a long time ago. SO, this is what I have done. I have ordered a rather expensive water filter for the house, it hooks into the water line under the sink and filters out all the impurities before they come out of the tap so the water will be super safe. I also cleaned every piece of equipment I own in a 1 to 100 bleach solution and then rinsed with prime at 1 to 10. I know bleach is drastic but I had to. It was either that, or throw everything away and start over. Everything is clean, safe and put away in rubbermaid containers that have tight fitting lids and sit under my tanks. So far I have done daily 75% wc on both the 100 and the 55 for the last 3 days, I tested the water and I am running no amo, no nitra, no nitri, but I have no fish in the tanks so basically I am going to do a couple more 50% wcs today and start adding the fish back into the 55. I have 20 guppies left, out of about 25, so they did well. I also just got a shipment of blue and ivory briggs, so I am going to add them into the 55. And my otos survived so they are going back in. After 24 hours, I will be doing a 50% wc, and then 24 hours after that, another. I will let you know what happens. The 3 cichlids that are left and the tinfoil barbs are going back into the 100, with the same wc schedule.
Let me know if there is anything else you think I should do. I appreciate all the feedback.
Maribeth
The heaters are fine, no excessive temps and they are working properly, thanks for your help
Does your city add chloramines to the water/ does your primer remove them? here in Tulsa, They recently started adding chloramines, which is basically as deadly to fish, and the prime from before wouldn't remove it. I'm sorry to hear about your losses. Im sure it's vry hard 
Does your city add chloramines to the water/ does your primer remove them? here in Tulsa, They recently started adding chloramines, which is basically as deadly to fish, and the prime from before wouldn't remove it. I'm sorry to hear about your losses. Im sure it's vry hard
I don't know but I had no clue that prime wouldn't remove it! I am going to look into that, thank you!
That's such a shame, I hope it never happens to you again. I know with my water sometimes it smells more strongly of chlorine than others. Sometimes with water changes my fish will act off, but they have never died. It does sound like something in your water.
RIGHT?! Thats what I truly believe. I really think I should have installed a filter long ago, but I never had problems. Then BAM, this happens. I won't let it happen again. I hate losing fish. Thanks!
Oh ok, Phew!! I was freaking out a bit there lol, I kept re-reading the website and the bottle lol
