OK. I’m stumped. Set up a new 110 gal. Freshwater tank a week before Christmas. We reside in upstate NY. Tank filled from well water, which has been softened. GH=50ppm. Tap water pH is about 7.8. A couple of days before adding fish I added a1/2 cup of aquarium salt and 4 oz. of proper pH 7.0. I put in 6 giant danios which all died within 2 days. Then a dozen platys, same results. Australian rainbows, all dead. The blue Gouramis on the other hand did much better. The last one died last night after about a week and a half. Have succeeded in getting ammonia up to 1.0. But no nitrites yet. Copper test shows 0-50 ppm. I’m using 2 Aqua Clear 110 filters and maintaining the tank at 76 deg. Any thoughts? Thanks.
New 110gal. Tank
- Thread starter markeast
- Start date
First of all, a pH of 7.8 is fine. Your fish should adapt to that pH without any troubles. There is no need to try to adjust it with Proper pH or anything else. This could have been part of your problem, maybe the pH crashed or fluctuated wildly, or maybe not 
Have you been monitoring your pH levels throughout this whole process?
Also, the use of aquarium salt isn't really necessary in most cases unless you're using it to treat a disease (such as Ich) or you have fish that specifically require salt. That said, the use of salt in the amount you posted certainly wouldn't have caused the fish to die like that.
It's hard to say with any certainty what happened with the info you've given so far. If the ammonia didn't get over 1ppm, it shouldn't have caused that many fish to die that quickly. Did you use any cleaning products during the initial setup? Maybe some chemical residue was left behind somewhere that's contaminated the water? Do you use febreze or air fresheners or anything like that? I know my roommate doesn't think twice about spraying things around the house (well she does now lol).
As a side note, if you do add more fish, be sure to monitor your ammonia and nitrIte levels closely and don't let them get above 1ppm (doing water changes as necessary to bring it down). Actually, .50 ppm is even better
Good luck to ya and welcome to Aquaria Central!
Have you been monitoring your pH levels throughout this whole process?Also, the use of aquarium salt isn't really necessary in most cases unless you're using it to treat a disease (such as Ich) or you have fish that specifically require salt. That said, the use of salt in the amount you posted certainly wouldn't have caused the fish to die like that.
It's hard to say with any certainty what happened with the info you've given so far. If the ammonia didn't get over 1ppm, it shouldn't have caused that many fish to die that quickly. Did you use any cleaning products during the initial setup? Maybe some chemical residue was left behind somewhere that's contaminated the water? Do you use febreze or air fresheners or anything like that? I know my roommate doesn't think twice about spraying things around the house (well she does now lol).
As a side note, if you do add more fish, be sure to monitor your ammonia and nitrIte levels closely and don't let them get above 1ppm (doing water changes as necessary to bring it down). Actually, .50 ppm is even better
Good luck to ya and welcome to Aquaria Central!
What sort of dechlorinator did you use?
And I agree stop usign the perfect pH stuff. Just do a slow acclimation of new fish. A search in the newbie forum should help you find the info.
And I agree stop usign the perfect pH stuff. Just do a slow acclimation of new fish. A search in the newbie forum should help you find the info.
I'd like to thank everybody for the great responses! After 3wks. of killing fish, (Please see original post), and trying to maintain ammonia levels with no sign of nitrites the decision was made to empty the tank and refill on 1/19. 110gal. tank was refilled with well water that has been softend with a sodium based water softener. Here's the stats on the tap water - pH=7.5. Am=0, No2=0, No3=0, Cu=0, Fe=0, Salinity=2ppt(or less), GH=50-100ppm. Sounds good eh! Well, after the water sets for a day or two the pH rises to about 8.8 and stays there! (This is the reason I used the pH down products on the first attempt.) A glass of water set out the same time the tank was filled does exactly the same thing. Even when taking great care to acclamate fish I don't think they can take the differential from the store which is 7.8 pH. As of today the pH is 8.8+ and the Am=.50. All other values remain the same. I put 6 Silver Mollies in on 1/21 and have 1 left. She seems to be doing OK.
Any ideas on what is causing the pH to rise on it's own. The local specialty shop owners I've been dealing with are stumped so far and all of my research so far hasn't given me an answer.
Any ideas on what is causing the pH to rise on it's own. The local specialty shop owners I've been dealing with are stumped so far and all of my research so far hasn't given me an answer.
do you have a way to get to water befor the softener? test that water's parameters after it has set out like the first example.
I'm not all up on how the softeners work but basicly it trades the salt for hardness in your water. the fish may actually be able to deal with the unsoftened water better, or it could be liquid rock and without useing something like a ro system to reduce the total disolved... you will have to look at fish that deal with hard water better.
I'm not all up on how the softeners work but basicly it trades the salt for hardness in your water. the fish may actually be able to deal with the unsoftened water better, or it could be liquid rock and without useing something like a ro system to reduce the total disolved... you will have to look at fish that deal with hard water better.
This might be a stretch but test your phosphate levels (well water) also what kind of substrate are you using.
Try filling a bottle with water directly from tap, do the same as if you were going to put the water into the tank (i.e ad dechlor. etc.) third sample is the water in the existing tank. Test the 3 samples over a course of a week and jot down what the readings are.
One thing that works to soften the water (in Toronto ph is 7.6 - like rock) is to add peat. Put peat in the leg of a panty hose (don't steal wife's $30 pair - go to dollar store) and soak it; you will notice a measureable difference. Peat can be purchase from local garden centre - make sure there are no chemicals that ahve been added
Try filling a bottle with water directly from tap, do the same as if you were going to put the water into the tank (i.e ad dechlor. etc.) third sample is the water in the existing tank. Test the 3 samples over a course of a week and jot down what the readings are.
One thing that works to soften the water (in Toronto ph is 7.6 - like rock) is to add peat. Put peat in the leg of a panty hose (don't steal wife's $30 pair - go to dollar store) and soak it; you will notice a measureable difference. Peat can be purchase from local garden centre - make sure there are no chemicals that ahve been added
tricksterpup
It's SPRING!!! BUNNIE RABBITS
Yeah, I would stay away from any chemicals to help buffer your water. I would use Peat as well. It will give your water a nice brown color which will be very simler to the fish's natural environment.
Am I missing something? It sounds like this is a brand new tank with brand new everything, yes? From what I gather you're trying to get the tank to cycle, yes? Why are you continuing to kill fish? Get a couple frozen shrinp from your local grocery store, fill you tank with water and either gravel/sand whatever you're using as a substrate or leave it bare ... add the shrimp (I'd suggest 3-4), run the heater/filter(s) and an airstone to move the water around better. Leave it that way for a week before you begin testing for the ammonia and nitrate/nitrite spikes. It's gonna take a few weeks to cycle a tank this big and get a good colony of bennificial bacteria to establish. If you're lucky you could probably begin adding fish to the tank in about 3-4 weeks (depending on when the tank finishes it's cycle). It sounds to me like you're rushing into adding the fish and they are suffering when the tank begins to cycle. I know how badly you want to get your new tank set up but I learned the hard way (just as you seem to be) that you can't rush setting up a stable tank.
I don't think it's a matter of your well water, I used well water for years without problem. That's my opinion, take it or leave it, it's up to you. Good luck with the large tank.
I don't think it's a matter of your well water, I used well water for years without problem. That's my opinion, take it or leave it, it's up to you. Good luck with the large tank.
tricksterpup
It's SPRING!!! BUNNIE RABBITS
You know, I also forgot that you are using well water. Have you had your water tested professionally?? there are to many horror stories about contamated water supplies. I lived in a couple of cities that had very bad water and my fish kept on dying. I couldnt keep anything, now I have good water and Fish are breeding non stop!