What could have gone wrong?

[krbowen]

Ok here is my issue. I got a ten gallon tank for Christmas. I set it up and cycled it like I should have. Then I started having problems with calcium build up so I emptied it out, cleaned it really well and started the cycling process over again. After it had been cycling for a while, I decided to finally get fish. At this time all of my readings from my test kit were where they should be. To start with I got a betta, two zebra danios and an angelfish. Two days after getting my fish, my angel just up and died. He had done fine without any problems. Took him out and did a partial water charnge. Readings in all areas once again fine after testing. Yesterday I noticed white on my betta. My initial thought was ick, but it wasn't on the other fish. Then I noticed it spreading on him, not my other fish and noticed his fins starting to shred. I came to the conclusion he had fin rot. I started treating for fin rot. I had to use salt because of course when I noticed the stores were closed and wal-mart didn't have what I needed. Today I get up and my betta is dead. I was prepared for this because he looked pretty bad last night. Now one of my danios has died too. He didn't seem affected even though I had been treating them too. Now I am down to one danio. He is currently zipping around the tank, being his happy self. I am still treating my tank for fin rot and doing water changes, but am aware of the possibility that I will wake up to my last danio floating at the top of the tank also. I am really confused now as to what I did wrong. Is there anything I could have done to avoid this? Is there anything I can do once I start this entire process over from the beginning again to prevent this from happening again. I hate to get discouraged since my boyfriend spent a lot of money on my setup, but I don't want to keep killing fish. Oh I also cannot move my danio currently to my other aquarium as my convict will be thanking me for a lovely snack. Thanks in advance for the advice.

kelly

 

[aquanewb]

What did you clean the tank really well with?
What are your readings?
What are you testing for?

When you saw the white spreading, whas it only on the fins or also on the body?
Did it look cottony or like grains of salt?

Its very possible that the Danio was picking on the bettas fins and causing them to shred.

Sorry for all the questions, but the more detail the better in this hobby it seems.

 

[Raskolnikov]

What exactly are the test results on your aquarium water, other than "fine"? What are the results from performing the same tests on your tap water? How exactly did you cycle the tank, and how long did it take?

We'll be in a better position to help after you give us this info.





btw- Angels are too large to keep in a 10g tank.

 

[Harlock]

I am betting you were not cycled. If you got the tank Dec. 25th for Christmas and cycled it once, only to tear it down and cycle again, I don;t think you've had enough time as it is only Feb 21. Not even two months has passed. So first, when you say you cycled it, what exactly do you mean and, how did you cycle it? With fish? Without fish? Using a product? And Yes, what were the numbers you were seeing. Also, what are the numbers of your tap water and do they treat with chloramines and if so, do you use the appropriate water conditioner for that. Sorry for all of the questions, but if everything you say is teue about the tanks being cycled and the numbers being fine, it is hard to imagnie why fish are dropping like flies in your tank.

 

[Kasakato]

What kind of test kit are you using? If you are using a test strip kit go out and get a liquid one. Also why did you tear it down?

 

[krbowen]

Ok here is an update and some answers to the questions that were posed. I do not have all of the reading numbers with me as I am at work, but can post them later. I do know that everything was in the ideal range as stated on my kit before adding fish. One clarification also, I got my tank for my birthday, not Christmas, so it has been set up since the beginning of November. As of this morning, my last danio is doing fine. He is zipping around the tank like nothing is worng, is eating fine and has no signs of any problems. I do not believe that my danios were picking on my betta as everytime that I watched my tank, it was my betta picking on my danios. They finally got to the point that they would just avoid him. The film that I saw on my betta started with what looked like one of the strands of his fin being white. Then a film started forming all over his body. It look like a slimy film not like cotton or anything and it wasn't like grains of salt or ick like, then his fins started shredding, mainly from the middle then just falling off. The buildup on my tank was a calcium buildup as I have hard water. I used nothing but manual labor scrubbing and water. No chemicals of any kind to clean the tank. It had been set up again for about a month and a half with no fish cycling before I added the fish (testing before adding), then my problems ensued. The water that I used also is coming from the water filter that had a good carbon filter on the tap. I treated the water with a declorinator that takes care of the chloramines and everything. I basically set up this tank exactly how my other tank is set up. I have not had a problem with that tank in two years. My testing kit tests for nitrates, nitrites, water hardness, alkalinity, and pH. I think I have answered most of the questions. Thanks again for the help.

 

[Harlock]

Ok here is an update and some answers to the questions that were posed. I do not have all of the reading numbers with me as I am at work, but can post them later. I do know that everything was in the ideal range as stated on my kit before adding fish. One clarification also, I got my tank for my birthday, not Christmas, so it has been set up since the beginning of November. As of this morning, my last danio is doing fine. He is zipping around the tank like nothing is worng, is eating fine and has no signs of any problems. I do not believe that my danios were picking on my betta as everytime that I watched my tank, it was my betta picking on my danios. They finally got to the point that they would just avoid him. The film that I saw on my betta started with what looked like one of the strands of his fin being white. Then a film started forming all over his body. It look like a slimy film not like cotton or anything and it wasn't like grains of salt or ick like, then his fins started shredding, mainly from the middle then just falling off. The buildup on my tank was a calcium buildup as I have hard water. I used nothing but manual labor scrubbing and water. No chemicals of any kind to clean the tank. It had been set up again for about a month and a half with no fish cycling before I added the fish (testing before adding), then my problems ensued. The water that I used also is coming from the water filter that had a good carbon filter on the tap. I treated the water with a declorinator that takes care of the chloramines and everything. I basically set up this tank exactly how my other tank is set up. I have not had a problem with that tank in two years. My testing kit tests for nitrates, nitrites, water hardness, alkalinity, and pH. I think I have answered most of the questions. Thanks again for the help.

If you're not testing for ammonia then you may have found the problem. You said you had the tank up for a month and a half with no fish cycling. Were you doing anything to the tank at that time, ike adding ammonia to feed the bio-filter? If not, your tank wasn't cycled at all and you ended up cycling with fish, which is likely what killed them.