Help!! My fishes are all dieing

[OrchidNow]

The PH was at 9 and I didn't get the water checked again after I put in the PH decreaser.
And jeffrey, I never spend so much on non-fish stuff neither. I had goldfish for years till my son helped me clean out the tank. So I'm not sure what have changed that all my fish are now dieing. I mean my goldfish were hardy. Of course, what was new was all these worry about it. And setting up the tank, etc.

I used to just clean out the whole tank once or twice a year and put in new filter, etc. Didn't know about bacteria, etc. And it was fine. Never even cycle my tank. I didn't know about anything. I just dump the fish back. Sigh.... All these attention are killing them.

[KLKelly]

Correct me if I'm wrong - depending on the fish I think a stable ph is better than a constantly fluctuating ph.  I think it makes it hard to do water changes because you will have to match the ph of the water you are putting into the tank to prevent shock (if you are doing a large water change).

I wonder why your ph is that high?  If you are on well water - what is it after 24 hours.  If you are on city water - what is it out of the tap?

[OrchidNow]

So why is the PH changing then? I'm on city water. And the tank water was not changed for the last 3 weeks. I was worrying about the other tank of plantys. I did add about 5% more water into it - water that was in a bucket dechlorinated as some water evaporated.

I'm so confused. I keep thinking that my original water change kill them somehow. Sore people keep trying to reassure me that it was just bad luck. But they jus died like without any notice....excpet for the sitting at the bottom of the tank the day before they die.

[KLKelly]

I still think it has something to do with your water (ammonia and nitrite can kill) - or a disease.  If you use the same gravel vac for example you could be spreading a disease across tanks.  Bottom sitting is a sign that the fish are feeling unwell - especially if their fins are stuck right upside their body - clamped up.  Or it could be stress from the ph adjustment.

I have no idea why your ph would be registering this high. I don't think its possible.  I once had a crazy test result with ph and found that the bowl I used to collect the water was the same bowl I used to mix baking soda in to bring the ph up in the tank.  I think you should stop using ph products and keep up with water changes.  This will keep your ph stable.  If you find its dropping too much you could add crushed coral to the back of your filter.  I have a ton of it and can give you some.



Is there any other symptoms other than bottom sitting?  White stringy poop, not eating, redness, flashing (rubbing quickly against ornaments/gravel/walls of the tank)?

If you get your water tested again - ask them to give you the exact numbers - not its fine or a little high. We can help you with a water plan at that poing.  Remember it takes five minutes for the test results - unless they use the strips which can be inaccurate.

[OrchidNow]

They used strips. And I did ask for numbers but I never got them. And nope, no other symptoms. They are all new fishes too so I thought it was the stress. The danios did ok still (keeping fingers crossed). And the 2 replacement platys seem to be doing ok too (keeping more fingers crossed) since I did not dump them into the tank straightaway. And not put in "dirty" water from the store.

The goldfish was dumped in with store water straightaway before I saw the post for NOT to do that. And I've changed 10 % water since yesterday....after it was sitting at the bottom. I was worried it was me, so dare not change more. And I took out all the plants. I never had live plants before so I was wondering if that was killing them somehow too.

What are crushed coral?

[KLKelly]

I'd be happy to bring my test kits over to run tests on your tanks and tap water this weekend.  I am in the east end and don't think I would be up to driving to Kanata.  Send me a PM if I can help.


Goldfish are big ammonia producers.  What size of tank do you have him in.  You most likely will have to do 50% water changes at least once a week during cycling.  Here is a goldfish care sheet: http://thegab.org/forum/search.php?search_id=newposts&sid=a55867a03615422433c9441181a2eaf7  Goldfish are my favourite fish and I have three tanks of them (90g, 33g and 2 fry in a ten gallon).  They are a lot more delicate than they used to be.  I got into this hobby because of a rescued goldfish I plopped in a tank. It was a nightmare - I am surprised he made it through.  PH of 8.4 and ammonia of 4.0+ before I clued in about the cycle - and ammonia burn all over his fins.

[squeeker]

Hope this helps...

Don't know about anyone else, but water changes have been killing my fish lately.  I've been using dechlor and testing levels, temps, etc. and I've lost a betta and all my goldies from my pont (within 2 hours of a water change).  Maybe something is up?

[washefuzzy]

Hope this helps...

Don't know about anyone else, but water changes have been killing my fish lately.  I've been using dechlor and testing levels, temps, etc. and I've lost a betta and all my goldies from my pont (within 2 hours of a water change).  Maybe something is up?

I was having trouble with my more delicate fish dieing after water change. My hillstream loach, cories and a bristle nose pleco. I went and bought some Prime hoping this will help because some where it people where taking about if you just use aqua clear it deals with the chlorine and chloramine but not the ammoina that the chloramine turns into. Or something like that. While Prime will deal with all three. 

[KLKelly]

I'm sorry about your pond fish - what a bummer

Maybe it is the tap water??? Wow.

[Dr. Ashtray]

I use softened well water for my tanks and have noticed a difference between using it and using the water in Ottawa.  I lived in Sandy Hill and the water definitely took up to two weeks to cycle.  Well water works much better from what I have seen anyway.  Maybe something is awry with the Ottawa water supply.  If you have any friends close on well water, grab some from them.  I have never had any problem at all with regular water changes.  I use the AP 1 drop/gallon dechlorinator(not a real word but might as well be).  I have been using that for years with no problems at all.  I find the more water changes the better, quite honestly.  I never do more than 50% one time weekly.  Because I have soft water I also add a mineral concoction I purchased from California that works great for snail shell health and brings out reds, blues and greens(spectrum) in the fish.  Makes for a great shell hardener for shrimp and crayfish as well.  I have never heard of a reading of nine in the PH world, that is definitely a spike caused by something.  Who knows.  I would definitely invest in some Malaysian driftwood, it helps with such problems.  Maybe I have had good luck...I really doubt it though..I have been very religious about water changes and not letting garbage build up in the aquariums.  I don't know about you, but if I were a fish, I certainly would not want to be swimming around in an increasingly murky concoction of my and my co-inhabitants' waste products.  Go the the neighbour with the well with some 5 gallon camping bags from CDN tire and fill 'er up!

Jeffrey...

[KLKelly]

My well water is evil - I still envy you guys in the city    (And I've given up a second time in buying an RO unit - too much info is a bad thing.)

[succinctfish]

I've read through this thread and I'm still a little unclear about one thing OrchidNow. You say you dechlorinate your water before you put it in the tank, you are using a product to do this right, something like Prime or one of it's counterparts, as opposed to simply leaving the water out? Aging water by leaving it out will eliminate the chlorine, but not the chloramine every one has been mentioning here.  Chloramine will kill your fish, and it won't disappear from the water without treatment.

[fischkopp]

... I never do more than 50% one time weekly....I have never heard of a reading of nine in the PH world, that is definitely a spike caused by something...

Unfortunately a pH around 9 is not uncommon here in Ottawa. I wouldnt have measured it I wouldnt belive it too. I live near moodies bay.

I had a cory die off in the beginning of the year, and use tripple dose Prime since without any issues. I also limit my waterchanges to 20% max because you never know what else is in the water. When you are on well water you dont want to risk o change more ...

[OrchidNow]

Ok. This is what I have been doing. I put clean water in a brand new bucket (fish water changes only). Add dechlorinator and wait a couple of days. Then I take some water out of the tank and put the water from the bucket in.

My poor goldfish is not dead but still kinda not moving at all. And not eating. I would have to change some more water today. The food is not been eaten and probably making the water worse. He is in a 10g. And he's the only one there now. He is about 1.5 inch long.

On the bright side, the platys and danios are swimming around and seem to be ok. But the original ones were ok too (for 3 weeks) b4 my water change. So scary. Should I or not? And I know, Jeffrey. It would make sense to change the water. If I was a fish, I would want clean water too. I have a friend in Hallville (near Kemptville) that have well water. Maybe I should go get some. LOL she will think I'm crazy! And I have no idea if her water is any good. Someone else in this post have evil well water.

And I can imagine my dad's amazement if I ask him to send me some Malaysian driftwood. He'll think I'm crazy too!

I did not think this hobby is that addictive but it is. So Joyce, I get you now!

[washefuzzy]

 

[Dr. Ashtray]

Haha!!  Your dad might think you are crazy, but you know best!  Malaysian driftwood is the way to go.  All you have to do to explain away to crazy is to mention the fact that you are trying to create a healthy ecosystem and that you need those particular items to achieve such a feat.  Drink some of that well water while you are at it.  Mmmm Mmmmm Good!  The well-water out here in Wakefield is suspect if you don't treat it.  The smell of sulfur is everywhere around here.  Lots of iron in the water.  I still treat well-water with the dechlorinator which also removes any heavy metals that might not be desirable for the fish/vertebrates/invertebrates or plants for that matter.  One thing I do know is that the bigger the filter you use, the more careful you have to be about disturbing the biological activity within.  Smaller tanks usually recover quicker than their larger cousins and if you add a bio-wheel or sponge filter to the mix you can't go wrong.  I swear by Marineland eclipse systems.  I have had Zero difficulties with those systems. 

Jeffrey...

[Soft1]

The well-water out here in Wakefield is suspect if you don't treat it.  The smell of sulfur is everywhere around here.  Lots of iron in the water. 

Wow!  I didn't realize that!  We're in Alcove, not far from Wakefield and also on a well.  Our's is higher in amonia than we'd like (around .5) but we figured it was due to the cattle farm across the road from us.  We also noted that the KH is around 8 and GH around 15 (out of the tap) - so we're treating for that.

We'd been told that there is no chlorine in the water out here - and indeed our test kits show very very low chlorine.  We were thinking of getting our tank water from the well in Wakefield...guess it's not gonna be all that different from our own huh?

[Dr. Ashtray]

Hey there Neighbour.  Your are just up and across the river from me.  I believe the tap water there is similar to the Wakefield water.  The water is pretty suspect and has lots of minerals that might be harmful to the fish.  I guess I am lucky my landlord has the system set up on it.  This red Potassium concoction goes through at two AM every other day, to remove iron.  I have had my taps running burgundy with the stuff when I forgot and flushed the toilet.  It really does work well at removing the sulfur smell.  I have little to no difficulty since moving here almost two years ago.  I would agree that the cattle farm would be the suspect for your ammonia levels.  I have never tested for anything up here, so have no real numbers to compare to yours.  I just do the regular water changes and have had great success with it.  I just read all sorts of different opinions and created my own median.  It works so far!  I just always think ecosystem, no matter the size of the tank. 

Cheers!!

Jeffrey...

[OrchidNow]

Poor goldfish. He gave up the struggle this weekend. I decided to do a major water change. (50%). And let it run for a few weeks before putting in any more fish.

I changed the other tank - 5% only....in case it's the water change that's been killing them. Will do another 5% today. That will be good enough I think to get rid of guck. So far, the danios and platys are playing well. and not feeding them too much in case that was part of the problem too.

BTW, who is more hardy? Goldfish or zebra danios?