Tropical fish keep dying - Advice please
I have a small 35l tank, with a heater and filter. Been set up for about 3 years.
Around 1 year ago, I used a PH balancer but accidentally put in too much so all the fish died. I cleaned out the tank, did a full water change, cleaned filters, etc, tested water and 2 month later added a fish and it died instantly.
A few months ago, I started again with fresh water. Did part water changes every week and tests showed that everything was perfect. I added a 2 fish yesterday (barbs), and they died within the hour.
The guy in the pet shop told me if they died instantly before, it would have been die to stress from travelling and if it was water pollution then it would have taken a lot longer for them to die, but they just died within the hour anyway.
Any advice on what to do please?
Thanks in advance.
Around 1 year ago, I used a PH balancer but accidentally put in too much so all the fish died. I cleaned out the tank, did a full water change, cleaned filters, etc, tested water and 2 month later added a fish and it died instantly.
A few months ago, I started again with fresh water. Did part water changes every week and tests showed that everything was perfect. I added a 2 fish yesterday (barbs), and they died within the hour.
The guy in the pet shop told me if they died instantly before, it would have been die to stress from travelling and if it was water pollution then it would have taken a lot longer for them to die, but they just died within the hour anyway.
Any advice on what to do please?
Thanks in advance.
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Comments
What temperature is your tank?
Do you use tap water?
Is it an all glass tank?
what did you use to clean out your tank with?
how did you aclimate your new fish?
did you use dechlorinator when you put the tap water in your aquarium?
what were you testing for? nitrate,nitrite,ammonia,p.h? without fish in your tank, and if you werent feeding the tank as if there were fish in there, your cycle wouldnt have started, so your tests would show up as good. when you add your fish the ammonia and nitrite would begin to show, until nitrate shows up and the ammonia and nitrite show 0, this is when you are considered cycled. this however wouldnt have killed your fish so quickly.
if i were you id take the tank apart again, wash all out, make sure its really really well cleaned out with fresh water, no soaps etc. fill up the tank and add an overdose of dechlorinator, wash all of your gravel around in the new water, filter media etc, then empty it and refill with the right amount of dechlorinator. bring you temp up to the right level, add some live plants and leave the tank running for a week with the live plants and see how they go. this will not cycle your tank, but will help keep water in better conditions. figure out what fish you wish to keep in your tank, 35l is a very small tank, so i would say stick to one species, maybe a small school of 6 neons/cardinals-any small tetra or maybe harlequin rasboras, and then say a trio of cory catfish on the bottom. make sure you do not add too many at a time as your tank needs to cycle,and in such a small volume of water the ammonia and nitrite spikes will occur much faster than in a larger tank. live plants will help you keep these at lower levels but until you are cycled you must make sure they stay as low as possible.
if you need more info just pm me im happy to help
About 26 degrees.
Used tap water, but conditioned properly.
All in glass tank, yeah.
I drowned the water out it, cleaned the grit with syphon filter, wiped the sides to get rid of algae with kitchen roll.
Tested for PH, amonia & nitrite, nitrate. Everything was fine.
I floated the bag on the water for 15 mins, then added some tank water for a further 15 mins before allowing them to release at their leisure, then the started swimming about like mad, before swimming upside down and eventually becoming slower then dying.
Thank you guys for your help. Just a complete mystery and I don't want to be cruel by attempting to add new fish but they keep dying.
Here's the thing, I use water in my cold / fresh tank (Biorb), and it's absolutely fine. I don't think it's the water if it's properly conditioned.
To clean the tank just use one of those cheap plastic scouring pads, a bit of vinegar mixed with water. The vinegar is great for helping remove calcium build up in a tank.
Ph is not that vital as you can acclimatise fish over a period of time. I've kept a Rift Valley Cichlid quite happily in a Blackwater (acidic) tank and Neons in a hard water.
Heavy Metals in the water supply can also be a problem and will not be detected by test kits. For that you may need more than just a de-chloinator as conditioner but also one that neutralises heavy metals.
Another thing to check is the tank thermostat. It may appear to work but a faulty one can electrocute fish very quickly.
With thermostats though it is highly advisable to not turn them on until some hours after you have filled a tank. The sudden temprature change can crack them
This /\ looks to me like the culprit.
Oh! Is there any way to test this? i.e, when I put my hand in the tank I don't feel anything but perhaps a smaller current would kill small fish? Although, I guess that would be instant, rather than taking an hour or so.
I would buy another heater and try adding a fish. If it survives, then you'll know it's the heater.
Never put your hand in the tank with the heater on. Electricity and water do not mix.
You can unplug it and check for surface cracks on the glass or see whether or not the seal between the glass and top is broken