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Hey guys,
strangest thing happened to me.
Last night I did a water change on my big tank (75g).
I did the same thing as usual, used the python, drained about 30%, switched it over, checked the temp to be exact, funnelled the new water in, added 1 capful of prime, just to make sure because of the Discus.
I removed 1 air stone to put in my 10g I just set up beside it for my pair of breeding rams.
This morning this is what was happening:
Most of the fish were hanging out in the upper right hand top corner above the 18" air bar, including my SAE's, Discus, Angel juvi, and all the little fish.
The tetras and loaches were all breathing heavy like they had just run a 5k race.
What shocked me most to find- 1 platy (my huge female), 1 pristella tetra, 1 rummynose tetra, and my Farlowella catfish , were all dead.
Then I look over at the 10g, and both the rams in there are extremely stressed out, the female has gone pasty white but is still guarding the eggs, and my big male is black and sitting on his belly on the bottom.
However!! I also did a big water change on my 25g (about 50%) and the fish in there are totally fine!!
Now what could have caused this?
Heres the tested water levels:
Ammo 0, Nitrite 0, nitrate (was around 30ppm before change) Now is >5.
I did nothing different from usual.
Why did I lose these fish?
Bubbles were coming out of the gravel, but only in one spot, and I sucked it really really good.
Could It be that my removal of the small air stone caused these 4 fishes death?? There were no obvious signs of death on these fish, and all were fine last night for 3-4 hours I watched them after the w/c.
I added another 2 air stones to the tank, and most of the fish have returned to normal, but my rams still look so stressed!
Pls help.


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sneaky_pete

I am extremly sorry to hear the bad news as I know all the hard work you have put in recently with that tank.
1 capful of prime, I do not know this product. Is it a stress coat or a chlorine remover.

It might be a bit late but get the house water tested (local water board) They could have been doing some work and some nastie got into your house line.

Sorry to say this this is one of reasons I orepare and store the change over water one week before.

You stated that "checked the temp to be exact"
I dontb like assuming but did you mix heated house water to get the cold water to the correct temp.

If so and your HW system has a copper unit or any copper in the system this could be a problem.

This is just a very wild guess. If you did use the water from the HW system get that checked also.

Going by what you have very well detailed It sounds llike a gas of some decription.

Contact me direct if you require any further help

Keith

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Hi Keith,
Prime is a multi purpose water conditioner. It detoxifies nitrites and nitrates and ammonia, removes chlorine and chloramine and neutralizes heavy metals, as well as assisting in slime coat production.
It is a superb product, 1 capful does 50g.
The water I have is well water, only thing I can think of would be the possibility of something leeching into the water table- I will call the water board tomorrow and see if I can get the water tested anyway.
To get temp perfect what I do is turn my python onto fill, then put the end into a bucket with a thermometer and wait until it is the same temp as tank, then fill tank up.
All the lines on the HW tank and water pipes are either stainless steel or pvc.
The far left corner of the tank had bubbles coming out of the gravel, is this anerobic bacteria pockets? I gravel vacced it until it had no more bubbles, and did a good vac on half the tank, and stirred the gravel in the rest of the tank with my fingers just in case.
I wish I knew what happened. The platy and the tetras are easily replaceable, but I had that farlowella catfish for almost 2 years and was very attached to her.
All the fish seem normal now, I dont understand it!?!
As for the rams in the 10g, I added some peat to their filter, and within a few hours they have perked right up. Perhaps the new water wasnt as low PH as the old stuff. I did a mixture of 50% aged tank water from the 75g, and 50% new water from the tap, same temp as 75g tank.
Anyway, I just dont know what happened. Very sad indeed about the catfish
Thanks for your help Keith in trying to find out what happened. Is very odd.




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I lost a bunch of fish one time because the water went bad suddenly, back when i had city water, now that i have well water i havent had that happen.

Oh Sneaky Pete I'm so sorry:#(

It makes me think that maybe, even though it isn't that much addition of air, that the 75 didn't get enough air with taking out the airstone? And did you just move the rams into the breeding tank and that is why you moved the stone? If so I would lean that way...you know it's like us when we suddenly don't have as much air as we think we need, we have trouble...

Did you do an additional water change this morning? If so did you spray anything in the room near those 2 tanks?

I'm sorry for your losses, I know how hard it is, heidi



"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Hi Heidi,
No nothing sprayed in the room.
yep I just moved the rams into the 10g tank, set it all up, and then because I needed to go buy more airline, I just popped my round blue air stone into the 10g until I was going to the LFS the next day to get more air line and a check valve. When I got up, those fish were dead and the rest were highly stressed. I really think it was a lack of air.
Anyway, so I put an even better air stone in the 75g (2 big big ones), and a really good one in the 10 as well.
All the fish are normal now, but so sad still over my poor farlowella - she was still so young (only 3), and it is such a shame to see a fish that could live 2 decades die in only 3 years.
Thank you for your condolences, Heidi.
It is greatly appreciated.


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do you normally stick in one capful of prime when doing a partial change? perhaps that overdose may have had something to do with it.

I've known people to overdose on stresscoat and watch their fish die from the stuff in that (one of the reasons why i never use it) - because it also coated the gills - which could explain the heavy breathing

I have also had similar problems with my tanks. Just when you think you are doing things right something weird happens. I talked to my lfs and had them do a water test. Every thing was fine. They sold me a product called Chemi-Pure which seemed to cleen things up. City water can be messy stuff because who the heck knows whats going on with it. Good luck!

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Meriadoc- yes I usually use 3/4 - 1 capful of prime when doing a water change because of the heavy metals in our well water.
I have never ever had a problem with prime in the past 2.5 years that I have been using it. I dont see why it would cause a problem now.


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And there is the fact that it didn't cause a problem in that one tank, so I don't think that was it...I'm still thinking it was moving the airstone, not and not having enough air (or what they think is enough air:%)) in the tanks...:#( Things will get better, we live and learn...sometimes the hard way...keep smiling, and keep hanging in there...heidi


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"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle