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Well I am getting ready to transition my 10usg tank for a pair of rams + some otos. I have been moving the fish out of it into a bigger tank, and the only inhabitants for a week or so have been 1 honey gourami, 1 female swordtail, and 1 trilineatus cory. Yesterday I found the honey gourami dead after it had been missing for a day or so. I had NO clue what could have caused its death, and it worried me because I am setting up the tank for some pretty delicate fish, so I tested all the water params... Last time I tested, everything was relatively normal except the nitrates, ph of about 6.5, ammonia + nitrite 0, nitrate around 30 (eek!), GH around 15 i believe, and KH around 4 i think. Now here is what it tested at last night:

PH 7.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
GH 32 (!!!)
KH 2 (!!!)

First thing that alarmed me was the PH, so I went and tested the 29 gallon which now tests at 7.5! I thought that was weird so I tested all the taps that I do water changes from and they all tested at 6.0, they have always been 6.0-6.5. What could have made my PH go up? there are no rocks or decorations in either tank that would affect this. and what could have changed the hardness?? I havent tested the hardness on the other tank yet.

Hi,
I believe there are several things going on within that
10gal tank.

First, you have decreased the population considerably
as you removed the fish. That decreased the amount
that you were feeding, and the waste products decreased.
The bacterial colonies that developed feeding on that
material no longer had it, and began to die back to
what will eventually become a stable population.

In a small tank, little changes are amplified.

Transfering all the fish at once, would have led to
less stress both to the fish and the rest of the
biotope.

I would transfer the remaining fish, clean up the
tank (lightly vacuum part of the gravel) and do
a large water change (50%, or so) in preparation
for the new inhabitants.

Second, it is the fall season, and many city water
plants change the chemistry of the water that they
deliver. They decrease the chlorine/chloramine,
as they no longer have to fight the high temperatures
of the summer months. They change the pH of the water.
Also, some water plants change wells or sources either
quarterly, or semi annually.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 20-Oct-2004 10:33

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

hmmm... thanks, I hope it stables out.

only thing is, I did decrese the population pretty slowly, about 3 fish by every couple weeks, and I just did a 30% water change + full gravel vac about a week maybe a week and a half ago!

Should I really take the remaining fish out? I'm worried about losing bacteria because I dont know how long it will be until I move new fish in there, it could be weeks.

EDIT: oops! i misread some of that i thought you said i SHOULDNT move them all at once, my bad!

Last edited by devon7 at 20-Oct-2004 16:37

Oh! I forgot to mention I am also changing the substrate from normal-sized gravel to sand, once I add this, how long should it take for the water quality to even out? and is there anything I can do about the hardness?

Hi,
Yes. What you are doing amounts to tearing the tank apart
and replacing the substrate with sand, and the fish as well.
You might as well go ahead and move the last of the fish
out of the tank and tear it apart.
The greatest proportion of the bacterial colonies live in
the first 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the substrate.
When you remove the old gravel and replace it with fresh
sand, you will destroy those colonies.

In essence you will be starting the tank anew with new
substrate (sand) and the same, or new plants.
You will have to cycle this tank just as any new tank.
You can shorten the cycle by not messing with the
current filter, but it will still cycle.

I'd give some thought to fishless cycling using unscented
ammonia.

Then, when the tank has cycled, add the new fish.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 20-Oct-2004 18:37

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

OK, so i WILL have to re-cycle the tank anyway... I'm assuming it will be a much shorter cycle since the tank is well established and the only thing I'm REALLY changing (besides the fish haha) is the substrate and I am adding more plants, my rock caves will basically stay put. I think I will post some pix under "aquascaping" for some plant-placing advice