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I have been trying to explain mysterious clown loach deaths. I have already lost 3 to unexplained injuries. Was reading up on a website and it says this:

"A). The fish spread their fins, dart about and breathe rapidly" - PH may be too low, could be poisoning.

I need some suggestions on testing my ph without a test kit. Please help!!!

Clowny,

I basically have only one suggestion: Get it tested at the LFS, if possible.

PH Test kits are usually not very expensive though, can't you get hold of one over there?

Is there a local board where people might be able to help you out, like either sending you one or pointing out a store that has it?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I dont know about expensive or not, but I am going to try my LFS. I know that they dont test water if you take it to them, so I will have to just hope that they keep test kits. Incase I do find a test kit, wat should be my water parameters?

This tank was running fine for over a year with no major deaths or anything, and one fine day, I reached home after a weekend at Mum's place and the house was a swimming pool. I had to move all my fish (mostly clown loaches) to a bucket. It took 4 days to get the tank up and running and I had deaths every few hours in the bucket. Luckily, none of the clowns died.

Hubby and I decided that we'd rather take chances with the fish tank than the bucket and set it up with a filter from an up and running tank.

I have had 3 clowns die so far, and they usually seem injured. One had hurt his fin real bad, and another had this eye wound, a third had a bump on the head and they are all very agitated.

I had a house that I accidentally dropped and it was a little chipped. It was not like it would be injurious to the clowns, but I removed it from the fish tank today afternoon after the third clown passed away

Please help :#(

Clowny,

What you describe now seems to me as if you are going through a cycle.

In this case, yes - your fish are being poisoned, by ammonia and nitrite. Did you test for these?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club