Jump to content





Posted Image

PCS & Stuart M. Grant - Cichlid Preservation Fund - Details here


Photo

Help Me All My Fish Are Dying


  • Please log in to reply
29 replies to this topic

#1 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 07 November 2017 - 12:46 PM

Please fill out as much as possible below and give us a description of what is wrong with your fish.

Type of fish: CICHLIDS FULUS AND PEACOCKS
Symptoms:  THEY SEEM TO BE GASPING 
Other tank mates: COBALTS PICTUS FRONTOSA LOACHES PLECOS
Tank size / capacity: 600+LT
Type of Food fed: CICHLID GOLD
Feeding frequency/amount: DAILY WHAT THEY CAN EAT IN A FEW MINS
Substrate: SAND
Type of filtration: 2 EXTERNAL 1 INTERNAL 
Frequency of filter cleans: FORTNIGHTLY
Frequency and % volume of water changes: WEEKLY 25%
Last water change: YESTERDAY
PH: 8
KH:
GH:
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:0
Ammonia:0
Phosphate:
Water temp:27
Medications used recently to date: NONE 
Any recent changes..new fish/filters/power outages etc etc: NOTHING

 

APART FROM THE ONES THAT ARE IDLING AND GASPING THERE ARE SOME OTHERS THAT SEEM OK BUT ARE FLICKING AROUND IN THE SAND

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND THEN THEY STARTED DYING


Edited by ellie, 07 November 2017 - 12:50 PM.


#2 Westie

Westie

    West African Cichlid fan

  • Admin
  • Joined: 31-May 10
  • Location: Hammond Park

Posted 07 November 2017 - 01:08 PM

you may be cleaning your filter too often. i'd double check your readings as well. you'd probably have ammonia from dead fish, and there should be at least some nitrate reading, unless you're cleaning the filter with tap water and killing any beneficial bacteria in the filtration system. 

 

did you test the water? if so, take a sample to your local fish shop and get it tested there and post the results

 

sucks when your fish die.... hope you get it sorted



#3 Ageofaquariums

Ageofaquariums
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 24-January 04
  • Location: Browns Plains. Qld

Posted 07 November 2017 - 03:26 PM

Get the filter outlets rippling the water surface as much as possible. Sounds like you have refilled high and dont have the same water agitation you had before the water change.

 

You added dechlorinator chemical yea?

 

If so, get some water agitation going! Even if you have to drop some water out.



#4 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 07 November 2017 - 07:12 PM

there is a 60cm bubble stone in there as well as an internal that pumps oxygen theres a lot of surface agitation

im hoping to get my water tested tomorrow ive tested it pet city tested it only seemed to be the ph out a bit

might go to morley tomoz and get them to test it for me



#5 malawiman85

malawiman85
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 07 November 2017 - 08:48 PM

Have you got a spare tank running? Or another tank you can spare some water from? If so, use it. You need to change water with a known safe supply. If you don't have safe water around, I'd still do a 50% water change with tap water... If the new water is the problem... Well, you're no worse off.

Edited by malawiman85, 07 November 2017 - 08:50 PM.


#6 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 07 November 2017 - 08:49 PM

thats the weird thing ive moved some of these fish into another tank thats fine and they still die i just cant work out whats causing it

its really doing my head in



#7 malawiman85

malawiman85
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 07 November 2017 - 08:58 PM

How longs the tank been set up?
Your nitrate reading is a problem. Either test is faulty, you did it wrong or you do not have a cycled tank.
Also I think it's bullshit that someone asks for help on this forum and so few people offer assistance in an 8 hour period...

#8 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 07 November 2017 - 10:24 PM

the tanks been running for a fdew months now the low nitates is maybe a combination of 50 percent change yesterday and the sea chem prime and it prob isnt 0 but its closer to 0 than 5

 

everything was fine fish been in there a while then bang they started dying

 

I know the ph is low for cichlids and its only the cichlids that are dying

 

I'm trying to bring up the ph gradually


Edited by ellie, 07 November 2017 - 10:26 PM.


#9 malawiman85

malawiman85
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 07 November 2017 - 11:55 PM

It's not the ph. What have you been doing to alter it?
pH of 8 isn't perfect but it's pretty damn good. I'd probably leave the pH nice n stable rather than attempt to bring it up and keep it consistently higher than tap water.
I'd say you have had a small ammonia spike. Some fish are more susceptible than others.
Even if it's no ammonia, it sounds more like a contaminant to me than anything else

#10 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 07 November 2017 - 11:58 PM

its very frustrating the ph was at 6 before i did the water change then went up to about 7 

i got it at 8 now

one thing ive noticed when these fish are dying their colours get really intense for abou 12 hrs before hand 

the frontosa has gone almost black and now its struggling to the point the plecco's are circling for the carcass

 

used some ph up to buff it

 

and what sort of containment issue more info please


Edited by ellie, 08 November 2017 - 12:02 AM.


#11 Ageofaquariums

Ageofaquariums
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 24-January 04
  • Location: Browns Plains. Qld

Posted 08 November 2017 - 06:24 AM

Thats a nitrite spike. I dont know where you got the 0ppm nitrite reading you posted, but its wrong.

 

99% sure



#12 malawiman85

malawiman85
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 08 November 2017 - 08:48 AM

Yeah maybe ammonia and nitrite either way Prime and water change... Adding pool salt at 3 - 6 ppt can help with ammo and nitrite exposure.
Pool salt from Bunnings is fine.

#13 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 08 November 2017 - 05:21 PM

i just had the water tested at city farmers down the road

 

the ph is 8

the amonia is about 0.1

nitrite is 0

nitrate .05

 

the water parameters are fine it5s almost a 700 litre tank so it shouldn't have any major chemical fluctuations but I'm still losing cichlids 

as for circulation and air there is a 60cm bubble stone an internal that turns 2.5k litres an hr that's sucking in oxygen as well

and two canister filters one does 2k litre an hour the other 2.2k there is plenty of circulation and oxygen in the tank


Edited by ellie, 08 November 2017 - 05:25 PM.


#14 malawiman85

malawiman85
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 08 November 2017 - 07:51 PM

Lol... AoA's F word.
Spikes come and go before you realise there's a problem sometimes. Just because your water tests look good now doesn't mean that it was sweet two days ago.
I can't guarantee its ammonia and or nitrite but that's what I'd be treating it as if it was my tank.

#15 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 08 November 2017 - 08:20 PM

but treat it how what more can i do ive used seachem prime, put aquarium salt in and done a 50 percent change the parameters are good and they are still dying


Edited by ellie, 08 November 2017 - 08:23 PM.


#16 Westie

Westie

    West African Cichlid fan

  • Admin
  • Joined: 31-May 10
  • Location: Hammond Park

Posted 08 November 2017 - 09:57 PM

Something is causing it. Have you sprayed fly spray near the surface of the tank? Or used any other chemical like a glass cleaner near your aquarium? Might be some kind of chemical that has got in your water. Or newly introduced fish which gave your other fish a bacterial infection (or other illness). It sucks you're still losing fish. Good that you went to a fish shop to get the water checked. The worst thing you can do is treat the tank for something it's not (hope that makes sense). Keep testing and observing and hopefully something will shine a light on what the problem is

#17 Ageofaquariums

Ageofaquariums
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 24-January 04
  • Location: Browns Plains. Qld

Posted 09 November 2017 - 06:47 AM

As above a nitrite spike can do damage in the time it takes the biofiltration to convert it away. Its the perfect crime. Theres not much you can do, other than wait for the fishes body to excrete it. The problem is now not the nitrite in the aquariums water, but the nitrite in the fishes blood.

 

Testing the tapwater before you start on water changes can save the day here, likely this was the source of the nitrite spike. 

 

Adding salt slows nitrite getting into the fish, but does not get it out of the fish.

 

Nitrite poisoning symptoms ~ lethargy, gasping, bright colours.

 

While its just attacking the blood, once clots start forming propper you get random death spirals as they stroke out.

 

:( Its a terrible thing to watch :(



#18 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 10 November 2017 - 10:29 AM

u have pretty much summed up my last two weeks except I would find traumatic to watch a more accurate description

 

I agree it must of been a nitrate spike and now have a testing timetable on my white board so I never forget to keep an eye on the water parameters again it was heartbreaking to watch and not be able to do anything for my poor fish I almost reluctant to start again as I don't ever want to experience that again

 

I want to thank u all for ur help and info that's given me a better understanding of whats going on and why

I will take ur advise and test the tap water I alwayws thought cause I used the seachem prime when I did a change all would be fine apparently not



#19 Ageofaquariums

Ageofaquariums
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 24-January 04
  • Location: Browns Plains. Qld

Posted 11 November 2017 - 09:57 AM

Primes main duty is to remove the chlorine. I never do more than a 50% change as a sorta insurance to insulate me from throwing out chemistry too much.

 

Dont let this ruin the hobby for you.

Sometimes the cookie crumbles in a really sucky way :(



#20 ellie

ellie
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 08-September 17
  • Location: innaloo

Posted 11 November 2017 - 01:01 PM

its so frustrating ive just lost my cobalt blue as well its crazy they just keep dying even though the parameters are good now and its days later

that's almost every cichlid in my tank I'm just waiting for the last few cichlids to die now as well

it does my head in cause every other fish in that tank is fine even the clown loaches are fine and they are usually the most sensitive fish in the tank

it hasn't ruined it for me completely but it makes me nervous to invest more time and money for it to happen again






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users