HELP! ASAP! Acidic Water. Cory dead!

[Laser]

Wow, that is a nice looking betta.

 

[AquariumPage]

Y'all are making me feel so much better. I love my quirky George! Always doing silly things.

 

[AquariumPage]

Everybody has been doing great until now. My Cory is breathing fast but is upside down on its back on the gravel. What is going on with these guys. Well, I really don't want to loose George. The Cory move but not well. I'll take the parameters of my water with the strips I have. 2.5 gallon tanks.

 

[AquariumPage]

Testing with strips.

Ammonia is crazy: 4.0-6.0
Nitrate: don't know numbers ( they rubbed off) but it is in the supposed safe zone)
Nitrite: 3.0-4.0
Hardness: 75 - 150 (soft to hard) somewhere between there.
Total alkalinity: 0
pH: way below 6.0

Betta, ADF, and a nearly dead albino Cory catfish

I'm going to remove the Cory and out him in a separate place to see what happens.

Going to do a 50% change using kordon AmQuel Plus ammonia detoxifier.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Your going to need to do more then one water change. Those readings are crazy high! You need to keep doing water changes until you get ammonia and nitrite down to .25ppm or lower. You need to test EVERY DAY and change water when they get above .25ppm. Your Cory is dying from ammonia and nitrite poisoning. Lots of fresh water will hopefully save him.

 

[darkmatter_3500]

You are doing what I would do already with waterchanges and amquel or prime to detoxify, keep it up until no more ammonia and nitrite

 

[AquariumPage]

I think he isn't breathing anymore. I just watched him die. So sad. I really liked that Cory. Doing lots of water changes.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I think he isn't breathing anymore. I just watched him die. So sad. I really liked that Cory. Doing lots of water changes.

I'm sorry or your loss. To save your other fish you need to change water often. I can not stress that enough. Fresh water is literally a lifesaver.

 

[ocminpin]

Testing with strips.

Ammonia is crazy: 4.0-6.0
Nitrate: don't know numbers ( they rubbed off) but it is in the supposed safe zone)
Nitrite: 3.0-4.0
Hardness: 75 - 150 (soft to hard) somewhere between there.
Total alkalinity: 0
pH: way below 6.0

Betta, ADF, and a nearly dead albino Cory catfish

I'm going to remove the Cory and out him in a separate place to see what happens.

Going to do a 50% change using kordon AmQuel Plus ammonia detoxifier.

Any other thoughts?

I would do a 100% change and wait 30 min
And test. You will have to do many Many changes to make it safe.

Can you buy an API Liquid Test Kit?

 

[AquariumPage]

I would do a 100% change and wait 30 min
And test. You will have to do many Many changes to make it safe.

Can you buy an API Liquid Test Kit?

I'm going to. I am a college student and I am broke right now. On the first of the month my parents will give me more money and I can get one but not until then.

 

[ocminpin]

I'm going to. I am a college student and I am broke right now. On the first of the month my parents will give me more money and I can get one but not until then.

I totally understand... I'm broke too. I have to wait and save for fish stuff too.

 

[pleechford]

Maybe The water from the tap or wherever you get your water has these high levels??

 

[AquariumPage]

Maybe The water from the tap or wherever you get your water has these high levels??

It has high ammonia.

 

[pleechford]

It has high ammonia.

Oh no! I'd definitely use Purified water that you can buy by the gallon since your tank is so small.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

It has high ammonia.

How much? Don't use purified water. It doesn't contain any minerals. While cycling your water conditioner will take care of it. Once cycled the bacteria will convert it.

 

[pleechford]

How much? Don't use purified water. It doesn't contain any minerals. While cycling your water conditioner will take care of it. Once cycled the bacteria will convert it.

I'm sorry I meant spring water!!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm sorry I meant spring water!!

That would work but IMO would be a real pain having to buy it all the time, especially during a fish in cycle. Ammonia in the tap water isn't the end of the world. The BB colony will grow to accommodate the tap water ammonia and the ammonia produced by the fish. The dechlorinator will temporarily convert the ammonia to a less toxic form. By the time it wears off the BB will have consumed it.

 

[AquariumPage]

There's quite a bit of ammonia in the water.

 

[AquariumPage]

I had already cycled my tank so is it just cycling again for some reason? It cycled in December when I first got it.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

There's quite a bit of ammonia in the water.

Even 1ppm in tap water is fine.