in need of some help

[dman0617]

So... did you do the back to back 75% water changes, and if so, what were the results?

I did the water changes and did you read the update

 

[Brad M]

I did the water changes and did you read the update

What are your ammonia levels at as of tonight

 

[dman0617]

What are your ammonia levels at as of tonight

Need i say more

 

[Brad M]

Man well first im sorry you lost one of your fish. Just to be clear you drained 75% of the water refilled it drained 75% of the water again and refilled it and the next day the results are the same right?

You also tested your tap water to make sure there is no ammonia in it?

Take the cover off your filter and send us a pic. It would be wierd that your BB just died with no reason but if we cant see any issues then we are back to my idea of running a bare bottom setup until the tank stabalizes.

 

[dman0617]

Man well first im sorry you lost one of your fish. Just to be clear you drained 75% of the water refilled it drained 75% of the water again and refilled it and the next day the results are the same right?

You also tested your tap water to make sure there is no ammonia in it?

Take the cover off your filter and send us a pic. It would be wierd that your BB just died with no reason but if we cant see any issues then we are back to my idea of running a bare bottom setup until the tank stabalizes.

Here there are two filters

 

[severum mama]

I did the water changes and did you read the update

Sure did, but all I saw was this:

Update....
1 causality so....
3 guppies
4 neon tetras

Which made no mention of either water changes or test results. Had to ask, sorry.

What dechlorinator are you using?

 

[dman0617]

Sure did, but all I saw was this:

Which made no mention of either water changes or test results. Had to ask, sorry.

I lost 1 when i did water change and im using Prime

 

[severum mama]

Do you smoke cigarettes near your tank? Is there any chance that someone was spraying air freshener, Windex/other cleaners, etc around your tank?

 

[Brad M]

Was anything whatsoever done to your filter in the last 30 days? Csrbon replaced, cleaned, shut off for a long period of time?

 

[dman0617]

Do you smoke cigarettes near your tank? Is there any chance that someone was spraying air freshener, Windex/other cleaners, etc around your tank?

None of the above i dont smoke

 

[dman0617]

Was anything whatsoever done to your filter in the last 30 days? Csrbon replaced, cleaned, shut off for a long period of time?

None of the above i dont even turn off my filter while doing water changes

 

[severum mama]

None of the above i dont smoke

I don't either, I'm basically grasping at straws here.

How old is your test kit?

 

[Brad M]

Do you smoke cigarettes near your tank? Is there any chance that someone was spraying air freshener, Windex/other cleaners, etc around your tank?

What would cigarettes do? Not arguing im curious since I do smoke around mine. I have very hearty fish though. Went out of town for 2 months and left my girlfriend in charge and came back to 160ppm nitrates and hard water stains with no deaths.

 

[dman0617]

I don't either, I'm basically grasping at straws here.

How old is your test kit?

My test kit is like a few months old i would say like 4 months old

 

[severum mama]

What would cigarettes do? Not arguing im curious since I do smoke around mine. I have very hearty fish though. Went out of town for 2 months and left my girlfriend in charge and came back to 160ppm nitrates and hard water stains with no deaths.

More than likely, nothing at all. I don't smoke cigarettes anymore, but there were times in the past that I did smoke indoors around my tanks and I never had any trouble. I was not a heavy smoker, maybe that would make a difference and maybe it wouldn't. Like I said I doubt that it would matter, but since the OP has something going on in their tank that we can't nail down, I thought it was worth a mention.

 

[severum mama]

My test kit is like a few months old i would say like 4 months old

Dumb question I'm sure, but are you absolutely positive that you are following the instructions exactly when you do your ammonia testing? Do you wait 5 minutes for the color to develop or do you walk away for a while and check later?

 

[dman0617]

Dumb question I'm sure, but are you absolutely positive that you are following the instructions exactly when you do your ammonia testing? Do you wait 5 minutes for the color to develop or do you walk away for a while and check later?

I follow directions i let it sit for more than 10min

 

[severum mama]

I follow directions i let it sit for more than 10min

IME, this is much too long. The instructions explicitly state to wait for 5 minutes after you add reagent #2 and invert test tube several times. I have done probably 1000 API tests between being a hobbyist with many tanks, and working in fish stores, and the color does continue to change after 5 minutes.

My guess is that your ammonia reading is lower than what you are seeing because you should be reading the test after 5 minutes rather than 10 (I use a timer on my smartphone for accuracy).

Neons can be somewhat difficult to find healthy- I'm guessing the death was coincidental (as neon deaths are often fairly common, depending on your source of neons).

My suggestion would be to run an ammonia test now, and set a timer for 5 minutes, then see what your reading is. I may be way off base here, but this is the best I can come up with without more information.

 

[Brad M]

Try taking a pic right at the 5 min mark like it says. All the tests will show a bit stronger if it sits longer however it wouldnt turn from yellow to green. May just not be as bad as it looks but its still up there.

Sorry to say it may be reset time with daily 50% water changes.

Im still thinking its in the gravel. Scoop up some gravel down to the bottom of the tank. How much debris gets kicked up?

 

[severum mama]

I'm still not in favor of a complete teardown (yet), although I do see Brad's point.

OP, sorry if I have missed this elsewhere in your thread, but do you vacuum your gravel?