Aerator disaster and other related errors

[lelouchzeta]

Hi, I'm a noob here...
I have had a 10 gallon tank (my first aquarium) since mid-September, and it finished cycling mid-December. There were 4 zebra danios, and when the cycle had finished we went to the LFS and bought 2 BBG's and 1 sail fin molly.
0 ppm ammonia
0 ppm nitrite
20> ppm nitrate
We put them in the tank with the danios with the intention of returning the danios for store credit. By the beginning of the third day, 1 BBG was feebly rolling around the bottom of the tank and couldn't resist the current of our aerator. We unplugged the tube of the aerator and went to the LFS to return the danios and get some aquarium salt and swim bladder meds. When we returned after 2 hours, the water was entirely siphoned out of the tank into the carpet. There was an inch of water covering the gravel and 1 BBG and the sail fin molly were alive <3 we dechlorinated 9.5 gallons of tap water and filled the tank. They were in shock but alive. Two days later the molly had swim bladder issues and died that day before we could help it. We vacuumed half the gravel (50% water change yesterday) and now I'm wondering what to do. It's been a week since that happened.
The BBG seems happy and bright and is eating.
The LFS said our nitrate levels were dangerous...we are getting between 0 and 20 ppm I think..with our liquid test kit.
Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Hi and welcome!
BBG (bumble bee gobies) are brackish fish. They require marine salt in their water. Where the LFS keeping them in fresh water or brackish? Mollies are can be kept in fresh or brackish tanks. Some even in full marine.
How did you acclimate the fish?
20ppm nitrate is fine.

 

[lelouchzeta]

The aquarium shop kept them in freshwater with the knowledge that they thrive in brackish water. They put aquarium salt in all their tanks for a variety of reasons, but we have been slowly increasing the salinity by maybe two tablespoons of aquarium salt a day. We just bought a hydrometer. The molly didn't live long enough to experience our acclimatization to brackish. We were going slowly so we didn't shock them...
I did a huge amount of reading before I bought anything, so I already know what water conditions are best for the fish. I just don't know how to fix them, and I am worried about more fatalities.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Can I ask what kind of salt you are using? Fresh water treatment salt or marine salt? They are two totally different things.
It great to hear you did prier research! Did your air line tubing have a check valve in it? That would have stopped syphoning.

 

[lelouchzeta]

API Natural Aquarium Salt made from evaporated sea water?
The label says it's for improving the efficacy of medications and for reducing the harmful effects of nitrates. The LFS owner said it didn't really make a difference whether we used marine salt or aquarium salt.
We installed a check valve on the tubing after that happened.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

API Natural Aquarium Salt made from evaporated sea water?
The label says it's for improving the efficacy of medications and for reducing the harmful effects of nitrates. The LFS owner said it didn't really make a difference whether we used marine salt or aquarium salt.
We installed a check valve on the tubing after that happened.

I'm sorry to say your LFS owner got it wrong. :/ I don't own a brackish tank myself (maybe one day *dream*) but I know plenty of other members do. I'd suggest starting a thread asking how to convert a tank. If it has a heading stating 'brackish' you'll get more bites IMO.

 

[lelouchzeta]

Hm hm thank you. I will order some marine salt.

 

[KaylNeko]

Marine salt has metals and buffers and other things that regular aquarium salt (basically kosher salt, as far as I can find in my research) does not but is required for marine and brackish animals.

 

[lelouchzeta]

Hm thank you for your very specific explanation. The details helped me.
/unrelated awesome smiley

 

[KaylNeko]

No problem ^_^ I like that smiley too--never have a situation to use it, though, darn it *rofl*