did new plastic plant killed my fish?

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RANNIT2

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jul 4, 2006
Messages
8
I changed water about a week ego and put a new plastic plant in. Couple days ago the first fish died, today another one. Others do not look too happy. There is a green sediment on the sides of the tank. I yanked plastic plant out, added Cycle. Any other suggestions? Is plant in question could be the reason for sudden change?
 
Is the plant made for aquariums?

How long has teh tank been set up? What are your water parameters? I'm assuming the green sediment is algae.
 
Depending on whether it was an aquarium safe plant it may have. When you say green sediment do you mean algae? How long has the tank been set up? How often do you do water changes? Do you have a test kit and what are your parameters?

Don't bother using the brand cycle. It doesn't contain any bacteria at all. All you need to use with water changes is a good dechlorinator like Prime.
 
aquarium has been set up for over 3 years. only plants before were from its former owner, so no changes there. i bought this plant at the aquarium section of petco. i never had algae problem before, so i guess that is what are on the walls now.
i change water every 2 weeks 30-40%. i dont test regularly (because when i complained at the local aquarium store they stated that the local water is ph high and is fish tolerates it ok, i dont need to worry about it).
 
No your ph is fine if stable. I was inquiring about ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. From what you tell me I would not suspect the plant. I would do an extra water change and see if that helps the fish. Generally recommended to do weekly water changes of 25-50%. Do you add dechlorinator when doing water changes?
 
yes, i use Aqua Plus. ok, i would do water change and would see what happens. Do you recommend to check ammonia/n/n before changing water?
i greatly appriciate your advice. I hate to see fish that i had for over 2 years die for no reason that i can think of/predict.
thank you
 
I am a newbie so I will ask the newbie question, did you rinse the plant off with water first?


Gerald
 
Since this aquarium has been set up for a few years, perhaps the fish died of old age? If both fish that died are the same kind and aquired at the same time, this would fit. Some fish only live a year while others live longer the people. Knowing what type of fish died would help to determine if this could be the case or not.
 
1. i rinsed the plant before i placed it in. should i have rinsed with hot water or some solution to clean it more thoroughly. i dont know.
2. the strange thing is that both fishes seemed in good health prior to that. one, black skirt tetra lived for about 2.5 years and survived/recovered from illness about year ago. other one, i dont know what kind, black/about inch long, likes eating algae, i bought 3 months ago.
3. changed water, for the last 2 days everythings seems fine.
 
help!!!! algae came back on the sides of aquarium within a week. one more fish is about to crap out.
 
Can you describe the algae? You could check Steve Hampton's Algae Page or GWAPA's Algae Page for help in identifying it.

It doesn't appear that you've ever posted your Nitrate levels. If you don't have a test for Nitrates, it may be advisable to take a water sample to your LFS for testing.

Do you have small children? If so check the aquarium in case they may have dropped something into the aquarium that is harming the fish. Also check the equipment (thermometer, heater, etc.) for damage.
 
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
ph 7.0


These are your old readings, how about a more up-to-date reading including a nitrAte reading? Also, which type of fish is suffering now? Any physical signs of disease? White spots? Fins nipped? There's many things that can cause this but I've gone through probably 15 fake plants in the 2 years I've had my 10gal and never had any problems. Some came from walmart, some from petco and other places.

I usually rinse mine with the water I take out when I do a water change. Regular tap water should be fine I would think though, or it wouldn't cause this kind of damage.
 
one week passed since i changed water last time. no fish deaths so far since then. nitrate 5-10, ph 7.6, ammonia 0.5, nitrite 0. i have not noticed any obvious signs on the fishes, no spots, nipped fins, nothing bloated. 2 fishes that are left are still hungry. Comparative to prior water changes no new algae on the walls. Algae that i scraped before looked brownish.
please advice about further course of action
 
If the Ammonia level gets any higher make sure to do a water change immediately. Looks like your either cycling or experiancing a mini cycle.
 
I agree with Joy, I might even consider doing a water change now. It does seem like you are in a mini-cycle, keep up on the water changes and watch your parameters.
 
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