2 Bala's and a couple neons dead in a week and a half???????

[Franco7]

I was going to post this in unhealthy fish, but i really don't think i have a diease, but my question is what is going wrong? It seems like a majority of new fish going into my tank are dieing, i mean i had these 2 bala's, and 2 gournami's in my qt tank for about a month and half cause my high levels of nitrate, but when i did a big water change it drop to 30 and it was alot lower then my qt, so i moved them downstairs to my 55gal, but why are they dieing. Is 30 nitrate to high or is something else going on i dont know about?

My levels are. ph 7.0, nitrate 30, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, high range ph 7.5

 

[Fishyfanatic]

What are the inhabitants of the tank? How did you acclimate them to the new tank?

 

[Simpte]

Tank specs? (size stocking etc...)

 

[Franco7]

The tank size is 55 gal, like i said i had them upstairs in my 10 gal qt. When i did a big water change, my nitrates drop on my 55gal so i just put them in my new tank, i mean the water temp was a mtach both tanks running at 78 degree's and the levels were lower then my qt, which i had a problem with and recently after pulling them out i did a full water change and got the nitrates down to 10 on the qt.

In my 55 gal,

1 pleco, a 1 gold gournami, 1 neon blue gournami, 2 neons, 2 black skirt tetrats, 2 zebra danios, 2 long fin white clouds, 2 sword tails

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Should try to keep your nitrates below 20.

 

[Franco7]

ok lonewolf, but i really have a hard time beleaving its from that, do you? I haven' ruled out that they got use of the high levels of nitrates and then when they got introduced to the lower onces maybe they got sick? I really don't know, but its making me not want to buy anymore fish, specially those cause they can get expesnisve.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Should try to keep your nitrates below 20.

Yes, but I don't think nitrates of 30 would have killed Bala's. They can be pretty hardy fish in my experience.

 

[malkore]

I'm confused: you say pH 7.0 and then High range pH 7.5

which is it?

30ppm nitrates isn't that high, not enough to kill the fish you listed (or most fish for that matter)
were they simply dead, or did they look abused (torn fins)? gourami usually aren't that aggressive, and you have a large tank for em, and they shouldn't be bothering the bottom dwelling sharks like that anyhow.

I'm suspecting some other kind of contaminent in the water that you can't test for.
What are you using as a dechlorinator? adding enough?

 

[Franco7]

Malkore, no in the fresh water test kit, i have a ph test and a high range ph test there 2 seprete ones, i never what they were for. Obviosuly i know ph, but high range ph no clue what it is, but i always test ising all test when i do one. ph is 7.0, and high range ph test comes out at 7.5, which according to the cards there both perfect.

i didn't think that 30ppm was that high, cause i could of sworn that anything 40 or below wasnt harmless, like they say keep it as low as possiable, but i didn't think it would be to high, but thats why i ask. No torn fins or anything, one of them i just found dead, like he was sucked to the filter last week, and the one last night he was like moving around but real week and like just kept like swimming on his side and would lay at the bottom and then like try to move and stop. Almost like his gills weren't working..

I use flitered water out of a a under the sink system, with its own spicket, i tested the water and all levels are fine, i mean it had very little ammonia in it, but when i tested my tank last week when the fish started to diie, like i said thats what the levels were, im going to check them again when i get home today, but is it maybe possiable the little bit of ammonia in the filtered water built up and the bio load couldn't handle it, because i don't use dechorinater because its filtered didn't think i needed too, i will be switching over to tap tho as i bought a python and then will be using prime.

 

[Japola44]

Malkore, no in the fresh water test kit, i have a ph test and a high range ph test there 2 seprete ones, i never what they were for. Obviosuly i know ph, but high range ph no clue what it is, but i always test ising all test when i do one. ph is 7.0, and high range ph test comes out at 7.5, which according to the cards there both perfect.

The high range pH test is to test pH's above a certain number useually 7.5. My gues is your pH is 7.0

As far as nitrates i'm pretty sure some plants might help that out. correct me if i am wrong, but the plants need nitrates for fertilizer.

because i don't use dechorinater because its filtered didn't think i needed too, i will be switching over to tap tho as i bought a python and then will be using prime.

i think you have to use dechlorenater any ways. I always use it just for good measure. That mught be the problem right there

 

[nomadofthehills]

30 is fine. a little high for me, but not lethal by any means. my marine biology teacher in highschool tells people below 100 is fine... :?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

True, I don't think the 30ppm would kill any fish. Was just stating that it's a good practice to try to keep the nitrates below 20. 30ppm isn't too high, and a lot of places use 40ppm to keep under. But yes, that level shouldn't hurt the fish.

 

[Zagz]

I think there was some difference in the water between the 2 tanks most likely. It might have been that regardless of the temp in the 2 tanks being the same they needed to be acclimated.I don't think the difference between the nitrates in the 2 tanks is enough to get the fish sick. The neons were originally in the 55 or in the same tank as the bala? I could believe that higher nitrates could affect the neons but not the bala.

 

[Franco7]

Ya they all were in the qt tank neons and bala's.

Lonewolf def didn't mean to sound like a jerk about it, i know you were just stating and i apreciate all the help. I was too just asking if you think that could really kill fish cause i didnt think so either.

O so high range ph is just to check when its over a certain amount huh, Interesting.

Well i guess will just have to see what happens, i'll keep you guys posted.

I just got my python in last night so i will be using declhor now anyways.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, there is only 1 ph number. If you use the regular ph card, and the highest color is pegged, then use the high ph test to get the actual reading. And no, you didn't sound like a jerk. Just happy to be here to help. I used my Python last night for the first time. Was awsome. Was using 5G buckets til now. I started filling the tank, treated for the whole tank with Prime, and let it fill.

 

[Franco7]

Hey did that have any bearing on your fish or were you always using tap water? i just got my python last night and im trying to think if going for flitered to tap is goign to hurt my fish at all?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It shouldn't. but if you want to take it easy, can start with smaller PWC's, and graduate to bigger ones.

 

[Franco7]

Ok guys, now my gaint pleco died. i don't know have a clue whats going on. Well on a brighter note, i did the switch over to tap by using the python obvisouly this was after the pleco, so i know it wasn't cause of that. What do i do next t figure out what might be going on, any ideas?