Ammonia spike- any more I can do?

[sarah5775]

I returned from vacation tonight to find four dead fish in various stages of decay and one fish dying. All of the dead fish and the dying one were platys The rest of my fish, the 4 neons, 5 tetras, the three remaining platys (one adult and two fry) 2 molly fry, and 4 barbs, looked awful.

I immediately tested nitrites and ammonia- nitrites were fine but ammonia was through the roof. I did a pwc the day I left and readings were fine then. I think what happened was one fish died, and was left to rot in the tank, and it caused a chain reaction- as the ammonia levels rose, more fish died leading to a further rise in ammonia, etc. I was gone a week so there was plenty of time for this disaster to happen.

Well, I did my 80% water change, I have the dying fish isolated in clean water but I'm sure its too late, he is really bad off.

My question is, is there anything more I can do to help my remaining fish recover? Like add aquarium salt? The temperature is at 78. I am keeping the water as clean as possible.

 

[Zagz]

You can add some salt to help ease their symptoms. Keep up with pwc's to keep the ammonia down. Sorry for the losses you have already suffered.

 

[sarah5775]

How much aquarium salt should I add?

 

[Zagz]

If it were me I'd add 1 tablespoon per 10 gals. Do you have any plants at all? What size tank is it?

 

[LandGhoti]

I'm sorry for your fish losses.

 

[sarah5775]

Oh no- now my molly is having problems. She is up at the top gasping really quickly. My remaining adult platy is up at the top mouthing the surface too. The molly can't swim right, she bobbles back and forth. My really sick fish is still alive but not getting any better. What is going on?

 

[Zagz]

What size tank is it? Add an airstone if you don't have one or lower the water level a bit.

 

[sarah5775]

Sorry, its a 29 gallon. I have a ton of java moss, but I'm willing to sacrifice it and will add some salt.

 

[Zagz]

You could move the java moss to a bucket of water to salvage some of it.

 

[sarah5775]

Wanted to start out slow with the salt, so I just added fifteen teaspoons. When should I add the rest? I took out most of the java moss and put it in a bucket, like you suggested. Will salt kill snails? I moved my big snail to my five gallon, (sadly I didn't think to do this until about five minutes after I added the salt) but I have several hundred little snails in there, if they all die it will cause a problem all over again. It would be very difficult to remove them all. Will this be a problem?

 

[DeFeKt]

do another pwc, followed by a pwc, and then follow that with another pwc.
Sorry to hear about your fishy friends.