First Deaths

[DCtank]

After 3 months of a healthy new tank I just lost two fish. The tank finished cycling last month (fish in) and I was so pleased that nothing died the whole time it was cycling. Yesterday, I came home to find a dead swordtail and, when I was getting it out of the tank, noticed a dead zebra, too.

My water parameters are fine (I think) but the Nitrate is a tad high:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
pH 7.4

Just random or is this the beginning of a big tank crash?

 

[shellieca]

After 3 months of a healthy new tank I just lost two fish. The tank finished cycling last month (fish in) and I was so pleased that nothing died the whole time it was cycling. Yesterday, I came home to find a dead swordtail and, when I was getting it out of the tank, noticed a dead zebra, too.

My water parameters are fine (I think) but the Nitrate is a tad high:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
pH 7.4

Just random or is this the beginning of a big tank crash?

Sorry for your losses. What is your tank size? Water change schedule, how much? What is your full stock, type of fish & #'s? Are you using a liquid test kit?

 

[Hobgob]

40 is a little high. A lot of people on here recommend to keep it below 20ppm and I believe that's what the API book and Nutrafin test kits say.
But a little more info would be good.

 

[CherryBarb123]

Sorry. Posted on wrong thread

 

[bkiggy]

What kind of fish and how many? Planted or fake? 40 nitrAtes is high.
What did you use to cycle? How long? What kind of filter on what tank?
Keep in mind fish died. For no reason.......

 

[twoodrough]

If you are new, keep in mind it takes time to figure out how to do things right all the time. You think you got it, then do something new and find out it was bad. I have been doing this for 2 1/2 years and am just starting to feel like I got a handle on keeping my fish alive for the long term. So many ways to make newby mistakes.