MagicMagdelene
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2014
- Messages
- 8
Please bear with me - I can get windy.
I've been an aquarium keeper for over 10 years now. Every few years, I try to upgrade to something bigger, or nicer for my tanks. Last month, after owning it for 4 years, I finally set up my 36 gallon bowfront, and relocated my beautiful mollies, my oddly peaceful male betta and female betta, from their old 10 gallon to their new home. I also added 2 red wag platy's and a few tuxedo platys. I used a buffer to set the PH at 7 and a product by Tetra that I can't even find any longer - I think it's called pH Balance - that is supposed to hold the pH where it is set. Having been victim to pH crashes many times, I thought this was an A+ move. Dropped in some salt according to the directions, and was adding Seachem's Stability bacteria, again, as per the instructions, for a week. Things looked great and my little buddies were excited and enjoying the new space.
Idiot note. I put the blue background on the tank on the *inside*, using "Seaview" to make it stick. Figured out my mistake after it started to peel away. I eventually took it off, choosing to just pull it out, and the oil from the product rose right to the top of my tank. I skimmed what I could and did several water changes as quickly (but also as safely!) as I could.
Now. Fast forward two weeks. Have my first casualty. I'm sad, but not surprised. It happens. He seemed to be the most stressed by my net when I tried to catch him for the new tank. Poor thing was paralyzed when I put him in the new tank and just drifted at the surface for a bit, those little eyes looking at me as if to say "Help!!" Said a few words, sent him on his way. Checked the tank for signs of disease, stress or other odd behaviors, just to be sure. All seemed shiny. Two days later, two more casualties and one of my babies I was raising had gone MIA. Fish that seemed healthy just laying on the bottom of my tank. I check the pH and HOLY CRAP! It's off the chart!! Deep blue instead of that pretty soft green! I immediately do a water change, probably about half, add the pH Decrease in as safe a dosage as it advises. But two hours later, pH is still off the charts. Added the decrease again. This went on for two days before I realized I had to resort to drastic measures, because the pH Balance I put in wasn't letting me decrease the pH. My sweetlings were dropping like flies. I put them all back in their 10 gallon tank, and did a FULL water change and clean up. I even emptied the water in the canister filter. I mean, short of scooping up the sand, EVERYTHING came out and got cleaned. Gravel, rocks, plants. I bought a new resin rock formation from the store, because the one I had used was a hand-me-down from dad, and maybe it was made for terrariums and not aquariums. Filled it all back up, added the salt, the aloe stress coat and dechlorinater, the bacteria, and checked the pH. Perfect 7.0. Let it run a few hours, and helped my babies back into their new home. FABU! Things were going great! Everyone seemed healthy and happy. In fact, two (possibly three - she could just be a glutton!) of my ladies started to get pretty round in the belly! And two weeks later, tragedy. My favorite of my littlest ones, born in my tank, was stuck to my filter, gasping for air. He only lasted an hour after that. Found my little one who had gone missing - he had been mostly eaten and dead a while. Yesterday, no deaths, though one silver molly won't eat and she's been hanging at the top of my tank (she's one of my pregnant mommies). This morning, my beautiful virile and active male, curled on the gravel and gone. The others are all still active and eating and seem to be perfect! But so did he yesterday. Last night, in fact, before I went to bed. I always spend some time with them when I wake up and go to sleep, and he was at the front of the tank saying goodnight the same as the others. Again, no signs of distress or illness at all! I've only seen my one platy scratch herself once this morning, but no flashing in the tank, no signs of bacteria or ich.
I'm completely lost. There can't be any ammonia, right? The tank is technically only two weeks only and I absolutely do not overfeed. My pH is now still perfect. Temp is 80 degrees. Bacteria dosing period is over. I can't take the heartache anymore. I'm open to all suggestions. :-( Please help!
I've been an aquarium keeper for over 10 years now. Every few years, I try to upgrade to something bigger, or nicer for my tanks. Last month, after owning it for 4 years, I finally set up my 36 gallon bowfront, and relocated my beautiful mollies, my oddly peaceful male betta and female betta, from their old 10 gallon to their new home. I also added 2 red wag platy's and a few tuxedo platys. I used a buffer to set the PH at 7 and a product by Tetra that I can't even find any longer - I think it's called pH Balance - that is supposed to hold the pH where it is set. Having been victim to pH crashes many times, I thought this was an A+ move. Dropped in some salt according to the directions, and was adding Seachem's Stability bacteria, again, as per the instructions, for a week. Things looked great and my little buddies were excited and enjoying the new space.
Idiot note. I put the blue background on the tank on the *inside*, using "Seaview" to make it stick. Figured out my mistake after it started to peel away. I eventually took it off, choosing to just pull it out, and the oil from the product rose right to the top of my tank. I skimmed what I could and did several water changes as quickly (but also as safely!) as I could.
Now. Fast forward two weeks. Have my first casualty. I'm sad, but not surprised. It happens. He seemed to be the most stressed by my net when I tried to catch him for the new tank. Poor thing was paralyzed when I put him in the new tank and just drifted at the surface for a bit, those little eyes looking at me as if to say "Help!!" Said a few words, sent him on his way. Checked the tank for signs of disease, stress or other odd behaviors, just to be sure. All seemed shiny. Two days later, two more casualties and one of my babies I was raising had gone MIA. Fish that seemed healthy just laying on the bottom of my tank. I check the pH and HOLY CRAP! It's off the chart!! Deep blue instead of that pretty soft green! I immediately do a water change, probably about half, add the pH Decrease in as safe a dosage as it advises. But two hours later, pH is still off the charts. Added the decrease again. This went on for two days before I realized I had to resort to drastic measures, because the pH Balance I put in wasn't letting me decrease the pH. My sweetlings were dropping like flies. I put them all back in their 10 gallon tank, and did a FULL water change and clean up. I even emptied the water in the canister filter. I mean, short of scooping up the sand, EVERYTHING came out and got cleaned. Gravel, rocks, plants. I bought a new resin rock formation from the store, because the one I had used was a hand-me-down from dad, and maybe it was made for terrariums and not aquariums. Filled it all back up, added the salt, the aloe stress coat and dechlorinater, the bacteria, and checked the pH. Perfect 7.0. Let it run a few hours, and helped my babies back into their new home. FABU! Things were going great! Everyone seemed healthy and happy. In fact, two (possibly three - she could just be a glutton!) of my ladies started to get pretty round in the belly! And two weeks later, tragedy. My favorite of my littlest ones, born in my tank, was stuck to my filter, gasping for air. He only lasted an hour after that. Found my little one who had gone missing - he had been mostly eaten and dead a while. Yesterday, no deaths, though one silver molly won't eat and she's been hanging at the top of my tank (she's one of my pregnant mommies). This morning, my beautiful virile and active male, curled on the gravel and gone. The others are all still active and eating and seem to be perfect! But so did he yesterday. Last night, in fact, before I went to bed. I always spend some time with them when I wake up and go to sleep, and he was at the front of the tank saying goodnight the same as the others. Again, no signs of distress or illness at all! I've only seen my one platy scratch herself once this morning, but no flashing in the tank, no signs of bacteria or ich.
I'm completely lost. There can't be any ammonia, right? The tank is technically only two weeks only and I absolutely do not overfeed. My pH is now still perfect. Temp is 80 degrees. Bacteria dosing period is over. I can't take the heartache anymore. I'm open to all suggestions. :-( Please help!
