Losing to many fish

[Bigge_al]

In the past 2 weeks I have lost 6 fish. I am seeing nothing to tell me what is wrong. My parameters are within acceptable level. pH 7.4 Ammo-.25 or less trates-20-40.
I have lost my swordtail 4 days ago, platy 6 days ago, dwarf Gourami last week, 2 glofish and a black skirt yesterday.
I see a platy acting sick my staying at the top but he will chase other fish.

The black skirt had no scales, the swordfish was bloated and the glofish stay at to of tank and died.

I see no spots, no redness of gills, some heavy breathing.

Did PWC the day b4 glofish and black skirt died. I have varied food bloodworm, flakes, and brine shrimp. I increase the airflow in the tank last night.

My duckweed does not look very good but it never really took off I think the fish are eating it. I also introduced a piece of driftwood to the tank I found at the river after I cleaned it and boiled the crap out of it.
I got this tank for me and my kids to enoy but I am getting stressed out and not enjoying the tank with all the fish deaths.

 

[Mrc8858]

How old is this tank and are you testing for nitrItes...from the sounds of things I would say that it isn't finished cycling and your fish are recieving high doses of nitrites (not rates)

 

[LyndaB]

I agree, your tank is not cycled. Most fish are not hardy enough to survive the cycling process unscathed.

If you have ammonia or nitrite readings at all, you are not cycled. These numbers have to be 0. No ifs, ands or buts.

It would be helpful if you explain how you started this tank up and what method you've been using for cycling the tank. I presume fish-in cycling.

What products have you been adding to the tank and how often are you doing water changes?

 

[Bigge_al]

The tank has been running for 2 months. I set the tank up and then got a used filter from Petsmart and washed it out in my tank then I cut a piece of it and put it in my filter. After 4 days I added 6 glofish. I keep testing using API kit and I really never had nitrites I pretty much went straight from Ammo to Nitrates. I tested and I do have a low level of ammo and nitrites .25 and nitrates are at between 20-40. The glofish that I lost have been in the tank the longest. I have been adding and losing fish since week 3. I may lose a fish a week but in the last few days I have had more loses than I expected and they were fish that I have been in the tank for over a month. I understood the lose of a fish after a day or two but not after a month to 6 weeks. I also seem to lose the fish after a PWC or vacuum.

 

[Talvari]

May be a stupid question... But you are using a water conditioner, right?

 

[PoppaRyno]

I think you have whats refered to as new tank syndrome. Which usually means its not fully cycled. I agree w/ the others. No ammonia no nitrates. Anything above .0 is no good. Hope this helps. Google fish in tank cycling.

 

[absolutangel04]

Well, your nitrates are a bit high, but nothing too awful. I do recommend trying to keep them down below 20 though.
Bad stock can result in deaths anywhere within a first few months of ownership. If a fish was subjected to bad treatment before you got it, that can have still affect the fish for awhile. I would try to keep the nitrates down and see if anything changes.
Any signs of illness? Any flashing or anything?

 

[Bigge_al]

I use Prime one cap full each time I do a PWC and I am doing weekly PWC or if I see Ammo over .50 I am testing about every two days. I have never had ammo over .50. The problem with nitrates is that my tap water has Trates in it. I keep it under 40 if at all possible.
I am thinking of getting some chemical to neutralize the ammo and trites. I was under the impression that the Prime did this but have been told it does not.

 

[absolutangel04]

How high are the nitrates in your water?

 

[Bigge_al]

10 ppm so if I test at 40ppm and do a 50% PWC then I only go down to 30ppm.
I bought Frogbit to help with the nitrates but I do not think it is surviving. I also added a moss ball but it does not seem to be helping either.

 

[Link119]

50% of 40 is 20...

 

[Mrc8858]

50% of 40 is 20...

If the tap didn't have nitrates but he's starting off with low nitrates in his new water

 

[absolutangel04]

Ok. Well, a 30 nitrates isn't the end of the world. I do think that bad stock is alos likely a factor in this conundrum. Especially if the fish were treated poorly before you got them, then they wouldn't have the best immune systems.
Do you have any other plants? I have never tried frogbit before, but I have heard of other people having issues keeping it alive. I don't know. Maybe a different plant would do better though? A planted tank would help the nitrates down a bit.

 

[Bigge_al]

I did have another plant but it did not survive. Anacharis

 

[absolutangel04]

Thats interesting. Well, I don't want to get too off topic here talking about the plants, but it would help if you found some that worked.
Anyhow, do the fish show any symptoms before they die? Flashing, clamped fins, lethargy?

 

[Bigge_al]

lethargy maybe. They all seem fine then in a few hours they pass. I have seen bloating in two of the dead fish and ruptured stomachs but it could be that they we eaten on b4 I got them out of the tank. The black skirt had no scales.

 

[Bigge_al]

Just a question if I add a piece of driftwood and it was the wrong type of wood would it cause these symptoms. I added the wood about 3 wks ago but I lost a few fish b4 then.

 

[LyndaB]

Driftwood would not cause anything like this unless that driftwood had a chemical of some kind that had been spilled on it and now that chemical was introduced to the tank.