Water change killing fish?

[Wild]

Well, i'm starting to think that my water changes are killing my fish..I've had 3 fish die right after a water changes (2 separate times) and i thought i was going to lose most of my fish the 2nd time(many looked like they were in shock and flashing)

Can fish died because of a to large water change? Am i doing something else wrong? I am really scared to continue doing my water changes =(

 

[jlk]

Are you adding enough dechlorinator/conditioner for the size of your tank (not what your changing)? What brand are you using? Are you matching the temperature of the new water to that of your tank water? What are the parameters for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, & ph for both your tank and your tap water? Some more info will help us to figure out whats going on.

 

[BHead707]

water changes should not kill your fish.

are you using a dechlorinator?
is the temperature of the water within a few degrees when you do it?

 

[Wild]

I take out 70 % of my water, put temp matched water back into the tank, then put in 40 gal worth of dechlorinator. (for a 36 gal tank)
And it the Aqueon stuff.

Before i change my water my fish are perfectly fine, no gasping or anything, but once i fill up the tank to 95% they all seem to start to flip out and are gasping and look like they are doing little seizure things.

And i have yet to go out and buy a test kit, i thought i had one that worked but it turns out it has expired and i haven't made it out to the store to go get a new one yet.

I know my tank isn't cycled though, and i'm thinking the new water is killing the fish? I try to do a 70% change every other day. But when ever i miss a day(so 2 days with out a change) my fish do this. Shouldn't new water be good for them? =(

 

[Fishies86]

I take out 70 % of my water, put temp matched water back into the tank, then put in 40 gal worth of dechlorinator. (for a 36 gal tank)
And it the Aqueon stuff.

Before i change my water my fish are perfectly fine, no gasping or anything, but once i fill up the tank to 95% they all seem to start to flip out and are gasping and look like they are doing little seizure things.

And i have yet to go out and buy a test kit, i thought i had one that worked but it turns out it has expired and i haven't made it out to the store to go get a new one yet.

I know my tank isn't cycled though, and i'm thinking the new water is killing the fish? I try to do a 70% change every other day. But when ever i miss a day(so 2 days with out a change) my fish do this. Shouldn't new water be good for them? =(

I would put the dechlorinator in before you add the new water. That way it can be neutralizing the chlorine as you're adding fresh water. Otherwise you've got all that chlorine in the tank with the fish while you top it up and it's gonna be harming them.

 

[jlk]

A test kit would really help figure things out. If your tap water has high ammonia and/or nitrites, this may be affecting them. The other possibility is the ph of your tank is drastically different than your tap which would affect them as well. Without knowing where your parameters for your tank or tap stand, its difficult to know what exactly is happening. If there any chance you are dumping the new water into the tank? Dumping the water would lead to excess gasses being dissolved & would create gasping in your fish as well.

 

[Aski247]

The way I do mine(which I know is a little harsh, but my fish are very hardy) is take 2-3 5g buckets feel the tank water match the temp with the tub water then add the solution. Let each bucket sit for roughly 15 mins after mixing the water for about 30 sec's each. Then slowly poor them in. Very rarely will my RD or trimac flash any coloration. If at all it's mostly from messing up their caves/gravel pits.

 

[Wild]

Well i'm pouring in around a gallon of water at a time, should i be siphoning it into the tank? And it comes out of my bath tub faucet so it'd have a lot of bubbles in it from that as well...

 

[jlk]

My suggestion for now is to pick an open-mouthed pitcher from the dollar store & use this to scoop the water out of the bucket & lower it into the tank to allow the water to slowly mix into the tank rather than pouring it in. :et us know how your parameters look when you are able to test them.

 

[Wild]

Okay i'll try that from now on, thanks =)

 

[Boogety48]

You definitely want to add the chemicals to the water before you put it in your tank. I've always heard you never add chemicals straight to your tank. Add them to water first then mix it in. You also have to think that not only are you putting water that's bad for them in there, you're also adding pools of chemicals to the water for them to swim through.

 

[ashleynicole]

you need to add the dechlorinator to the the tank before you refill it with tapwater. And make sure you are dosing enough dechlorinator for the entire tank. For example if it is a 20 gallon tank and you are changing 10 gallons of water, you need to add enough dechlor for the whole 20 gallons of water.

 

[Fishies86]

Our you could do as I do and work out how much dechlorinator you need for each bucket of water that you put in, and add the dechlorinator straight to the bucket. I add it before i fill the bucket with water, that way I know it's well mixed
It also means you use less dechlorinator at a time so it lasts you longer and saves money

 

[HeatherW]

I also add my decholinator to the bucket, then I siphon it back into the tank. I just put the siphon in one bucket, then keep refilling that one with the treated water. since I am doing so many water changes I then leave whatever is left of the treated water and use it for the next time (which for me is the next day) I think it is less stressfull on the fish to siphon it in. if you want to pour it in I would pour VERY SLOWLY so you are not disturbing the water too much

 

[Mogurako]

I drain my water add my Prime for the total volume of the tank let it sit for about 5 minutes then fill the tank back up.

 

[Fishies86]

You could always used a jug to pour the water against a wall of the tank.that way the water spreads out and runs down the wall with virtually no splashing. I always pour mine over the filter, but my filter is in the tank not hob.