I'm looking for help here. I've never seen this problem and can't find any similar cases online:
I have a moderately planted 55gal tank that's been running for 3 years.
I was out of town for three weeks and had a bit of GSA and some brown algae outbreak. I started doing the recommended dosing of Excel. I was having good success and the existing plants even started to sprout some extra new growth. I felt confident this last weekend to start adding some new plants and look for a couple new fish. I've 2 hillstream loach for over a year and bought another one (they are great as keeping the leaves clear of algae) I use an oversized filter to keep up the current and oxygen content. I also bought a Crinum and added to my existing Chilensis forest. I soaked the new plants in siphoned out tank water for 3 days using my tank only bucket and rinsed prior to planting. I did not add any of the water from the new loach's travel bag to the tank.
I did a 40% water change, dosed excel, planted the new plants with an API root tabs at each. I also used the opportunity to wipe down the glass with a tank only cloth. I also cleaned out the filter intake and housing. The filter has two filter bags, I replaced one of the bags but filled it with 1/2 old media (from the removed bag) and 1/2 new media (activated carbon). After these maintenance activities, the water was a bit cloudy which is typical after a filter bag change and water change. I expected it to clear up.
The next day (15 hours later) I came home and the tank was cloudy white with a white film on the glass, substrate and driftwood, with a small amount on some of the plants. The two old loaches were dead and the rest of the fish were lethargic and congregating at the surface away from the filter occasionally gulping air from the surface.
I removed the fish to my hospital tank - within 25 minutes they were behaving normally and even took sinking pellets. This morning, their coloration is normal and behavior is typical.
My only guesses are
1. CO2 poisoning somehow? (I don't dose extra CO2 other than the excel (for the past 4 weeks) Although the fish had been unaffected until now
2. Bad filter media?
3. Accidental chemical contamination? - although I'm very careful about that
4. Algae bloom? the water parameters don't support that though
5. it almost appears like excess calcium I have no clue where it would have come from.
Last night I removed the new filter bag and replaced it with the old (still moist) did a 50% water change and wiped the film from the glass with paper towel.
Any help would be great. I don't want to lose anymore fish and God forbid, plants.
Stocking:
6 Cherry Barbs
3 Hillstream Loach (1 brand new)
Plants:
Chilensis (1/2 is brand new)
Mini Java Fern
Crypts
Bronze Wendth
Crinum (bran new)
Readings:
0.0 Ammonia
0.0 Nitrite
10 Nitrate
7.8 PH - normal for my tank
I have a moderately planted 55gal tank that's been running for 3 years.
I was out of town for three weeks and had a bit of GSA and some brown algae outbreak. I started doing the recommended dosing of Excel. I was having good success and the existing plants even started to sprout some extra new growth. I felt confident this last weekend to start adding some new plants and look for a couple new fish. I've 2 hillstream loach for over a year and bought another one (they are great as keeping the leaves clear of algae) I use an oversized filter to keep up the current and oxygen content. I also bought a Crinum and added to my existing Chilensis forest. I soaked the new plants in siphoned out tank water for 3 days using my tank only bucket and rinsed prior to planting. I did not add any of the water from the new loach's travel bag to the tank.
I did a 40% water change, dosed excel, planted the new plants with an API root tabs at each. I also used the opportunity to wipe down the glass with a tank only cloth. I also cleaned out the filter intake and housing. The filter has two filter bags, I replaced one of the bags but filled it with 1/2 old media (from the removed bag) and 1/2 new media (activated carbon). After these maintenance activities, the water was a bit cloudy which is typical after a filter bag change and water change. I expected it to clear up.
The next day (15 hours later) I came home and the tank was cloudy white with a white film on the glass, substrate and driftwood, with a small amount on some of the plants. The two old loaches were dead and the rest of the fish were lethargic and congregating at the surface away from the filter occasionally gulping air from the surface.
I removed the fish to my hospital tank - within 25 minutes they were behaving normally and even took sinking pellets. This morning, their coloration is normal and behavior is typical.
My only guesses are
1. CO2 poisoning somehow? (I don't dose extra CO2 other than the excel (for the past 4 weeks) Although the fish had been unaffected until now
2. Bad filter media?
3. Accidental chemical contamination? - although I'm very careful about that
4. Algae bloom? the water parameters don't support that though
5. it almost appears like excess calcium I have no clue where it would have come from.
Last night I removed the new filter bag and replaced it with the old (still moist) did a 50% water change and wiped the film from the glass with paper towel.
Any help would be great. I don't want to lose anymore fish and God forbid, plants.
Stocking:
6 Cherry Barbs
3 Hillstream Loach (1 brand new)
Plants:
Chilensis (1/2 is brand new)
Mini Java Fern
Crypts
Bronze Wendth
Crinum (bran new)
Readings:
0.0 Ammonia
0.0 Nitrite
10 Nitrate
7.8 PH - normal for my tank