Glofish Keep Dying New Aquarium

[bekershpd]

If it's been 24 hrs since you dosed, yes.

It hasn't quite been 24 hours, so I will wait a little longer.

I got my AquaClear 30 filter today. Any special instructions for setting it up? What don't do with the filter from my Mom's tank once my new system is up? Just throw it in the tank?

 

[Reygan2]

It hasn't quite been 24 hours, so I will wait a little longer.

I got my AquaClear 30 filter today. Any special instructions for setting it up? What don't do with the filter from my Mom's tank once my new system is up? Just throw it in the tank?

It's fairly simple to assemble. There are detailed YouTube videos that can help you out and I recommend watching one to give you an idea of how to put it together and arrange the media.
First of all rinse the old filter cartridge out in your tank. Then I'd remove as much of the floss from the cartridge that you can and place it all in the media basket between the bag of ceramic media and the bottom sponge in the AC.

 

[bekershpd]

It's fairly simple to assemble. There are detailed YouTube videos that can help you out and I recommend watching one to give you an idea of how to put it together and arrange the media.
First of all rinse the old filter cartridge out in your tank. Then I'd remove as much of the floss from the cartridge that you can and place it all in the media basket between the bag of ceramic media and the bottom sponge in the AC.

Ok, I got it installed.

It's not quite 24 hours since I dosed with ammonia... but very close. Ammonia level is stil 4 ppm, nitrates and nitrites are 0. I'm thinking maybe the bacteria from my mom's tank died before I got it in mine?

 

[bekershpd]

I have read this entire thread.

While I agree that the cycle is a big concern, and the advice you are being given on that is great, I don't think that's what's killing your fish.



You mentioned that a regular pH test tops out, and a high range shows 8.8. I think the problem is the pH being too high for the fish. There's no reason to think the high test is wrong. If your pH was 7.6, the high test would agree. Having shells in your tank supports the test reading.



Glofish come, currently, in 3 species; danios, tetras, and barbs. We don't know which you have, but I suspect it's the tetra. Tetras don't do well in high pH, especially if the swing isn't gradual over the course of hours. So two factors are probably killing these fish... The acclimation from a presumed store on of 6.5-7.0 or so to 8.8 is too fast, and the pH of 8.8 is too high.



You have removed the shells.

You need to be really careful in moving the remaining fish to a new pH, especially if it is lower. Down swings are even more risky for fish than up swings. You might lose that fish.

I'd keep the snails where they are. They've survived thus far, so they'll probably do fine.



Having removed the shells, which are most likely the cause of your high pH, the pH *should* gradually come down to where water changes won't cause such a huge swing (you said 8.8 came down to 7.8).



If it doesn't come down, then something else is keeping your buffer high. If you can't find the source and don't do anything to lower the buffer, pH swings will continue to be a problem that will stress any fish you put in there. You would need to get fish that can handle a higher pH, and do smaller water changes to reduce swings.



To lower the buffer, you could add driftwood.

But I'd wait to see if it lowers on its own due to removal of the shells. I think that mostly likely will happen.

Tyrsdottir- I think you are on to something! I tested the pH of my tap water (why did I never do that?), and it is 8.4! The current pH of my tank is 7.4, but that is with the ammonia at 4 ppm.

If my heart is set on the Tetras, you mentioned I could add driftwood. I like this idea, but how would that affect water changes?

 

[Reygan2]

Therein lies the issues I have with fluctuating ph. Unfortunately we have to do more frequent partial water changes rather than one large one a week.

 

[Reygan2]

Ok, I got it installed.

It's not quite 24 hours since I dosed with ammonia... but very close. Ammonia level is stil 4 ppm, nitrates and nitrites are 0. I'm thinking maybe the bacteria from my mom's tank died before I got it in mine?

It's going to take a while before the BB (beneficial bacteria) can get established and convert 4ppm of ammonia.

It will get there though. That's where the patience comes in. You're going to be looking for nitrites now. That will be a sure sign that conversion is happening.

 

[Tyrsdottir]

Tyrsdottir- I think you are on to something! I tested the pH of my tap water (why did I never do that?), and it is 8.4! The current pH of my tank is 7.4, but that is with the ammonia at 4 ppm.

If my heart is set on the Tetras, you mentioned I could add driftwood. I like this idea, but how would that affect water changes?

I'd wait to see what it's at when the cycle is complete. How it would effect the water changes you wouldn't know til you did it, adding more or less driftwood to get what you want, but look at what you want.
You're looking for a Max of 7.5 for tetras, and that's a big difference. Depending on the size of your wcs, it could bounce every time and stress your fish. And you'd want to keep and eye on it because it could still change over time.
I have a good link for pH and buffering. Let me see if I can find it.

Personally, I'd forget tetras and go with something that likes harder water.

 

[Tyrsdottir]

Here's the link.
Beginner FAQ: Water Chemistry

The author would place me in the last category.
I can accept that, but the true descriptor right now is overburdened (4 kids = utter chaos).
Maybe when I retire I'll have time to not be "lazy".

 

[Reygan2]

I've kept tetras for years with a high ph. I still haven't done the high range test, but the reading on the other has always maxed out at 7.6.

 

[Tyrsdottir]

Looks like you're doing something right, that I didn't do then!

 

[Reygan2]

Maybe different types are affected differently. I kept neon and cardinal tetras for years. I had a school of black skirts when I first started keeping tanks but I rehomed the nippy little buggers after a few months.

 

[Tyrsdottir]

I tried neons in my tank, with no success.
Either I didn't acclimate them slowly enough, or maybe the breeder doesn't have good stock.

 

[bekershpd]

Something's happening!

Looks like the ammonia is creeping down a bit, and the nitrates have shot up!

Do I need to do anything right now, or should I just keep waiting? ?

 

[Reygan2]

Hey! Moving along nicely! Lots of folks would suggest dosing back up to 4ppm. I've cycled lots of tanks only dosing to 2ppm and it worked out fine. It's up to you.

 

[bekershpd]

I dosed a bit more ammonia last night- back up to 4ppm. Tonight the ammonia is registering 2ppm; Nitrite 0ppm; Nitrate 20ppm; pH 8.4.

My pH 24 hours ago was 7.2. Are big pH swings like this normal?

 

[Reygan2]

Not in my experience. But the cycle could be causing the fluctuation. It's still in a good range, but keep an eye on it. If it gets too low it could stall your cycle and you'd need to do a water change to replace buffers. It's moving along nicely. We should see nitrites next, but it could take a few more days to a week or more.

 

[TeenyFish]

I just read through the entire thread, and I personally have a concern that doesn't seem to have registered (perhaps I mis-understand what's happened)?

Your old filter and your mums filter...
What happened there?
The way I'm reading it, you unplugged your filter, took it to your mums, unplugged her filter, put your filter in her tank, and brought her filter back to yours and put it in your tank?

If so, your mum could start seeing issues...

What should have happened, is you took half the sponge/floss out of your filter to your mums, swapped it in her filter, then brought half of the sponge/floss from her filter back in a bag/bucket of tank water.

With your new filter arriving, you should have either took all the sponge/floss out of the current filter and added it to the AC, or, just have both filters running in the tanks for a couple of weeks.

pH shouldn't in itself be a problem. The majority of fish can adapt to a huge range. The problem comes with changes in pH. It's the swinging numbers that cause the issues.
It doesn't matter if your pH is 7, or 8, as long as that's where it stays.
If your pH is 8 now, and you do a water change and it goes to 7, then climbs back to 8, then drops and so on, you'll struggle to ever keep fish.

 

[nirbhao]

My understanding​ is that bekershpd took some, but not all, of her mother's media. She already has the new AquaClear set up and running. Other members have advised that Mama B keep an eye on her cycle.

And whatever you think she should do, it's all already done.

There is a wide degree of pH that most fish can adapt to, but no, it does matter if the pH is 7 or 8. That's a huge difference-- bigger than the difference between 6 and 7 because the scale is logarithmic.

 

[TeenyFish]

Well if that's the case then that's good. As I said, I wasn't sure if I was misreading.

Whether it's done or not, it's still worth clarifying for other people that stumble across this thread.

It is a huge difference, that fish can adapt to if they're acclimated accordingly. A fish used to a pH of 7 will adapt to a pH of 8. What they won't tolerate is constant swings up and down the scale.

 

[nirbhao]

To a degree. I can't keep snails at 6.8 just like no one can keep discus at 7.8.