Recent content by howdyheidi

Is your tank new? Just wondering about the ammonia being high and nitrates low. That might be your issue right there. Have they improved at all after the water change and how much lower is the ammonia?

I had several guppies die off at once a few weeks ago and I think it may have been due to a pH swing after a water change and addition of new plastic plants. I really never found a way to figure it out for sure. I might keep testing the water daily to make sure it is stable.

Thanks Matt. I have not tried Prime. When I set up the tank, we just used all API products. I have not figured out why people recommend Prime so much higher than the other brands, but I will look into it. API says that Stress Coat also neutralizes stuff, but maybe one does more than the...

Invest in a testing kit, the API one lasts a very long time. There aren't too many more things you need :)

How long has it been going on?

I am not an expert, but I thought the a weekly 25% change while cycling with fish was minimum, and then more if your numbers are getting high.

I think maybe once you join a forum for aquarium advice, maybe it is a hobby????

How old are your guppies? Does the tail looks greyish or discolored at all?

Have you done any water changes since you added the fish?

It is actually city water. Thanks for the reply. We hadn't had any problem with the water till last week. It is hard to pinpoint the actual issue, so I am trying to cover all my bases.

Thanks. I have a lot more confidence now in restarting our tank. :)

Thanks. Also, I am reading that H2S is pretty volatile, so (even though I do not know how long exactly) aging the water should really allow most of the gas to release. That is probably what I am going to try. And see about adding the carbon filter. I still cannot find a water testing kit...

That is what I read about the bacteria in the water heater. Some people say you can reduce it by turning it up hot for a while, but it eventually comes back. There definitely is a sulfur smell sometimes. Does anyone know if it is only H2S (hydrogen sulfide) that causes fish death and not...

Or if not, what should you use? We just had all our fish die and are trying to figure out what to do to restart the tank. I posted about it here if you want to check it out: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/all-our-guppies-died-332993.html One of the considerations of their death is...

Thank you very much! I did not know that you could overdose on stress coat, but I don't think that is it. It is my kids tank, so yes, he sometimes overfeeds and maybe doesn't measure 100% correctly, but not ridiculously off and I also do a lot of it. Well, the pH swing I saw was after the...