All fish dead?

[starjessie56]

Hello everybody, I have a problem. I have a 2.5 gallon community. There were 3 guppies in the tank. I did a water change as usual yesterday. after I put the fish back in the tank, they hung out at the top for the night. when I woke up this morning, one was stuck against the filter and the other two were sitting at the bottom breathing heavy and their tails weren't fanned as the they usually are. I checked the chemical levels and they are all at zero. The temperature is even perfect. I just don't get how they could all become so sick when they were perfectly fine yesterday. I transferred the the other two guppies into a different tank with cycled water and they are still moving their fins and breathing by are on their sides dying. does anyone know what could have happend?

 

[Mitchafishaboo]

what may have happened is that your fish have developed an illness and it was only bad coincidentally when you did a water change. I had 4 rosy barbs, and all 4 got stuck to the filter, if i were you, i would get some more guppies, try breeding them or something in the meantime, and whilst that happens , check for any noticable differences, may i ask what colour your guppies were and how old were they?

 

[starjessie56]

Alright. One was yellow, one was blue and one was a multi colored split tail. I have had them for about 3.5 months with no problem. It's just so sad. The two guppies are still at the bottom if the tank breathing on their side. Do you think there is any way to save them?

 

[Muchcha]

Did u put some salt? I think it works.. Whenever my fish is about to die or showing signs of dying I put some salt.. Whatever fish it maybe I do that.. Platy,kio fish(kalf), goldfish,Molly, silver shark and many more.. Hope this helps Take Care!

 

[starjessie56]

Did u put some salt? I think it works.. Whenever my fish is about to die or showing signs of dying I put some salt.. Whatever fish it maybe I do that.. Platy,kio fish(kalf), goldfish,Molly, silver shark and many more.. Hope this helps Take Care!

Thanks for the idea! Just regular table salt or sea salt?

 

[Muchcha]

Thanks for the idea! Just regular table salt or sea salt?

I just use salt which my mum uses to make food for me I think anything would be ok

 

[Fishanatic]

I just use salt which my mum uses to make food for me I think anything would be ok

That's not good, and shouldn't be done at all(without being rude). Never ever ever use marine salt, especially for non-marine aquatic species. It's dangerous for them. Even for marine species, you should be using marine salt, not table salt, *maybe* sea salt. You can buy epson salt in a fish store, just don't use table salt. You can also buy medical salt(Yes I have seen it) at a fish store.

 

[Shanny]

Did you remember to treat the water for chlorine? That is one of the most common culprits of sick fish right after a water change. It is easy to forget to treat the water once you become complacent about doing pwc's. I don't recommend adding salt until you know for sure what is wrong. And if you do add salt there is proper amounts and rates to add it at.

 

[Alyxx]

That's not good, and shouldn't be done at all(without being rude). Never ever ever use marine salt, especially for non-marine aquatic species. It's dangerous for them. Even for marine species, you should be using marine salt, not table salt, *maybe* sea salt. You can buy epson salt in a fish store, just don't use table salt. You can also buy medical salt(Yes I have seen it) at a fish store.

It's not Epsom salt you get at the fish store, it's just rock salt. Epsom salt can be used for some fish diseases but it isn't the same thing, it's magnesium sulfate not sodium chloride. You can use table salt or kosher salt as long as it doesn't contain any iodide or anti caking agents. You want pure sodium chloride. If you aren't sure what to get, get "freshwater aquarium salt" at a fish store or in the pet department of Walmart. But be careful because it isn't good for some fish species, however guppies are very salt tolerant and some say they do best with some salt in their water.

2.5 gallons is a very small tank, and if there was some contaminant in the water you used in the water change it could take effect quickly. Perhaps you didn't use enough dechlorinator or there was a higher than usual level of heavy metals or something in the water. What dechlorinator do you use, and do you have city water or well water? Have you checked the ph from your tap and compared it to the ph in your tank? If there is a significant difference before the water "gasses off" your fish might be suffering because of a swing in the ph.

 

[Fishanatic]

It's not Epsom salt you get at the fish store, it's just rock salt. Epsom salt can be used for some fish diseases but it isn't the same thing, it's magnesium sulfate not sodium chloride. You can use table salt or kosher salt as long as it doesn't contain any iodide or anti caking agents. You want pure sodium chloride. If you aren't sure what to get, get "freshwater aquarium salt" at a fish store or in the pet department of Walmart. But be careful because it isn't good for some fish species, however guppies are very salt tolerant and some say they do best with some salt in their water.

I agree with you're contradiction on myself there. But I recommended epsom salt without being thorough enough. Just wanted to make him reseal not to use table salt or sea salt.

 

[Berylla]

I agree with Shanny. It looks like a classic mistake of forgetting to put in dechlor. Sorry for your loss.

 

[erarebirth]

There are several good points here, with such a small tank any small contaminator could cause problems, or if dechlorinator was forgotten or enough wasn't used that could be a problem. I've seen mixed opinions on the salt thing, some users (as you can see) advocate NEVER using salt unless you have specifically salt water fish, others say a little salt is OK. I've been told by a number of people that guppies don't mind "brackish" tanks. When I was having sick guppy problems, I read about doing "salt dips." At the time I didn't have aquarium salt, so I used sea salt (which is not iodized, I think that's important, because table salt IS iodized). I did this until I got to the fish store to get aquarium salt. Interestingly enough the brand I bought was by API and is labeled "freshwater salt." I now add that salt to my tank water on a consistent basis. According to the label for "fresh water" fish, I add about 1 tsp of the salt per gallon. I've been doing this since January of this year and haven't had any problems with my fish. I'm not sure how much my plants like it though. :-/

Another thing I might recommend is preparing your water in advance for the water changes (if you don't already do so). The dechlorinator needs a little time to work, plus if you let the water sit out it will naturally allow the chlorine to evaporate on it's own. There are also many opinion on this process (sometimes called aging your water). Some people recommend continuous aeration of the water while it's sitting out, others just let it sit. My aunt used to use "aquarium grade" buckets to allow her water to sit out. I have a small home and not a lot of room for buckets, so I personally use a slightly different process. I've read about other people doing this, and it's worked for me for a couple months now. When I finish a gallon of milk, I thoroughly and immediately rinse the container with hot water, and add a bit of bleach to the inside of the container. I put the lid back on, swish the bleach around inside to cover all surfaces. Then I rinse THOROUGHLY and allow to air dry. I usually smell the inside of my now "clean" container to make sure it doesn't smell like bleach after it's dried. Then I will put a bit of dechlorinator (and my salt) in the gallon and fill it up. I let it sit out with no top for a couple hours, then put a top on it and store it in the closet or under the table until I need it for water changes. I only clean the container the one time, I just keep refilling it as mentioned above each time I use it. Anyway, I've probably given you way too much info, and I'm not even sure if it's considered to be "correct" info, I just know that this works for me.

 

[Fishanatic]

There are several good points here, with such a small tank any small contaminator could cause problems, or if dechlorinator was forgotten or enough wasn't used that could be a problem. I've seen mixed opinions on the salt thing, some users (as you can see) advocate NEVER using salt unless you have specifically salt water fish, others say a little salt is OK. I've been told by a number of people that guppies don't mind "brackish" tanks. When I was having sick guppy problems, I read about doing "salt dips." At the time I didn't have aquarium salt, so I used sea salt (which is not iodized, I think that's important, because table salt IS iodized). I did this until I got to the fish store to get aquarium salt. Interestingly enough the brand I bought was by API and is labeled "freshwater salt." I now add that salt to my tank water on a consistent basis. According to the label for "fresh water" fish, I add about 1 tsp of the salt per gallon. I've been doing this since January of this year and haven't had any problems with my fish. I'm not sure how much my plants like it though. :-/

Another thing I might recommend is preparing your water in advance for the water changes (if you don't already do so). The dechlorinator needs a little time to work, plus if you let the water sit out it will naturally allow the chlorine to evaporate on it's own. There are also many opinion on this process (sometimes called aging your water). Some people recommend continuous aeration of the water while it's sitting out, others just let it sit. My aunt used to use "aquarium grade" buckets to allow her water to sit out. I have a small home and not a lot of room for buckets, so I personally use a slightly different process. I've read about other people doing this, and it's worked for me for a couple months now. When I finish a gallon of milk, I thoroughly and immediately rinse the container with hot water, and add a bit of bleach to the inside of the container. I put the lid back on, swish the bleach around inside to cover all surfaces. Then I rinse THOROUGHLY and allow to air dry. I usually smell the inside of my now "clean" container to make sure it doesn't smell like bleach after it's dried. Then I will put a bit of dechlorinator (and my salt) in the gallon and fill it up. I let it sit out with no top for a couple hours, then put a top on it and store it in the closet or under the table until I need it for water changes. I only clean the container the one time, I just keep refilling it as mentioned above each time I use it. Anyway, I've probably given you way too much info, and I'm not even sure if it's considered to be "correct" info, I just know that this works for me.

Good remarks and points on a few things. The freshwater salt is basically to ''mimic'' brackish water. Marine salt would be to slightly go over brackish, as it is much more concentrated.
Also, most tap water conditioner's act on the spot. There is no wait for it to de-chlorinate the water(except the time it takes to reach the bottom). As for letting it sit, that will only evaporate chlorine, chloramine and other heavy metals will still stay trapped inside the water, that can be harmful too.

 

[aquanoob82]

Alyxx has the best answer here!!!.... listen to him!!! another thing salt does is it replenishes important electrolytes in the water and disinfects...breathing heavily at the bottom means that it is affected by one of the nitrates or nitrites... carnt remember which one.. good luck

 

[Alyxx]

Alyxx has the best answer here!!!.... listen to him!!! another thing salt does is it replenishes important electrolytes in the water and disinfects...breathing heavily at the bottom means that it is affected by one of the nitrates or nitrites... carnt remember which one.. good luck

... To her. But thanks!

 

[GuppyAquatail109]

2.5 gallons is very small for fish.It is harder to take care of,and ammonia poisoning is more common.I recommend using Aquarium salt(for freshwater).The salt heals certain diseases and fish are more healthier because some diseases are harder to appear in salted tanks.