Can I keep my Plants?

[Lawrie0523]

Hi,
Can you please help? My tank had been established and cycled for a little over a year however following a 10% water change yesterday all my fish went from healthy to dead in about 2hours. I carried out the water change in the same way I always do and there has never been any problem before, therefore I have to assume that some contaminant has got in with the new water (I don’t know what.)
My intension is to clean the tank replace the substrate and start again, my question is, can I keep my plants driftwood and stones or do I need to start completely from scratch?
Thank you,
Lawrie

 

[Exigenn]

It could be a contaminant or there could have been additional chlorine in the tab water you didn't treat for. I always treat mine 2 or 3x the recommended amount just in case. Some other more experienced people could give you better advice though.

On the note of plants driftwood and stone im sure leaving the driftwood/stones and substrate in the air or outside so they dry out and get hit from the sun would kill anything. Not to sure about plants.

best of luck.

 

[Fishperson]

Are you sure you added dechlorinator?

Sometimes cities do something to the water, add extra chlorine or certain chemicals or something. Over here it happens in April and they usually send out a memo to all of the citizens so we know. Is it possible that your city did that?

Anyway, if it's a chemical then I would drain all of the water out (or as much as you can), then fill it back up with well dechlorinated water (2 or 3 times recommended dose of dechlorinator), let it soak, and then drain that back out again. But do that later, so that any chemical that the city could have added to the water is not in it anymore.

If it's a bacteria (I doubt it, I don't think there's anything that can kill an entire tank in 2 hours) then you'd have a much harder time getting rid of it.

Does your dechlorinator remove heavy metals?

 

[scarthell]

I am curious on what schedule you have done major water changes. If only 10% is changed out and not often, it's possible you had some anaerobic buildup in the substrate. Releasing that could kill your fish. I do a 50-70% change every 3 weeks.

Also, your drainage hose could have been contaminated. Do you leave it outside? Maybe bug spray or an herbicide got on it?

That happened to me and I discarded the hose rather than risk it.

Worst case scenario you'll need to re-cycle the tank after a thorough rinse of the substrate and a sun cleanse for your decorations.

Sent from my D6708 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Fishperson]

I am curious on what schedule you have done major water changes. If only 10% is changed out and not often, it's possible you had some anaerobic buildup in the substrate. Releasing that could kill your fish. I do a 50-70% change every 3 weeks.

Also, your drainage hose could have been contaminated. Do you leave it outside? Maybe bug spray or an herbicide got on it?

That happened to me and I discarded the hose rather than risk it.

Worst case scenario you'll need to re-cycle the tank after a thorough rinse of the substrate and a sun cleanse for your decorations.

Sent from my D6708 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

+1

If youre going to do a water change you might as well do 25% or more.

 

[Lawrie0523]

Thanks for the help guys, it's nice to know everything in the tank isn't going to be a write off.

In answer to the questions around water changes tend to be around 10-15% once a week, 50% about once a month and then about an 80% every 6 months.

I really don't know went wrong as I said it's not a new tank and everything had been ok up until now. I guess extra chemicals in the water could be it and I hadn't considered something that had built up in the substrate. Hose contamination is also a risk I guess, will change it too just in case.