HELP! ASAP! Acidic Water. Cory dead!

[AquariumPage]

My albino Cory catfish was fine earlier today but is now dead. So I checked the water and it is super acidic. The ammonia was up so I put in some ammo lock to help that. Small amount of nitrates ( in the "safe" zone according to test kit) a bit of nitrites. total alkalinity low like 0. Acidic like crazy like below the chart like below 6.0 on chart. What should I do? 2.5 gallon. Betta, 1 African dwarf frog, and 1 albino Cory left (the other one died)

The Cory was on the bottom and didnt move when putting in the food with a tube for the frog so it was just dead at the bottom.

Advice?
What is wrong?
What can I do?
Why did the Cory die? It was fine earlier.

My other Cory is breathing rapidly. Spazzing a little bit when it moves and falling on it side.

Please help.

 

[Pton46]

Do a water Change....ASAP....get some Seachem Prime as well.

Is your tank cycled? Any Changes lately? Run through what you did recently.

 

[Laser]

Ammo lock only stops ammonia from rising as far as I know. You need to do a water change as Pton said. 50% test ammonia if it's above .25 do 50% again.

 

[AquariumPage]

Doing a 50% change RIGHT NOW.

 

[BHead707]

just a side note dont double post your threads


http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/help-asap-please-help-dead-cory-acidic-water-199342.html

 

[AquariumPage]

Can anybody tell me what would have change my total alkalinity and made my water very acidic when three days ago it was fine. Three days ago there was a little bit a nitrite in the "safe zone" and a tiny bit of ammonia. Everything else was fine. I did a 25% water change and now this all happened. Anybody have any clues? Suggestions for keeping alkalinity and acidity stable?

 

[AquariumPage]

just a side note dont double post your threads

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/help-asap-please-help-dead-cory-acidic-water-199342.html

Sorry. I don't think I meant to. I'm posting from my phone and it sometimes spazzes out on me and will do weird thing. I thought it hadn't posted or something. Sorry.

 

[blert]

I'm not going to sugar coat this for you so please don't get upset..

Yes, it is likely that everything in that 2.5 gallon tank is going to die. That is way too much fish in that small of a tank. When was the tank set up?

My suggestion... Take the Cories and the frog (as well as the frog in the one gallon) and put them in the ten gallon with the Guppies. Leave only the Betta in the 2.5 and the fry in the one gallon. You are going to need to keep an eye on the toxin levels in all three tanks and probably do 50% water changes daily until things level out. Even still, the ten gallon will be overstocked but at least you will have a chance at keeping them alive.

 

[blert]

Can anybody tell me what would have change my total alkalinity and made my water very acidic when three days ago it was fine. Three days ago there was a little bit a nitrite in the "safe zone" and a tiny bit of ammonia. Everything else was fine. I did a 25% water change and now this all happened. Anybody have any clues? Suggestions for keeping alkalinity and acidity stable?

The actual "safe zone" is zero ammonia and zero nitrite. In a 2.5 gallon tank bad things happen very fast as there is not a lot of water to dilute the toxins.

 

[Pton46]

Prime will Detox ammonia for about 24-48 hrs...(not remove it) This way in an emergency if you can't PWC right away it will hold it over.

I e-mailed SeaChem on that to verify and it is on the Website. You need to dose 5x the normal amount....

Seachem. Prime

 

[Pton46]

I'm not going to sugar coat this for you so please don't get upset..

Yes, it is likely that everything in that 2.5 gallon tank is going to die. That is way too much fish in that small of a tank. When was the tank set up?

My suggestion... Take the Cories and the frog (as well as the frog in the one gallon) and put them in the ten gallon with the Guppies. Leave only the Betta in the 2.5 and the fry in the one gallon. You are going to need to keep an eye on the toxin levels in all three tanks and probably do 50% water changes daily until things level out. Even still, the ten gallon will be overstocked but at least you will have a chance at keeping them alive.

Just saw this was a 2.5 gallon....please follow this advice above.

 

[AquariumPage]

Tank is cycled. Had it since December. I have issues with ammonia because of city water.

These pictures are of the tap water untreated.

 

[AquariumPage]

Picture of what my tank is at now.

 

[AquariumPage]

And I am at college at a different location from the guppies. My mom took the ten gallon at home because she wanted them. She also has the 1 gallon with a few fry. My 2.5 right now has 1 Betta, 1cory, and one African dwarf frog. I think i might lose the other Cory because within the last hour it has started looking and acting very odd. ADF acting fine. Betta acting and looking fine.

 

[Pton46]

Well Prime will help with the ammonia (Temporarily) but also test strips notorious for being inaccurate...do you know anyone who has or can you get an API Freshwater Test kit? I know budgets can be tight at college, but maybe can you get a 10 gallon at least and use the 2.5 gallons filter? This way 10 gallons will disperse the ammonia better. Just throwing out idea's here.

 

[blert]

And I am at college at a different location from the guppies. My mom took the ten gallon at home because she wanted them. She also has the 1 gallon with a few fry. My 2.5 right now has 1 Betta, 1cory, and one African dwarf frog. I think i might lose the other Cory because within the last hour it has started looking and acting very odd. ADF acting fine. Betta acting and looking fine.

Well, that sucks. Ok, you need a good water treatment that can detoxify ammonia and nitrite. SeaChem Prime is wonderful stuff. Water changes, water changes and more water changes. Match the temperatures.

 

[AquariumPage]

I'm going to keep an eye on my tank, all the fish have calmed down and are now acting normal. cory is no longer just floating around in the tank in the middle level. he is now at the bottom like normal and is no longer struggling to stay at the bottom. hopefully everything is okay.

 

[Coursair]

I'm going to keep an eye on my tank, all the fish have calmed down and are now acting normal. cory is no longer just floating around in the tank in the middle level. he is now at the bottom like normal and is no longer struggling to stay at the bottom. hopefully everything is okay.

I'm sorry but everything won't be ok long term till You move the ADF and the Cory into a bigger tank or return/rehome them.

Check Craigslist for free or cheap 10-20g or find a home for them.

I love Corydoras. I'm sorry you lost one. Your other is at risk til you find a real solution.

 

[AquariumPage]

I'm sorry but everything won't be ok long term till You move the ADF and the Cory into a bigger tank or return/rehome them.

Check Craigslist for free or cheap 10-20g or find a home for them.

I love Corydoras. I'm sorry you lost one. Your other is at risk til you find a real solution.

my mom absolutely loves corydoras so next time I'm home, I'll bring along my cory for her to add to the ten gallon tank.

will my 2.5 be okay with a betta and an ADF?

 

[blert]

my mom absolutely loves corydoras so next time I'm home, I'll bring along my cory for her to add to the ten gallon tank.

will my 2.5 be okay with a betta and an ADF?

Honest opinion... No.
The 2.5 might be ok for the Betta but it too really needs a ten gallon, five at the smallest. You are probably going to need to do daily PWCs until you have a bigger tank. If you can somehow get some more media in the filter it will help as there will be more space for your BB to colonize, even a sponge over the intake will help. Of course, that would depend on what kind of filter you have.