Rocket2001
Aquarium Advice Freak
I need help from some experts and quick! My tank is crashing, I have a 120gal freshwater tank with a 7-8 in Red Devil, a 4in Jack Dempsey and a 12+in Pleco. The water parameters have gone off the scale.
Ammonia is over 8.0, I cant get a true reading because the chart goes only to 8.0
Nitrates are ok at 20ppm
Nitrites are 0
but Total Alk= 0
and ph is <6.4 (once again off the chart)
Heres the whole story....This tank has been set up for quite a while...it was established. My all-glass fluorescent bulb burned out and I replaced it with a standard 48in florescent tube (is this ok?) Soon after I notice a bit of an algea build up. i figured this was due to the new bulb being brighter since they were brand new.
The algea wasnt a problem but then I noticed a strange smell coming from the tank. I did a 25% water change and that didn't help so I did another one a week later. Then I noticed my Red Devil wasn't looking to good. His scales were whitish on the ends almost like he was peeling from a sun burn. He continued to get more white marks on him but they didnt look like ich (spots). I never saw ick on a big fish like that so I wasn't sure. Then the Red Devil and Jack Dempsey stopped eating but I didnt notice right away. After a few days I noticed the rotting pellets on the filter intake. I was concerned about the ammonia from the excess food in the tank so I cleaned the filters and did a 25% water change. I then notice mucus on the gills of the Red Devil. Since I wasn't sure what was making the fish sick I removed the carbon from the filter and treated for Ick and treated with Pimafix on alternate days.
After the treatments I did a water change of 25% and then treated again on alternating days. The skin and gills of the Red Devils cleared up. But now the tank was starting to cloud up. I did another water change and it did nothing. I checked the ammonia and it was off the chart. I started doing 25% water changes every other day. Thing continued to decline, I did a 50% water change. and still nothing. The tank is now so cloudy I cant see from the front to the back and the the ph has crashed as well as the Alk.
I have no idea what to do? Does anyone have any knowledge on whats happening and how to fix it. I beginning to think my beneficial bacteria has died off and the tank is trying to cycle again.
Here is one more twist... i live in Peabody, MA and as any of you know that watch the news, we went throughout some catastrophic flooding in the past few weeks..during this time with the tank problems. I am starting to wonder if my tap water is contaminated in some way that humans have no problems with but is causing hell to my aquariums. i noticed in my 55gal tank an oily film floating on top. I havent made any water changes in that tank, just topped off the tank. I noticed the same oily film in my 120 gal tank.
I am out of ideas, and fear I will lose my three fish in the 120gal tank
any knowledgable help would be appreciated
Ammonia is over 8.0, I cant get a true reading because the chart goes only to 8.0
Nitrates are ok at 20ppm
Nitrites are 0
but Total Alk= 0
and ph is <6.4 (once again off the chart)
Heres the whole story....This tank has been set up for quite a while...it was established. My all-glass fluorescent bulb burned out and I replaced it with a standard 48in florescent tube (is this ok?) Soon after I notice a bit of an algea build up. i figured this was due to the new bulb being brighter since they were brand new.
The algea wasnt a problem but then I noticed a strange smell coming from the tank. I did a 25% water change and that didn't help so I did another one a week later. Then I noticed my Red Devil wasn't looking to good. His scales were whitish on the ends almost like he was peeling from a sun burn. He continued to get more white marks on him but they didnt look like ich (spots). I never saw ick on a big fish like that so I wasn't sure. Then the Red Devil and Jack Dempsey stopped eating but I didnt notice right away. After a few days I noticed the rotting pellets on the filter intake. I was concerned about the ammonia from the excess food in the tank so I cleaned the filters and did a 25% water change. I then notice mucus on the gills of the Red Devil. Since I wasn't sure what was making the fish sick I removed the carbon from the filter and treated for Ick and treated with Pimafix on alternate days.
After the treatments I did a water change of 25% and then treated again on alternating days. The skin and gills of the Red Devils cleared up. But now the tank was starting to cloud up. I did another water change and it did nothing. I checked the ammonia and it was off the chart. I started doing 25% water changes every other day. Thing continued to decline, I did a 50% water change. and still nothing. The tank is now so cloudy I cant see from the front to the back and the the ph has crashed as well as the Alk.
I have no idea what to do? Does anyone have any knowledge on whats happening and how to fix it. I beginning to think my beneficial bacteria has died off and the tank is trying to cycle again.
Here is one more twist... i live in Peabody, MA and as any of you know that watch the news, we went throughout some catastrophic flooding in the past few weeks..during this time with the tank problems. I am starting to wonder if my tap water is contaminated in some way that humans have no problems with but is causing hell to my aquariums. i noticed in my 55gal tank an oily film floating on top. I havent made any water changes in that tank, just topped off the tank. I noticed the same oily film in my 120 gal tank.
I am out of ideas, and fear I will lose my three fish in the 120gal tank
any knowledgable help would be appreciated