HELP- New tank setup- killed all fish in 3 hours

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Gang I'm in need advice and opinions,
First off, I'm a FW noob. My history is with salt water , many many years with salt tanks.
I set up my daughter a tank a few hours ago, just went to look at it and all the fish are dead on the bottom of the tank, or stuck in the fake grass ornaments.
Here is the set up:
Aquapod 24 ,once used as a reef tank, pulled from years of storage in my closet , last night I bleach water cleaned the tank, rinsed, refilled , rinsed and dechlorinated with stress coat. Filled with my own RO-DI water last night, put heater in , bottom gravel in, and allowed to run overnight.
Tonight:
We drip accumulated 6 Glo Tetras after a 15 minute float, and introduced them into tank.
Also put in recommended amount of the API quick start stuff to kick off the cycle like the store said to do.
Put 2 blocks of sponge media in rear compartment.
Put one nylon bag of carbon ( rinsed) in rear compartment.

Left house for 3 hours and came home to all dead fish.

Parameters:
PH=6.8
Temp=74
Ammonia taken with my SW test = 0
chlorine =0 taken with dip sticks, quick pool test, and comprehensive pool water test with combined chlorine and free chlorine, all showing 0.

The one thing I didn't think about was a air stone, so no air stone in tank.

What am I missing here? Where to look for the answer? Did I forget something?
Thanks,
Joey

 

[pinkishy]

Hi, not sure, but I think RO water is supposed to be remineralized?

 

[Exigenn]

Firstly i personally always avoid bleach when cleaning the tanks, i prefer vinegar. Im not an RO-DI person myself but i think your supposed to just cut with tap water not 100% RO-DI. Besides that glo-light tetras would be fine in straight up tap water. Now to the dead fish

The tank was not cycled. Personally i think that quick-start stuff is for the most part crap, i prefer seeded media. If you ask a LFS for a squeez of media most will give it freely (not big box stores) The fish dying could be blamed on a non-cycled tank combined with stress and just weak stock. Personally i don't like fishless cycles (don't crucify me.) some people do the raw shrimp thing. I personally would get the filter media squeez from a LFS or if you know anyone that has an established FW tank ask for some old media or something in the tank to help seed it. I would buy 1/2 $1 guppies and put them in after this (plan on keeping them so pick ones you will like) I have never lost a fish during fish in cycles. If not guppies do some research for hardy fish and start with 1/2 on top of either the media or squeez.

Any plants of Driftwood you feel like adding it do for it. Plants hold BB all be it negligible amounts but will help. same with Driftwood if it was in a tank before hand. With pre-seeded media and a few fish in the tank is cycled in 1/2 weeks, then slowly start adding fish of your choosing, A few at a time, Any idea of the planned stocking for this tank? bit of a side note, Whenever im doing fish in cycles i throw in a large clump of java moss and any plants i plan on putting in, I think it helps with spikes and the fish are more likely to survive IMO.

 

[pinkishy]

Also, I've had my two glo lite tetras for about a year and a half and they're doing just fine today. I used them to cycle a tank back then and used bottled bacteria (tetra safestart). I used more than the recommended dose. It wont harm the fish. I also use tap water and my ph is about 7.5. Maybe you had a ph swing? That can kill fish. Looks like u did fine but not familiar with RO/Di water except maybe it needed to be remineralized.

 

[bigsea]

I agree with all these responses.

Although i think the only thing that couldve killed your fish in 3 hours is the bleach.


- St Charles Almendras Geraldizo

 

[Exigenn]

Yea thats what i was mainly thinking as well.

 

[bigsea]

I never use bleach

But if i did or bought one used in which the previous owner used bleach to clean it for me id give it a vicious high powered rinse then id let it dry out over night then blast it again with more water. Gotta beware of the little inner lip at the top of the tank too. Theres always water there that doesnt pour out. Lay the tank upsidedown propped up at a corner and blast the hell out of the inner lip.


- St Charles Almendras Geraldizo

 

[Exigenn]

same, never used it but i would basically do the same thing you recommended. Anything thats not vinegar i pretty much never clean with. It does the job of just about everything else maybe just a little longer to do. But when your talking about possibly killing fish i would rather it take longer and be safer.

 

[brennae]

I use bleach BUT I hit it with a ton of Prime after. I buy Prime by the gallon and use liberally. I don't have faith in stress coat. I agree with everyone else- probably a bleach issue. (BTW I use bleach because I try to breed a lot of fish from different sellers and I can't take a chance of wiping out 30 tanks of fish with disease, otherwise I'd use vinegar)

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[brennae]

Also, I've had my two glo lite tetras for about a year and a half and they're doing just fine today. I used them to cycle a tank back then and used bottled bacteria (tetra safestart). I used more than the recommended dose. It wont harm the fish. I also use tap water and my ph is about 7.5. Maybe you had a ph swing? That can kill fish. Looks like u did fine but not familiar with RO/Di water except maybe it needed to be remineralized.

Agreed, unless you are buying certain freshwater fish that need RO water and you will know when you buy them, then it's not beneficial. Fish need the minerals etc in tap water. Just use a good dechlorinator like Prime. It's the best on the market imo.

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[Exigenn]

prime helps with bleach? Are all of your tanks linked together with some sort of sump? Mine are all separate so i think vinegar is more reasonable, to each his own. I definitely understand using it if you have a bunch of tanks/expensive fish filtration tied together.

 

[brennae]

Yes, the chemical that is Prime counteracts the bleach. I forget the scientific names for them though. You still need to rinse very well and let air dry but yes. I use bleach all the time on nets and siphons, basically all my equipment etc.

Brenna

 

[Exigenn]

Hm, never used prime. Maybe i will have to take a look more into that and the bleach considering im buying a used tank. Some people swear by prime some people swear at it. Does it really detoxify things for 24hrs? Because my tap has like .25 ammonia reading and that certainly wouldn't hurt to use if it does. Thanks for that.

 

[PoppaRyno]

I swear by prime

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[brennae]

Hm, never used prime. Maybe i will have to take a look more into that and the bleach considering im buying a used tank. Some people swear by prime some people swear at it. Does it really detoxify things for 24hrs? Because my tap has like .25 ammonia reading and that certainly wouldn't hurt to use if it does. Thanks for that.

Binds yes but then if you don't get the ammonia out in the 24hrs or however long it gets released is my understanding of that. I could be wrong though.

Brenna

 

[PoppaRyno]

I think the timeline on primes effects on water are 48hr detoxify/neutralizing period... I could be wrong though.

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[brennae]

I think the timeline on primes effects on water are 48hr detoxify/neutralizing period... I could be wrong though.

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Was I correct about the ammonia getting released back into the water if you don't take care of it?

Brenna

 

[Exigenn]

My filter/BB should take care of it by then though correct? or does it somehow stop that entire process?

 

[brennae]

I think you are correct. This is getting scientific though and that's not my background. Lol

Brenna

 

[PoppaRyno]

Exactly.... In that time it should be converted by your filters BB

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