Dirt Diggler
Aquarium Advice Freak
Sunday night, I had put some new DIY PVC mbuna caves into my 45 gal tank. I used silicone 1, pvc, aquarium gravel, and platic plants from my aquarium. They had been given 24+ hours to cure via the air, and 24+ hours soak in water with Prime as a water conditioner. I put them into my tank on Sunday night. Monday morning, I woke up and everyone was alive. I had some plants floating in the aquarium awaiting planting so I dosed the tank with API CO2 booster. Within 45 minutes, I had a peacock die. 20 minutes later, another peacock died. At that point I did a 50% water change, but then had to leave the house. 2 hours later when I returned, several more fish had died. Before the start of the die off I had 22 juvie cichlids, but then end on Monday I had lost 10. I moved the surviving fish to my 10 gal feeder tank while I did a 100% water change on the 45 gal. After 24 hours of letting that water sit and dosing it with Prime, and adding aquarium salt, I tested the levels and pH was good, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate was 0. I also does with Stability. the fish that looked healthy enough I put back into the tank. I noticed my convict's eyes were clouded over pretty badly so I figured it was a CO2 related pH crash and the fish all sustained burns. Unfortunately I never tested the pH when the die off happened. Over the next few days, the remaining fish all died. It didn't matter what tank they were in. With the more immediate deaths, the fish were upside down and had difficulties breathing, but these last few the fish just died with nothing noteworthy about their appearance at death. I added 5 feeder rosies and 20 ghost shrimp on Tuesday to act as a litmus test for the water. The last rosies died last night, but the shrimp are fine. Maybe 3-5 shrimp have died, but a vast majority are still alive and well. Yesterday, I added 10 feeder guppies as well, as feeder fish are in bad shape when you get them. This morning the feeder guppies are fine. I have 1 Tetra Whisper 60, and an Aqueon 55/75 on my tank as filtration. I'd like to know what your opinions are on what caused the deaths before I add anymore fish. Cause of death? What took the others so long to die? Is the water safe?
