Please help me figure this one out!

[freude88]

Hello,

I am trying to figure out what is going on in my tank. I have a newly cycled 47 gallon tank with the following readings:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5ppm

I decided that I wanted to have some soft water fish (german rams). My tap water is generally hard. I have RO installed under my kitchen sink so I figured if I did half RO and half tap that would soften the water enough to home these beautiful creatures. So I went to work doing just that. I took out half of the water in the tank and then added RO water back into it. My tap water readings are as follows:

Tap Water
GH 11
KH 8
PH 8.2

After I added the RO..

1/2 Tap & 1/2 RO
GH 8
KH 4
PH 7.6

So I finished up last night figuring everything was okay and put the little guys in. I checked the water this morning and the readings were as follows:

GH 8
KH 8
PH 7.2

Then this evening I noticed the fish breathing hard and floating at the top of the tank so I measured again:

GH 9
KH 4
PH 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5ppm

What am I missing? Why are my fish not doing well? Is there anything I can do to save the little guys? I have theories but nothing concrete. Could it be the KH and PH fluctuations?

Any help is much appreciated. They are going downhill fast.

Thanks!

 

[Fresh2o]

Any idea of the KH, GH, and pH of the water where the fish were purchased?
How were the fish acclimated to the tank's water?
Temperature?
I think the fluctuations you mentioned may be the culprit.
I have not kept them, but my understanding is that GBRs require a WELL established tank in order to have success with them. Not sure what you need to do in order to save them.


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[freude88]

As far as the LFS parameters.. I just know they use RO. I've bought from them before for my other tank and not had any problems acclimating them to tap so I thought all would be well. Lesson learned I guess. I acclimated them via drip for an hour. Temp was the same. I had not heard they needed a well established tank. Maybe it is the fluctuations??