Please help

[Cheeky]

Hi all.. Hope your well today ...Unfortunately Ive woken up today to find on of Fish tanks the
3ft tank is not looking so happy ...Very concerned do daily testing trips and water changes with RO water that has been treated ...our fish man says we spoil them...but they are all not the happy fish and plecos I want them to be ...... The little tigger plecos has gone a very white colour and has flipped over once or twice ..

 

[reefdiver]

what kind of test are you doing?

 

[Cheeky]

Strip test at the moment .... the one that shows the nitrite , pH etc

 

[DragonFish71]

When you do the water change and refill with RO water are you adding any of the balancing additives?

RO water doesn't have any of the minerals, elements and trace elements that are found in tap water. (Which is why some people use if for specialized fish) But, by using that, you are taking away some things that are found naturally in the fish's habitat and quite possibly in the water they have been raised in (like fish farms etc.). They make products you can add to your RO water as suppliments. Your fish could be needing those elements. Just a thought.

 

[reefdiver]

DragonFish is correct. Why is it you are using the RO water? Have you tested your tap water make sure its good?

 

[Cheeky]

Hi there unfortunately living in the UK water very hard and most the pipes are cooper so we use half and half tap and Ro ...We add all the necessary chemicals that are required but still no happy fishy .. Help Love me fish but they not happy..

 

[DragonFish71]

What do you mean by "all the necessary chemicals"? List what you use. I was asking about a specific type of chemical. And my next questions relate to why I asked.

Are they gasping and hanging out at the surface a lot? Maybe seem lethargic, not very motivated to swim or eat?

If so, then they might be going through osmotic shock. This can happen when using RO, RO/DI, DI type set ups if you don't use the trace element replacements. It can even happen using just plain tap water and dechlor. (I had a tank crash this weekend and after spending all night researching, this is the best explanation of what might have happened. No RO/DI, no CO2, just tap water)

Osmotic shock is when the fish can't absorb or over absorb the minerals/trace elements they need because they are lacking in the water or there's an over abundance. If you are using RO and not adding the trace elements, this can very well be your problem.