On Saturday I stripped down my 140 litre tropical freshwater tank to move all the inhabitants and the filter etc to a new 210 litre set up. The whole move was completed within an hour and all the old tank water saved. All seemed well until the next day when I noticed all the fish breathing very heavily. Within an hour or so they were all hanging at the surface. I did a 40% water change and they seemed much better. Temperature is a steady 25 degrees. I tested the water and ammonia and nitrite are zero and nitrate obviously present but relatively low. It seems every time I do a large water change they improve for a few hours and then deteriorate again. During the night 2/3 of the inhabitants have died. The only thing that has changed is the addition of a 3D rock background made specially for aquariums out of fish safe resin and fibre glass. I have noticed the water smells like the background did when I unwrapped it – a chemical ‘new magazine’ kind of smell and this is making me suspect the background may be affecting the water – has anyone else experienced this? I removed the background last night and did a big water change, I still woke up to many dead fish, but now I don’t know whether this is because they were so damaged already it was too late or whether the background has nothing to do with it and it is something else!?
My only other suspicion is that the new tank is in a flat and perhaps the tap water is treated in some way – I know it is run through a special coil to remove some of the hardness but the hardness tests come out fine. Any ideas from anyone greatly appreciated,
Thanks
My only other suspicion is that the new tank is in a flat and perhaps the tap water is treated in some way – I know it is run through a special coil to remove some of the hardness but the hardness tests come out fine. Any ideas from anyone greatly appreciated,
Thanks