WHAT am i doing wrong??

[Bearchumjs]

So, I have a 55 gal tank. Set it up at the end of march beginning of April. It's cycled. My fish are:

3 adult neon black hi fun variatus
2 fry of those above
7 neon tetras (two are gold neons)
2 Mickey mouse platies
3 cobra endlers
2 rummy nose tetras (I know I need more but can't find them anywhere.)
3 zebra nerite snails
4 ghost shrimp.
8 or so MTS.

In the last week I have lost 1 gold neon, 3 neons, 1 cobra endler

I have a Marineland emperor 400 and a bubble stone. Temp is a steady 80 degrees.

I feed them flakes and blood worms. Also an algae tab every once in a while for the snails.

I have live plants.

Substrate is PFS.

My water params are 0 ammo 0 nitrite 20 nitrate and pH 7.8

I use a mix of RODI water and tap water because my tap has a pH of 8.3 and nitrates of around 80.

My fish swim about happily, eat vigorously, and seem to do really well. In the last week I turn on the light in the morning and find a dead fish. Any ideas what I could possibly be doing wrong? I do a 10-15 gallon pwc weekly. My husband says I mess with it too much and shouldn't change the water. I told him I have to vacuum out the poop! I'm so tired of losing fish. I'm ready to bag all these guys up and take them to the LFS!!!

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

You said your nitrite were 20? I assume you ment nitrate either way i would try and get those nitrates down and keep them around 5-10

 

[somethingsfishy]

With those parameters I'd have to say its the way you acclimate or that maybe it was too many fish too soon. how do you acclimate? How many fish do you add at one time?

 

[Bearchumjs]

You said your nitrite were 20? I assume you ment nitrate either way i would try and get those nitrates down and keep them around 5-10

Yes- niTRATES are 20. Well, probably closer to 15. Anyway, I can't lower them more unless I use more RO water and I'm already using a 75% RO 25% Tap water mix.

Do you think the trates would be killing my fish?

 

[Bearchumjs]

With those parameters I'd have to say its the way you acclimate or that maybe it was too many fish too soon. how do you acclimate? How many fish do you add at one time?

The last time I added (about 2 weeks ago) fish I added 3 gold neons and 5 neon tetras. I drip acclimated them for an hour. I've had the cobra endlers since April. I tested my water daily and had no spikes of ammonia or trites for a week. Then tested every other day until my last pwc on Thursday. I've never gotten anything on my readings.

 

[MickeyA]

Well if it's a nitrate problem you can bring that down with vinegar or vodka they tend to work just be extremely careful with the vodka they might have a how to on here about lowering your nitrates and even most LFS have a nitrate reducer hope this helps.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Well if it's a nitrate problem you can bring that down with vinegar or vodka they tend to work just be extremely careful with the vodka they might have a how to on here about lowering your nitrates and even most LFS have a nitrate reducer hope this helps.

That wouldn't kill the fish?! I'd definitely take their car keys away. I'm starting to wonder if I should get a nitrate sponge thingy and let it float around the tank... GAH! I dont know what to do and I don't want anymore fish to die!

 

[somethingsfishy]

I don't think trates is the problem. 8 fish is alot to add at one time. I'd let the tank stay stocked where it is for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

 

[Bearchumjs]

@ somethingfishy. I added the neons on 5-9-12. On 4-30 I added two small Mickey mouse platies which are doing fine.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I don't think trates is the problem. 8 fish is alot to add at one time. I'd let the tank stay stocked where it is for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

I'm not adding any more neons so they better stop dying.

I had mixed reviews on Adding 8 at once. Some said in a 55 gal it would be fine, others said just do like 5. I shouldn't have done any. I should have taken my neons back to the fish store, along with my rummy nose tetras. I'm starting to think I should just do that anyway. Then I'll just have platies and endlers. Less to worry about. After I get back from vacation in June I'll go buy a couple new fish- not of the tetra family.

 

[somethingsfishy]

I have a 90 and the most I've added is 5. That way the bio load doesnt cause any spikes. But like I mentioned, just let it sit and make sure nothing is internally off with the tank. all will probably be still alive and you can add a few more of the guys you lost. Oh and sorry about your losses.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I have a 90 and the most I've added is 5. That way the bio load doesnt cause any spikes. But like I mentioned, just let it sit and make sure nothing is internally off with the tank. all will probably be still alive and you can add a few more of the guys you lost. Oh and sorry about your losses.

Alrighty then. Hopefully no more die.

 

[Bearchumjs]

10 days and all the fish are still doing great! Thank goodness!

 

[somethingsfishy]

That's great news. I'm happy for you. Losing fish is stressful and makes you doubt yourself in this hobby.