Please help. I have had my aquarium set up for three months now. Three Platys are doing very well but any other fish I introduce die within a week. I have tried guppies and cory cats. I tested the water and the only concern was a PH of 8.0 so I have added PH down. I change the water regularly.
Platys thrive all others die
- Thread starter onlyt
- Start date
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emmaie892000
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2015
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- 33
Well I know corydoras are incredibly sensitive to aquarium salt, have you added any to your tank?
jrc0528
Aquarium Advice Activist
Are you using softened water in your aquarium? Water softeners can/will raise the salt levels in the tank.
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
Got a list of questions that need to be answered and then we can try to help 
- What size of tank is this
- What are the parameters of your tank?
- Are there any signs of why the fish died? i.e. Gasping at the surface, spots on their body, white film on them?
- Do you regularly check your ph?
- How do you acclimate fish?
It is a 22 gallon, (29"x10"x18"h). No signs, they seem fine and then I find them dead. I floated the bag for about twenty to thirty minutes before putting them in by net. Most lasted a week or more. I do test the water regularly and the PH stays around 8.0.
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
What about ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
A few last things,
Do you change out your filter cartridges?
Do you still try to use pH changing additives?
1. Acclimation - The single thing that sticks out to me most is the acclimation of fish. The temperature matching method just isn't enough. Check here for a run down of proper acclimation procedure
Acclimation Procedure for Aquatic Life: Welcoming Home New Arrivals
Not acclimating fish properly can cause osmotic shock and severe damage to the fish which would include possibly killing them.
2. Water testing - The test strips are basically junk. They aren't particularly precise and they don't have an ammonia test which is very important. I would highly recommend investing in this
http://www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI
They last a long long time. One kit should last up to around a year depending on how often you test.
Do you change out your filter cartridges?
Do you still try to use pH changing additives?
1. Acclimation - The single thing that sticks out to me most is the acclimation of fish. The temperature matching method just isn't enough. Check here for a run down of proper acclimation procedure
Acclimation Procedure for Aquatic Life: Welcoming Home New Arrivals
Not acclimating fish properly can cause osmotic shock and severe damage to the fish which would include possibly killing them.
2. Water testing - The test strips are basically junk. They aren't particularly precise and they don't have an ammonia test which is very important. I would highly recommend investing in this
http://www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI
They last a long long time. One kit should last up to around a year depending on how often you test.
ImACoolguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
OP used pH down. It's an API additive. OP made 2 of these threads. I commented on the other. I'd dare say it's from the pH swings from the additive and possibly an uncycled tank.
Caleb
RackinRocky
Aquarium Advice Addict
Oh my... PH down is not a good thing to do. The fish will adjust to almost any PH as long as they are acclimated properly and carefully. Also, an API test kit, as already mentioned, is invaluable. It may seem costly to pay about $25, but they last a LONG time, and they are more than worth it, considering how many fish you are losing.You won't keep fish alive for long with an uncycled tank. You will end up spending a lot of money on more and more fish, only for them to die.
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