Help me !!!!

[leonclaro]

Hello,

I am just join to this interesting forum because I started one aquarium a couples months and I am having a problem with the partial change of water.

Each time I change the water I lost a couples of fish, the last two time I lost the same type, I bala sharp and I zebra danio.

I am trying to do everything as explaining in the book but does not work. Ca you give me and advised on this regard.

Thanks and best regards,


Leonclaro

[Grant R]

Few questions for you first :

How hard or soft is the water in your area ?
Are you using a water conditoner ?
pH of your tank water ?

All of these could be part of the reason.

[EMS503]

How are you cleaning the tank, Temp. of water you are replacing??
What size tank. The fish you are losing are very hardy fish.
More info. is really needed for us to help.
Be patient we will get to the root of your problem.

[leonclaro]

Thanks, very much for your interest in my problem. I sent the answer one hour ago, but because it does not appear in the forum.

The answers to your questions are as follows:

1) I have 20 gallons tank;

2) The fishes that I am losing are Bala Sharp and Zebra Danios. But I have other fishes of the same type. Before to the last partial change of water, the fishes that I have were:

2 Bala Sharp
2 Zebra Danios
2 Red "Platies
2 Tetras
4 Tiger Barbs
2 Cat Fish

from these are lost one bala and one Zebra Danio, and the same happen during the last two change of water, always the same type of fishes.

3) I do not understand what you means with soft or hard water, please teach me about it.

4) I normally change the water each two weeks, except the last time that I did after 3 weeks. In the change of water I normally follows these steps:

- I take out the equipment in the following order:

The Light, The filter and the filter box, the heater, the natural plants and a small plastic ornament;

- I clean all these items with tabwater only;

- After cleaning the filter box I change the old filter for a new one.

- Then I cleaning the gravel and take out 5 gallons of water, with the gravel vacuun.

- After that I put back the natural plants and the plastic ornament

- Then I replace the 5 gallons of water with tabwater

- After that I put 2 teaspoon of instant water detoxifier named Aquarium Amquel make Kordon;

- Then I put back the filter box, the heater and the light

- As soon as I close the tank the bala sharp and the Zebra Danio start doing a very strange movement turn upside down and then die almost instantanealy.

5) Today the PH is 7.0, the last time that I check the PH was 6.6

6) I never take the water temp of the water that I replacing, when I change the water.


Hope that the above information can give you a better idea of what happens, I will be waiting for your answer, because I do not wish to loss others.

Thank and Best Regards,


Leonclaro

[Somethingfishy]

Firstly welcome to the board Leonclaro,

The interest we express in your problem is the same we express in everyones problems, we are here to help and assist in any way we can. OK now on to your problem:

1. Water Hardness:

What is Water Hardness?

Water 'hardness' is predominantly caused by the existence of the minerals calcium and magnesium in ground and surface water. If either or both minerals are present in your drinking water in high concentrations, the water is considered 'hard.' These minerals come from sedimentary rock such as limestone that dissolves in our river system, causing an increase in water hardness. The result of hard water is difficulty making lather or suds for washing and a build-up of minerals on taps and on other fixtures.

Water containing low concentrations of calcium or magnesium is called 'soft' water. Municipalities with soft drinking water often have higher incidences of water pipe corrosion (low pH).

In order to test the hardness you would need to get a kH and gH test kit, I think I have never tested my hardness, and you would need to try and match the hardness to your type of fish.

2. Your water change cycle.
I would not remove any of the decorations or the plants or anything when doing a water change as these things hold or contain the important bacteria that 'eats' up all your ammonia and nitrites that are created from your fish. The way you are cleaning your tank at the moment, your tank has to recycle everytime you change the water and this could be the cause of your fish deaths.

The way I would recommend that you use to change your water would be as follows, bare in mind that this is not set in stone and other people may have different ways, I use this method and it works for me.

The day before or at least 12 hours before you change your water, 5 gallons, get a 5 gallon bucket or container fill it with water, cold water only, add your dechlorinator and any medicnes, pH buffers and things to control your water chemistry, that you might be adding if need be. Put in a heater and let the water stand for, like I mentioned at least 12 hours, this will give the water enough time to warm up and any 'bad stuff' to get removed by the dechlor and medicines.

Second - When cleaning your tank do not clean the filter and the gravel at the same cleaning, or lightly 'vacuum' the gravel. When it comes to cleaning the filter I normally wait a couple of days after changing the water to change and clean my filter, but I also have two filters on my tank, a 130G tank, so I would clean the filters on alternate weeks. I only clean some of my ornaments when I rearrange my tank and then I time the ornament clean with a water change so I can fill a bucket and put all my ornaments in there to keep the bacteria alive. Just before I put them back in I just give them a quick shake in the water them put them back.

REMEMBER to turn off your heater when doing the water change, depending on how you have your heater in the tank, I have mine lying horzontal to the gravel on the bottom of the tank so I don't have to turn mine off.

Hopefully this will assist you in cleaning your tank and keep your fish alive. BUT remember this is how I clean my tank and not necessarily how everyone else cleans theirs.

Another thing your bala sharks are going to out grow your 20G in no time at all, they grow to 14", I would look at getting some smaller fish.
See this link on the shark:
http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles...ilvershark.asp

Hope this helps, but wait for more in fo from some of the other guys as well.

[EMS503]

As soon as I close the tank the bala sharp and the Zebra Danio start doing a very strange movement turn upside down and then die almost instantanealy.

Something is wrong with your replacement water, For the fish to react that quickly. I would go along with what somethingfishy said, The only change would be to clean your foam from the filter in the water you take from the tank not tap water as this will not kill all your bacteria needed.

For your pH to swing so much one of the waters (tank or make up) is way off when mixing your make up water as somethingfishy said we add a small powerhead to the bucket and mix it for 12 - 24 hrs. Test your make up water just prior to using it for Temp & pH with the Amequel you should have no chlorine, also if you mix your makeup water for 24 hrs. the chlorine disipates from the water. When adding your water back to the tank add this water back in slowly as not to disturb the bottom and fish. Good luck

[Somethingfishy]

Yup sorry about that, wash the filter media in water from the tank and NOT under tapwater. And the powerhead to keep the water moving, you can get a power head/heater combo.

[nikki]

it's very odd your fish react so quickly.... There mus be something wrong with the water you add.
Of course, I agree with the above comments about the way you clean your filter. I was told to clean my filter once every 3 weeks and NOT to replace it with a new one, anyway.
I change 1/10 of water every week

[glstine]

I had fish exhibit similar strange behaviour due to a rapid PH change on a tank thanks to a mistake I made.

[nejsux]

Fish are also VERY sensitive to temperature changes. You have plenty of info here to check out. I'd follow somethingfishy's advice and AT LEAST mix the water detoxifier into the tap water and check other levels, inluding temp, to make sure everything is ok, before adding it to the tank. You might want to test the levels of your tap water of a period of time to see how much they fluctuate.

[leonclaro]

I am very happy that all of you took the time to give me your advise.

It seems to me as you all have observed that the water may be at the root of the problem and i do have to treat it prior to put it in. I did not think about the hardness of the new water and i will be more careful regarding the temperature.

so to recap:

1. make sure water is treated prior to chaging it and make sure is same temperature.

2. do not change filter, just wash it in the same water that i am taking out.

3. do not move or change ornaments and or plants

I will take all of your advise for my following change of water and i will most certatly will let you know how it goes. i hope i don't loose any more of my new babies.

thank you!