root tab problem

[mom2reds]

ok so today I did my usual 50 to 60 % pwc and place some API root tabs as I have done many time before but when filling my tank back up I looked around and noticed that i had several fish floating and eventually dieing. the only thing I can figure is that i did not get one of the tabs burried good under the eco substrate. I imediatly turned on my filters and a bubler and then redrained about 45% of my water and then replaced. I did use prime with the first pwc and the secound one the secound time i doubled dosed all of my fish seem to be fine now or at least the ones left. my question is is their any more side effects that i need to watch for?

[mfdrookie516]

i have some root tabs just sitting on the top of my pfs... i've never heard of root tabs causing any issues with fish since they are just ferts... there's something else going on

[mom2reds]

I don't know what else it could be. any suggestions.

[mfdrookie516]

did you test your tap water? I'm trying to think, a major pH or temp swing could cause issues... Thats about all I could think of off the top of my head

[mom2reds]

all my parameters were the same and i had not even finished filling uo the tank still hadabout 10% to go. it was just weird but they all seem fine now.

[Crepe]

Probably not the root tabs. Has it rained recently? That will change your tap parameters if your water table is shallow. Water treatment plants also pump more stuff into water after it floods.

[mom2reds]

yes we have had some rain so maybe i just don't know. I guess that I will probably never know what caused it for sure just hope that it never happens again. i lost 8 fish all of different species.

[Crepe]

Oh! You're up there in lubbock. You get your water from Lake Houston pretty close. I think that may have been it. What fish were they?

[mom2reds]

there was 3 lemon tetras 1 of my red sarpea tetras 2 of the cardinal tetras and my flying fox of and 1 of my blue and red columbian tetras. I think our water comes out of one of the lakes around here like the ransom canyon lake and buffalo springs. but that could be it what happend to lake houston?

[meegosh]

I've heard of people experiencing nitrate, phosphate and GH spikes when root tabs get exposed to the water column. They dissolve very fast and can wreak havoc on your tank. Besides algae issues, a large swing in parameters - I suppose - could kill off some sensitive fish.

Unless you have a lot of heavy root feeders like swords then you probably don't even need to add them.

Rookie - I'm surprised you don't have any issues with just placing the tabs on top of the substrate. They release way too fast when exposed in the water column for too long.

[mom2reds]

i do use them for my swords and red windit crypts. do ou think i will have a algea outbreak do to this

[meegosh]

It is possible since you more than likely have excess nitrates and phosphates in the water column. A large water change should 'reset' that though.

[Crepe]

Whenever it rains lake houston's water becomes more turbid as more organics are roiled up from down deeper. The water plants will in response put more chemicals into the water which will change the water's chemistry. Although meegosh also has a point just try things one at a time.

[mom2reds]

well i did another lg pwc and then i also bought an x lg chunk of dw with more java fern and anubias and what looks like java moss on it today too. so hopefully that will also help use up the extra nuetrients.

[timwag2001]

no way did it have anything to do with root tabs.

do you have co2?
how is the water temp in the tank?
have you cleaned your filter recently? maybe a mini cycle?
possibly disease?

i'm reaching for any reason. theres no way it has anything to do with root tabs

[meegosh]

Care to expand on that, Tim? I've read numerous threads that people had die offs related to exposed root tabs. Granted most of the posts were about shrimp and/or very sensitive fish. I'm not saying that it was the cause in this case just that it is a possibility.

[mom2reds]

i just don't know what else it could have been Tim my water was tempmatched prime was added cleaned one filter last week and well clean the other one next week and I all ways use tank water to clean them in. the fish were fine one minute then they were dead the next

[timwag2001]

i'm not saying it cant happen, i just doubt it.

did this happen in your 100 g?

[mom2reds]

yep

[timwag2001]

i dose my dry ferts direclty into the tank. my fish eat try to eat them. they dont die