4 Dead in Last Week! Help!

[paytertot]

Halves is good as you don't want to remove too much as there is also good stuff on the tank floor.

Try maintaining by less digging and I put money on the fish being more settled. Others say dig, but outbid experience this isn't the best approach unless you have a very high cleaning regime and crap on the bottom hasn't had a chance to build.

-.- stirring up waste via cleaning introduces no more ammonia than does the waste sitting there rotting.

 

[bigbanker]

Removing the waste in the gravel once a week and preventing it from building up will in the end cause very little ammonia spike when you try to vacuum it later. The point of vacuuming it is to remove the waste so it doesn't build up and cause an ammonia spike if disturbed.

Could I be wrong in thinking this?

That is correct. Once clean and maintained you will be in great shape.

Re: Cleaning

As part of my weekly WC's, I've been vacuuming gravel in halves - one side one week, the other the next. I dig into the gravel a bit to suck out the waste, excess food.

To clean algae this weekend, I used a scrubbing wand for the first time. It was not new out of the package and is typically kept in the cabinet beneath the tank. It's possible that introduced something vicious to the tank, but 3 of the 4 deaths occurred before this cleaning. I also removed and replaced all the faux plants (this is not a planted tank) to remove algae build up on those.

You're def on the right track with your vaccuming! Good job.

And how long has your ammo been elevated?

 

[paytertot]

Some people don't have the time to make sure there isnt uneaten food and poop on the tank floor.

Let it settle and take off the top layer unless you have an addiction to cleaning.

Choose your cleaning style, if you are an OCD, ammonia spikes through digging wont occur. If you clean fairly regulatory but not religiously, be careful not to dig too much and cause a spike.

Please please remember, good bacteria also exists on the tank floor which also helps balance your tank!

vacuuming will not remove bacteria, theres as much suction involved here as there is taking place in the filter, so logically, the bacteria stays put.....

 

[bigbanker]

Just saw your feeding. Which I would reduce.

How did the bodies of the dead fish look and were they purchased together? Or different stock?

 

[H2OJO]

-.- stirring up waste via cleaning introduces no more ammonia than does the waste sitting there rotting.

I think you'll find it does. It dissolves into the water rapidly.

Back to the OP, my advice is to go easy on vacuuming and cut down feeding to 1 x 2min feeding per day with wafers for the bottom feeders.

If you take my advice your tank will be more
balanced ammonia levels will reduce in time.

Another bit of advice, the closer your filter to the tank substrate means less vacuuming and crap build up.

 

[Tippytrampoline]

Up my WC's to 45%? Is that excessive?

I didn't add new plants. I scrubbed the old ones and put them back. I wasn't clear on that. They probably had trace amounts of chlorine on them from that process. As I said above, though, 3 of the 4 deaths occurred before this cleaning.

I have a 29 gallon fully stoked that I do a 50% change on every week to keep everything pristine, with thorough gravel vacs. I've not had an ammonia spike yet.

 

[mmckinniss]

OK. I'm settled on the cleaning question. I'm convinced I've been on the right track with weekly WC's and substrate vacuuming half & half.

I feed twice daily with flakes, a 5 min feed each time. I drop one sinking wafer each morning. This, I admit, I could reduce.

Ammonia levels have been below .25ppm since the nitrite spike 2 months ago.

 

[paytertot]

I have a 29 gallon fully stoked that I do a 50% change on every week to keep everything pristine, with thorough gravel vacs. I've not had an ammonia spike yet.

same with me. gravel vacs once a week.

side note, feeding does not have to be done every day. i do it every two to three days.

 

[mmckinniss]

OK. It seems the consensus is I'm overfeeding. Is that accurate?

Any recommendations on an appropriate amount, given the fish currently in there?

 

[Tippytrampoline]

OK. I'm settled on the cleaning question. I'm convinced I've been on the right track with weekly WC's and substrate vacuuming half & half.

I feed twice daily with flakes, a 5 min feed each time. I drop one sinking wafer each morning. This, I admit, I could reduce.

Ammonia levels have been below .25ppm since the nitrite spike 2 months ago.

I think maybe, in the end, it could have been a freak accident. I honestly don't know what could have gone wrong, as everything you have state here seems perfectly fine. As suggested, perhaps cut back to once a day or once every other day until you can get everything back to normal. A 45% wc wouldn't be too much on a 55, and like I said, with notorious poopers, the more water you exchange every week thw longer it'll take for toxins to build up.

 

[H2OJO]

Each to their own really. I'm not trying to criticise or say anyone is wrong, just an explanation for the OP's tank trouble.

As I said before, choose your regime. If you are an OCD for cleaning, you shouldnt have a problem with heavy vacuuming.

But as the OP does this, it's a bit more unlikely that this is his actual issue.

Cut down feeding and keep up the religious water changes.

Hope it balances out for you.

 

[paytertot]

as far as feeding, i would simply reduce to once every other day. fish are great at begging for food and looking like we never feed them lol. little buggers.

 

[H2OJO]

OK. It seems the consensus is I'm overfeeding. Is that accurate?

Any recommendations on an appropriate amount, given the fish currently in there?

Feed them as much as they can eat in 2 mins. Nothing should be left after this time. And drop in 2 wafers for the bottom feeders to reduce aggression when feeding.

 

[bigbanker]

OK. It seems the consensus is I'm overfeeding. Is that accurate?

Any recommendations on an appropriate amount, given the fish currently in there?

Given the current stock. If you enjoy interacting with cut back to a quick one minute feeding and half an algae wafer a day. Fish can go days without eating and don't really require tons of food. Its frustrating to lose fish and not have a super clear reason as to why.

 

[mmckinniss]

Thanks, everyone, for contributing!

Here's my plan. I'll reduce flake feeding to once daily at 2 mins. I'll cut sinking wafers into quarters and drop two quarters in per day.

We'll see how that shakes out.

 

[H2OJO]

Thanks, everyone, for contributing!

Here's my plan. I'll reduce flake feeding to once daily at 2 mins. I'll cut sinking wafers into quarters and drop two quarters in per day.

We'll see how that shakes out.

No problem, and good luck!

 

[bigbanker]

I think those are great choices. Please keep us posted. I hate losing fish.

 

[paytertot]

I still highly recommend feeding once every other day.

 

[mmckinniss]

I still highly recommend feeding once every other day.

Duly noted. I may move that direction long-term, but would prefer to go there gradually.

 

[H2OJO]

As oxygen isn't an issue as your said you have airstones, also try dropping your filter to as close to the substrate as possible like I said earlier.

This will reduce the amount of vaccing needed and make your life easier and keep the bed cleaner between cleaning times.