Any problems with city water?

[motherofkittens]

I am writing to ask if anyone has ever had a similar problem and solved it by switching from treated tapwater to spring water. I am starting to wonder if there is something nasty in my local water supply.

I have lost four betta fish in the past two years and I do not know why. I keep good water chemistry with no ammonia or nitrite and low nitrates, temperatures from 78-80 with no rapid changes, and feed a mix of hikari gold betta food and freeze dried bloodworms and daphnia. I use a half teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon and treat water with prime before adding. All of them have lived alone in tanks ranging from 1 to 10 gallons with no filtration but frequent water changes (how often varied by tank size). Three have died of fin rot and one has dropsy- I am not optimistic for his chances but I am trying to treat. I disinfected all tanks and equipment with bleach and rinsed heavily between deaths. None of my fish have lasted a year. All of them did well initially, with bright colors and bubble nests.

It may also be worth noting that all of them came from the same lfs. I am very upset that my fish are dying of diseases typically associated with poor husbandry when I try hard to keep them in optimimum conditions. I don't understand what I am doing wrong and I am starting to grasp at straws.

 

[Delapool]

I am writing to ask if anyone has ever had a similar problem and solved it by switching from treated tapwater to spring water. I am starting to wonder if there is something nasty in my local water supply.

I have lost four betta fish in the past two years and I do not know why. I keep good water chemistry with no ammonia or nitrite and low nitrates, temperatures from 78-80 with no rapid changes, and feed a mix of hikari gold betta food and freeze dried bloodworms and daphnia. I use a half teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon and treat water with prime before adding. All of them have lived alone in tanks ranging from 1 to 10 gallons with no filtration but frequent water changes (how often varied by tank size). Three have died of fin rot and one has dropsy- I am not optimistic for his chances but I am trying to treat. I disinfected all tanks and equipment with bleach and rinsed heavily between deaths. None of my fish have lasted a year. All of them did well initially, with bright colors and bubble nests.

It may also be worth noting that all of them came from the same lfs. I am very upset that my fish are dying of diseases typically associated with poor husbandry when I try hard to keep them in optimimum conditions. I don't understand what I am doing wrong and I am starting to grasp at straws.

I've never had trouble with tap water but I guess every source is different.

You could ask the lfs what they use and see what is different to yours.

 

[jlk]

Welcome to AA!!!

In addition to finding out more in respect to your tap water, I would suggest eliminating the salt. 1/2tsp per gallon of salt added on a regular basis is an awful lot of salt and simply is not necessary with freshwater fish. Salt does not evaporate from water either, so unless your changing 100% of the water frequently, the total salinity in your tanks has been steadily increasing to intolerable levels.

You should be able to find your most recent water reports online. If they are not available, contact your supplier to request a copy of the most recent report. The report should show average levels for the most commonly tested toxins that affect human health as well as disinfectant type and average levels.

Do you have a thread posted yet in respect to your sick betta?

 

[BBradbury]

Hello mom...

The chemistry in a small tank can change pretty quickly. There isn't enough water to dilute even the smallest mistake in tank management. I'd suggest a larger tank. 20 to 30 gallons is much better and will give you the best chance for success. The larger the tank the easier it is to maintain the water chemistry.

If you want to use salt and there's nothing wrong with using a little standard aquarium salt, then keep the dose to a teaspoon for every 5 gallons of your treated replacement water. This is all your fish need, even livebearers.

B