Bringing dead fish back from the brink of death

[joshace]

I've had a lot of fish die in the past, and still have a couple of deaths.

Once a fish starts acting sick, my experience has been that they almost always die.

Two days ago, I had a fish that I thought was already dead. It was floating around upside down. When I touched it, it moved.. barely. I just installed an RO system, so just as an experiment, I put that fish in a half liter (2 cups) of RO water. I was sure that fish would be dead within minutes or at most hours.

I was amazed to see that a day later, that fish is 100% healthy again!

I have previously tried everything imaginable to save fish, and nothing worked. I've used erythromycin, melafix, rapid cure, aquarium salt, heater, water changes with rain water, water changes with treated tap water, etc. Nothing worked!

RO water worked a miracle! I admit that I am not an expert on fish, but then again.. I have yet to find a so-called fish expert that knows what they are talking about. There are a lot of people with successful aquariums, but they don't know WHY they are successful, nor why other people are not successful. Most people will tell you to change the water quite a bit. However, changing one type of bad water with another type of bad water is no help.

I think most pet stores use RO water for their tanks... but they really don't know WHY they use RO water. I think the basic problem is that many people's water now contains chloramines instead of just chlorine as was used in the past. Chlorine is easy to get rid of. Chlorarmine breaks down into chlorine and ammonia (nitrates / nitrites). Getting rid of ammonia and it's by-products is extremely difficult. The additives such as "AmQuel" do NOT work effectively.

 

[Autumnsky]

When using a dechlorinator you need to see that it is made to also break down/bind Chloramines. Prime for example, I think it is 2x the amount suggested for basic treatment. Chloramine breaks down more slowly and that is why it is used in places that get hot especially, and other water treatment facilities as it lasts longer than chlorine.

In order to know what could have been wrong, you need to know what your water parameters were when the fish was ill and swimming upside down. That is often a sign of nitrite poisoning, could also be ammonia.

Did you test the water with a test kit?

The diluting of the water with RO water would have cut the toxic stuff in the water in half, therefore making it at a not toxic level. EDIT: reread your post that you put it in 100% RO water. So the water was free of toxins. And the fish was able to recover. That would be my guess as to what happened.

Reverse Osmosis water is well filtered. The problem is that if you used 100% RO water you could kill your fish. If the water has no mineral content like calcium and magnesium it cannot maintain pH. I am not the scientist here, so some of the detail stuff escapes the memory. But fish need minerals in the water. Just not too, too much and not none.

Many saltwater keepers use RO/DI Reverse Osmosis/DeIonized water to refill evaporated SW from their tanks because bad stuff is removed like silicates which can cause issues with the tank, like diatoms and algae outbreaks.

Shrimp keepers use it to dilute the minerals in the water to get softer water parameters for shrimp which need that. They do remineralize the water with products like Salty Shrimp which puts back necessary elements for healt and survival.

You need to understand your water and what the KH/GH and TDS are before you go messing around with water. And understand what additives or things you are removing the benefit or consequences are!

Knowing about the nitrification process in aquariums is KEY to maintaining a healthy environment for the fish / tank.

If anyone needs that info the link in my signature is an article here about keeping tanks and discusses the "cycle" for your tank!!!

 

[bullyboy]

When using a dechlorinator you need to see that it is made to also break down/bind Chloramines. Prime for example, I think it is 2x the amount suggested for basic treatment. Chloramine breaks down more slowly and that is why it is used in places that get hot especially, and other water treatment facilities as it lasts longer than chlorine.

In order to know what could have been wrong, you need to know what your water parameters were when the fish was ill and swimming upside down. That is often a sign of nitrite poisoning, could also be ammonia.

Did you test the water with a test kit?

The diluting of the water with RO water would have cut the toxic stuff in the water in half, therefore making it at a not toxic level. EDIT: reread your post that you put it in 100% RO water. So the water was free of toxins. And the fish was able to recover. That would be my guess as to what happened.

Reverse Osmosis water is well filtered. The problem is that if you used 100% RO water you could kill your fish. If the water has no mineral content like calcium and magnesium it cannot maintain pH. I am not the scientist here, so some of the detail stuff escapes the memory. But fish need minerals in the water. Just not too, too much and not none.

Many saltwater keepers use RO/DI Reverse Osmosis/DeIonized water to refill evaporated SW from their tanks because bad stuff is removed like silicates which can cause issues with the tank, like diatoms and algae outbreaks.

Shrimp keepers use it to dilute the minerals in the water to get softer water parameters for shrimp which need that. They do remineralize the water with products like Salty Shrimp which puts back necessary elements for healt and survival.

You need to understand your water and what the KH/GH and TDS are before you go messing around with water. And understand what additives or things you are removing the benefit or consequences are!

Knowing about the nitrification process in aquariums is KEY to maintaining a healthy environment for the fish / tank.

If anyone needs that info the link in my signature is an article here about keeping tanks and discusses the "cycle" for your tank!!!

So a question arises here, if i had constant high ph (8.0) would cutting my water change 50/50 with RO and Prime Treated tap water bring the ph down permanently?
(Vs. trying to constantly fight the natural ph buffer)

Ive got a betta and ive used many natural things (driftwood, etc) but cant stabilize a solid 7.0 ph.

 

[mikellewen]

Interesting reading

Thanks guys; very interesting. FYI, when I do a water change I use rain water that I have collected; and/or well water. I never use chemicals.

Granted; I have had a few fish expire; but I think everyone has from time to time. Trying to get my keni to breed now; looks they they working at it.

Mike.