deaths in healthy water?

[NickSeth]

hi there. sorry if i start a new thread by mistake, but i dunno how my problem falls in any off the others

i have a 30 gallon 2 feet tank (tall version) where i keep my community fishes and minimal plants

i have a few fishes that have been doing quite well for a long time and recently decided to introduce more plants as well as get a co2 set for my tank.

i got a new water monitor kit which monitors for chlorine and ammonia to try to predict when chlormaine mught form so it can be addressed

after adding a few more plants and the co2 set to my tank set up. i monitor my water quality very carefully. but my results have always shown there there is no chlorine present in my water, and with no, or little ammonia. so i take it that my water quality is fairly ok.

but after a few days... 2 of my penguin tetras died(on the same day) and these are one of my most lasting fishes.

the next day, 3 of my irnian(swallow-tails) died. and today, another irnian and 3 of my oriental swordtails died. but the water quality still checks out as ok. and the plants look alrite to me.

whats going on? wat should i do to remedy it? please help me soon b4 all my fishes die mysteriously

thanks

 

[Allivymar]

Just a thought, but the deaths started right after you added CO2? I wonder if its messing with your Ph levels...Hopefully someone with more experience with this can explain it properly.

Also, you mention ammonia, but what about nitrite and nitrates? What are the exact levels for all three? Any ammonia can be a problem, and nitrites are just as bad.

 

[NickSeth]

hmm.....

it did occur to me that my CO2 levels could be messing with the ph levels. but won't my plants absorb the CO2?

 

[Allivymar]

They will, but only so much. Plus, they also give off CO2 at night when the lights are off...

 

[tkos]

I would second the fact that it might be the pH levels. How much CO2 affects your tank depends on how hard or soft your water is, ie how much buffer there. That is the simple explaination anyway.

 

[Terry]

I would

check the other parameters first

,like Allivymar said. Nitrite and Nitrates,checking just chlorine and ammonia isn't enough.

 

[vega]

In this case imho, its best u check the kh, Gh and ph as things gone wrong when u staring to use CO2.