Help...water problems..

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
K

Ktgit121

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 17, 2020
Messages
18
Hi
Just set up a new 120l tropical community tank and filled it up and let water stand for a fewdays with a water conditioner, all seemed ok until....fish started dying...angel fish sharks clown ..im gutted.
I have tested the water and it says th PH playing up??
What can i do to stop this...catastrophe.
Regards Kevin.
 
Its likely that you didnt cycle your tank. Just letting it sit for a few days doesnt do anything to make your system safe for fish. Do you still have any live fish? If so, start doing daily 25% water changes until you can get a water test kit and can start to cycle your tank properly.
 
Hi aiken
Yes plenty fish left, so.if i change 25% water will i have a chlorine problem??
Im just a bit nervous...
Cheers kevin
 
Add water conditioner when you do your water change to neutralise the chlorine.

You were given some info on cycling in another post. Some good info there.

What you need to do now is called a fish in cycle. Test your water daily. As a minimum you need to be able to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. pH is useful too. If you dont have test kit yet, do 25% water change daily until you can test properly.

Dont add more fish. Test daily and feed sparingly. If your ammonia + nitrite combined is 0.5ppm or more, do 25% water change. If it is 1.0ppm combined do more regular water changes until you are below 0.5ppm combined. When you are able to consistently test your water daily and see 0ppm ammonia and nitrite and your nitrate is steadily rising you are cycled for your current stocking. This might take weeks or even months. You can speed up the process with bottled bacteria such as Dr Tims One and Only, or preferably some filter media from an established tank. Perhaps you have a friend who keeps fish who could give you some?

Edit. Post your parameters when you have them.
 
Also can you give us your stocking including numbers. Angel fish get too big for a 120 litre. Im concerned about sharks and clowns. Can you be more specific? Also the plenty of fish left concerns me you have too many fish. The more fish the harder it will be to safely cycle your tank.
 
If anyone on here can help with cycling questions, it's Aiken, he's full of good info on it. I've been keeping fish for decades and I've learned a thing or two from him also
 
Hi aiken
I have mainly small fish left like neon tetra ×10 kribs ×6 barbs ×4, 2× platies 1 angel 1 xsilver shark 1x ram
I will definitely start tomorrow first thing with your advise..
Thanks jevin...
 
I assume the silver shark is a bala shark? That will need at least a 400 litre tank (probably bigger than that). Either have a plan for upgrading to a bigger tank pretty quickly or rehome it back to the store who should never have sold it to you. You can probably get away with 1 angel in your 120 litre but it probably wont get fully grown. I have 2 angels in a 200 litre and they are healthy, but i wouldnt do that in anything smaller.

Edit. Im also intrigued by the clown. I presume a clown loach? Again this would get way too big for your tank. Dont buy anything from that fish store again.
 
Hi aitkin
Ok.. done my first 25% water change today....and got a ph kit, so.will carry on till isee a change in the results.
Appreciate all the help
Cheers kevin.
 
Hi aiken
Yes it does its a tetra strip.one...seems good.
All seems quite tonight in the tank??
Cheers kev.
 
What are the test results?

Long term i would recommend a liquid test kit like API Master Test kit. Liquid tests are considered more accurate, certainly are easier to read, and as you get 100s of tests from them they work out much cheaper in the long run.
 
Hi Charlie
Sorry ment to thank yoh for your input to the issues with my water problems in my new tank.
Appreciate your help.
Cheers kevin.
 
Hi aiken
My first test results are...nitrate 124
Nitrite 6.00
Hardeness dh 3
Carbonate hardeness 2
PH value - 7.6
Chlorine 0.0
Carbon dioxide 1 -1
What do you think...??
Cheers kevin.
 
First off. Make sure you can test for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. The rest is useful in certain circumstances, but not too relevant here. I dont see ammonia and that is the most important reading at the moment.

Even without an ammonia reading, i can immediately see your nitrite is way too high. Nitrite at that level will kill fish pretty quickly. Even if it doesn't kill them right off nitrite poisoning can cause long term issues. I would recommend an immediate 50% water change, followed up by 25% changes every couple of hours until it is below 0.5ppm. And i mean immediate, not "ill get onto that tomorrow".

How have you managed to get a reading of 124 for nitrate? The test isnt that accurate.

Have you lost any more fish?

Also, back to your bala shark. Have you returned it yet? You will need a tank 4x bigger than what you currently have.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
Leaking Penn Plax Cascade 500 Problem
Replies
3
Views
527
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
M
Fine particulate problem
Replies
3
Views
308
pauldadams1984
pauldadams1984
D
Advice on levels
Replies
4
Views
399
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
S
Strange water
Replies
3
Views
385
angiemike6
A
F
Bloated fish
Replies
1
Views
353
Andy Sager
Andy Sager

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom