Help with dying tin foil barbs

[FoxRob]

Ok Friday night I lost one of my 6 tin foil barbs, Sunday morning I notice two more belly up, get home from work this evening and I have another tin foil barb sticking out of my filter, along with my rubber lip pleco. They have all been eating and acting normal. My tanks temp is a steady 77*, my PH has always tested low at 6.0-6.4, my ammonia is .50, Nitrites 0, Nitrates between 0 and 5.0ppm I use a API master kit to test my water. I have been doing water changes every other day rather then using any ammonia products, and I'm also trying to get the PH higher then 6.0 my tap water tests at 7.6, but also tests 1.0 ammonia.

I just finished a 50% water change and my PH came up to 7.0 but my ammonia level is still .50, I'm going to do another water change tonight again in both of my tanks my new 29 gal is testing really high ammonia at 1.0 but the PH level in it is 7.4 after water change and has been testing better then my 55 gal which is the tank I'm loosing fish in this week the tin foil barbs have been in there for @ 2 months and the rubber lip pleco has been in it for @ 3 months, also in the tank are 6 long fin rosey barbs, 6 black skirt tetras, 3 blue gourami's, bn pleco, and a rainbow shark, still have 2 tin foil barbs in the tank but I don't think they will both make it through the night they are swimming erratically and their eyes are looking glazed over.

 

[FoxRob]

Just finished doing 3 more back to back 50% water changes in both tanks and the PH is now 7.4 in both tanks and the ammonia in the 55 gal is still .50 and 1.0 in my 29 gal. The ammonia levels never dropped in either tank.

 

[dkpate]

That's quite a bit of ammonia, and probably why the fish are dying. Are you doing the test exactly right?

 

[FoxRob]

After sitting for a day my ammonia levels are now .25 in my 55 gal and .50 in my 29 gal. Part of my problem is my tap water also tests at 1.0 ammonia.

 

[dkpate]

Ah, I see. But if you have a working nitrogen cycle, that ammonia should be gone in 24 hours. Do you use Prime?

 

[FoxRob]

Yes I use Prime only started to use it last week, before that I was using API Stress coat and slime coat products. For a while our water always tested good, but last month or so I had read the package for a filter cartridge replacement and replaced both of my tanks filters as well as a complete cleaning of the substrate and decorations, so my 55 gal tank I think is cycling again. My 29 gal is a new tank with everything in it new.

 

[dkpate]

Ok, well if you use Prime every 24 hours, it does bind to the ammonia and nitrites, making them non-toxic, but you will get a false positive reading with the API kit.
You probably know now that you don't need to change the filter cartridges, you just rinse them in old tank water when they get gunky. I only had to do mine about once a month, (I was understocked). The only time you do need to change them is if they start falling apart, and then only do one at a time, or put new ones in, but stuff as much of the old media in the slots alongside the new ones.
Sounds like both of your tanks are cycling, so water changes are going to be your best friend for a while.

 

[FoxRob]

If the Prime is going to cause a false positive test how can I check for ammonia properly? I am doing water changes on a daily basis right now, should I be adding more Prime with each water change? I also salt my water and need to know if I should add salt at each water change too?

 

[dkpate]

The Prime only binds to so much of the ammonia, and it says on either the bottle, or the Seachem website.
Yes, add Prime with each water change. You can add up to 5x's the amount before it becomes bad for the fish.
If you are salting your water, then yes, you need to re-add the salt you are taking out. Are you salting as a precaution for sickness?

 

[FoxRob]

The guy who helped set up our tank last year says he always salts his so we have been salting ours, also I have a long fin rosey barb with no fins the reason for the 29 gal and moving the tigers out of the 55 gal, they were nipping the fins off the rosey's, gourami's and our bn pleco.

 

[dkpate]

There is no need to use salt, unless you have brackish fish or are treating for an illness. You can do water changes, and just get rid of the salt that way, it might be causing some of the problems, especially with the plecos that are scaleless. They are more sensitive to salt.

 

[FoxRob]

OK I'll leave it out next water change. I just finished changing the water in the tanks a little while ago.

 

[dkpate]

Sounds good, let me know how things go for you.

 

[FoxRob]

I guess I need to get 4 more the remaining 2 keep going after my long fins and gouramis. They haven't nipped them yet but they are acting like they want to.

 

[FoxRob]

I just read in another thread about using a medication and salt as a possible reason for the persons lost fish. When my tigers nipped off the fins on one of my rosey bars and most of them on another I had been treating the tank with Melafix, but we were also salting the tank on a regular basis. Could the salt and Melafix have been a cause to my tin foil barbs dying. I really want to know why they died before I get 4 more of them.

 

[dkpate]

Well, if you use Melafix you need to add an air stone or lower the water level, since it take oxygen or something like that, I read it somewhere.
It might be the reason they died. Did you notice them gasping at the surface at all?

 

[FoxRob]

I have 2 air stone in the tank and when I realized there was a problem with them they seemed to have been gasping for air.

 

[dkpate]

Well they could have been gasping because of the ammonia and the Melafix, and possibly the salt (not sure about that one).
I would just keep up the water changes, and use the Prime every 24 hours, and see if that helps.