I have no idea what's happening

[DFT]

I recently got a 20 gal fish tank and some new water was added (some water had evaporated) a bunch of fish died. We immediately did a water changes changed the filter and checked the ph and ammonia witch were at safe levels and washed all the decorations. We now only have two African chichlids and the tank seemed stable for a while but one of our chichlids is acting strange. It was gulping at the surface and now after a water change is rubbing on the side of the tank. It does not look to have Ich and the temp is a solid 78 f we have a bubler bar and a filter and our tank has plenty of places not hide. Can you help with this? I got the tank at Christmas

 

[goatnad]

If you set the tank up at Christmas then you haven't had time for the tank to cycle or you were getting close to the end of your cycle. You should read up on the nitrogen cycle of aquariums. Now that you have replaced the filter your cycle is going to start again. Rubbing against things shows something is irritating the fish. Could be parasites, high ammonia since you changed filters or something else. Ph and ammonia is not all you need to test for. You need to do ph, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. You also can test for gh, kh and tds.

 

[DFT]

Wal-Mart was all out of nitrate and nitrite kits. And the rubbing started a weak after the filter was changed

 

[goatnad]

Wal-Mart was all out of nitrate and nitrite kits. And the rubbing started a weak after the filter was changed

You can get an api master test kit at petsmart or Petco or most likely at your lfs that has all the test except for the TDs test. It makes since the rubbing started after the filter change since your filter contains the majority of your beneficial bacteria. By removing you have no or very little BB to consume and convert your ammonia or nitrates.

 

[DFT]

That last part confused me.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

The beneficial bacteria goatnad is describing are part of the nitrogen cycle. At the end of this I’ll link you an article about it, since it’s very, very important to fishkeeping. I would advise reading and learning more about it.
Beneficial bacteria, sometimes abbreviated as BB, are bacteria that live in your filter. When you have enough beneficial bacteria in your tank to keep your fish healthy, the tank is “cycled”.
Beneficial bacteria keep your fish healthy by detoxifying the water. Fish produce a waste product called ammonia, which is very toxic. Having ammonia in even small concentrations can make your fish sick and even chemically burn them. This is why you need beneficial bacteria and a cycled tank. The bacteria take the ammonia and convert it to nitrite, which is less toxic, but still bad. Then the bacteria convert the nitrite to nitrate, which is much less toxic and will not hurt your fish at low concentrations. Water changes remove this nitrate so it will not build up. This is why cycling your tank is important. It ensures that the water quality is good and that your fish stay healthy.
By changing your filter, you removed the beneficial bacteria that had grown in it. Without the beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite into nitrate, ammonia and nitrite levels are likely elevated, which is stressing or harming your fish and causing them to gulp at the surface and rub against the tank.
[URL="https://www.thesprucepets.com/nitrogen-cycle-understanding-1380724"]https://fishkeepingadvice.com/the-nitrogen-cycle/[/URL]

 

[DFT]

The beneficial bacteria goatnad is describing are part of the nitrogen cycle. At the end of this I’ll link you an article about it, since it’s very, very important to fishkeeping. I would advise reading and learning more about it.
Beneficial bacteria, sometimes abbreviated as BB, are bacteria that live in your filter. When you have enough beneficial bacteria in your tank to keep your fish healthy, the tank is “cycled”.
Beneficial bacteria keep your fish healthy by detoxifying the water. Fish produce a waste product called ammonia, which is very toxic. Having ammonia in even small concentrations can make your fish sick and even chemically burn them. This is why you need beneficial bacteria and a cycled tank. The bacteria take the ammonia and convert it to nitrite, which is less toxic, but still bad. Then the bacteria convert the nitrite to nitrate, which is much less toxic and will not hurt your fish at low concentrations. Water changes remove this nitrate so it will not build up. This is why cycling your tank is important. It ensures that the water quality is good and that your fish stay healthy.
By changing your filter, you removed the beneficial bacteria that had grown in it. Without the beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite into nitrate, ammonia and nitrite levels are likely elevated, which is stressing or harming your fish and causing them to gulp at the surface and rub against the tank.
[URL="https://www.thesprucepets.com/nitrogen-cycle-understanding-1380724"]https://fishkeepingadvice.com/the-nitrogen-cycle/[/URL]

Ok. Thank you is there any way to have BB build up quicker

 

[DreaminginBlue]

If you have access to filter media or gravel from a tank that is already cycled, you can “seed” your tank with the beneficial bacteria already established there. This means you are taking gravel or parts of a filter that already houses beneficial bacteria, which you can introduce to your tank. This immediately increases the amount of beneficial bacteria in your tank, and the increase helps it cycle faster.
To use gravel, you can put it in a mesh bag or pantyhose, and filter media can be put into your filter or similarly in a mesh bag/pantyhose. If you know someone near you who has a tank that’s cycled, you can use some of their gravel and filter media. Just be sure the tank you get it from is healthy and disease free, otherwise you could risk introducing disease. If you do move the filter media or gravel, make sure it never dries out, and is kept in dechlorinated water. If it dries out, the bacteria will die. Likewise, if there is chlorine in the water, it will kill the beneficial bacteria. It’s best to transfer it as soon as possible, so that you don’t risk the BB dying. Extreme temperatures can also kill them.
If you don’t have access to media from an already cycled tank, stores do sell bottles of beneficial bacteria, often called “Quick Start”. However, there’s some debate as to whether the bottled bacteria actually works or not. Some people believe it does not, since the bacteria may have been killed in a variety of ways (extreme temperatures during transit, etc). You can always give it a shot, but be aware it might not work.
For now, all I can suggest is monitoring the water quality and doing water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite down. Try not to overfeed, as decaying food and fish waste will spike these levels. If you don’t already own a test kit, it would be good to get one. The API Freshwater Master Test Kit is a very good one, and will last you a long time. Lastly, make sure you’re using dechlorinator in your water each time you add it to your tank. Chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria and isn’t good for your fish, either.
Hope this helps!

 

[DFT]

Filter media? Are you talking about the charcoal in the filter?

 

[DreaminginBlue]

I meant the biological media, which is often foam, sponges, or small beads. According to Drs. Foster and Smith, “Commercial biological media is... porous rock or pebble-like material, ceramic cylinders, plastic balls, coarse mesh-like material...“
Filter Media: Types and Functions | Animal Planet

 

[DFT]

Well all the filter stuff is in acartrageI use whisper filter carriages

 

[DFT]

Update

The fish has resumed normal behavior it may have been stress due to water change.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Yes, I believe those will house beneficial bacteria. If you know of someone who has a cycled tank and uses the same cartridges, you can ask them to give you their old one.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

I’m glad they’re acting normal now! Make sure to keep an eye on ammonia and nitrite anyways, until the tank cycles.