Mass fish death!

[Christina]

Dear all

I am really sad about all my baby sunset platies that I have had for ages. I had to get a new tank for them because there was a problem with the old one, and given that I am not having any more babies I knew that in future it would just be a hospital tank, so I got the cheap one that I was recommmended in the shop.
All of them have died/are on the point of death, apart from one that isn't a sunset platy that is fine and now happily swimming around in the big tank.

I am trying to locate the problem, as I would still like it to fulfil its purpose of a hospital tank in future and now do not feel safe putting fish in it if the need comes.

I know I've probably done something really stupid, but I'm quite upset about it so please be sensitive in answering exactly what it is that was the stupid mistake that I have made.

I followed the advice of the fish shop all the way, but I don't know if I should have done. They recommended a goldfish tank that is made out of glass, and they said that the filter would be strong enough for the few little fish that are in there or that would be in there when it is being used for an ill fish. I also bought a heater to go in it that is definately working properly, at the same temp. as their old tank was at.
It came with gravel, and the filter material is different. These are the only differences I can pinpoint. I filled it almost completely with water from the tank that they were in.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Maybe the gravel for goldfish is different than for tropical fish and I've poisened them? I don't know.

Any ideas...? Thanks

 

[roka64]

I'm not too sure if I read what happened, correctly.
1. You had a problem with your old tank...do you know what it was?
2. You bought a brand new tank and just moved the critters and water...right?

Keep in mind, the nitrifying bacteria resides in the substrate and not in the water column. If you just moved the water from the old tank into the new tank, it's like them going through another cycle.
Do you have a test kit?
I am sorry for your losses, we'll help figure it out.

 

[Christina]

The old tank was functioning perfectly fine. This is why the situation is all-the-more upsetting, and it's making me feel really guilty for the poor dead fish! My parents just made me get a new one because the filter was making a really annoying, irregular, loud whirring noise, and no one could stand to work in that room. (It was all one thing - heater, filter, light, and it's really old and I couldn't find any like it in the shop). Also filter material wouldn't fit into new filter.

I know this is really stupid, and I really should no better, but I thought that cos the fish are so tiny and the water contained the right bacteria, that they'd be ok with the totally new filter. That is what the person in the shop said, but I should have known not to accept it because I have had problems with advice from them before, when I originally got my tank.

So if I treat the tank like a completely new one, putting in food and waiting for it to become cycled, then it will be okay to put potential sick fish in in the future?

I'm so stupid. I want to say 'you live and learn', to find some good side to this disaster, but it's not really appropriate when you've just made about five fish suffer in the process(though the random fish that I have had for ages (he got in with a bag of fish I bought about a year ago from a shop, and no one knows what he/she is) seems to be having a great time in the big fish tank, looking very healthy). And one of the sunset platies looks like it might survive in the big tank.

Thanks for your help - please let me know if there is anything else I might need to know.

Christina

 

[Zagz]

Yes if you cycle the tank it will be ready for sick fish in the future. What a lot of people do is keep extra media in the filter to run on a sick tank or run an extra filter on the main tank to use on a sick tank.

Unfortunately your lfs gave you bad advice and most likely the fish died from ammonia poisioning. It isn't your fault at all. You were following what you thought was good advice.

 

[LandGhoti]

I'm so sorry for your losses.
Don't beat yourself up about this, though. Like Anne said, it's not your fault.
And as hard as the live and learn thing is, it's true. You are not a bad fish keeper and this experience will only make you an even better one!

 

[Stephen]

Sorry to hear that. I agree, it was most most probably ammonia poisioning that caused the deaths.

Hope this doesn't discourage you from trying again.

 

[Christina]

Thank you for all your encouraging comments! I am trying to see it in as a learning experience as well. I certainly won't go doing that again!
I am pleased to see that a couple of the platies survived in the big tank, and are hiding behind the filter. That cheered me up a bit.

 

[plecoperson]

Most of us have been there, Christina. What everyone is saying is true-you should be able to trust the advice you get from the fish shop! Well, the fine members here are always available at times like these, at least.

Glad to hear you still have a few platies left-those are probably the best ones, too--the fastest and smartest avoid the net.

 

[neilanh]

It's going to take time for your new tank to cycle. If you keep those fish in there, you're going to have to keep tabs on it. Do you have a chemical test set? Something that tests for ammonia, NO2, NO3 (the aquarium pharmacuticals kit is a favorite here), those little test strips aren't very accurate. If you don't have one, I urge you to pick one up and test your water. While your tank is cycling, the ammonia is going to spike (if it hasn't already), followed by your NO2 spiking. Both of these are highly toxic to fish. Read the article on the nitrogen cycle in the articles section.

Chances are you're going to have to do probably daily PWCs to keep those fish alive. Doing checks on your Ammonia and NitrIte levels will help you determine:
1) how often you need to do them
2) where you are in your cycle
3) when the cycle is complete and you can go back to normal maintenance.

The ammonia and NitrIte levels need to stay below 0.5ppm to give your remaining fish a fighting chance. It's not unheard of to need to do 50% PWCs twice a day to keep those levels down.

Best of luck! There's tons of people here who can help you with all the info you want, need, and then some!