I just setup a new 54 gallon corner tank last night. I put 4 zebra danios out of another tank that I've had for a couple months in it for cycling. When I got up this morning they all were dying or dying. I checked everything looked ok except ph so put ph regulator powder in. Added some neon tetras and 2 hours later they were all dead. Any ideas? Thanks.
New tank fish dying
- Thread starter Aaronb
- Start date
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tornadonick
Aquarium Advice Freak
First thing I would do is NOT cycle with fish. I didn't do my homework on cycling and now i am kind of stuck on in fish cycling, but it sounds like you have another tank so I wouldnt.
xxwolfpackof1xx
Aquarium Advice Addict
the tank isnt cycled did you treat the water? the new tank should be cycled for at least a month but sence you have an established tankk add some gravel or filter from the tank and seed the new one
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xxwolfpackof1xx
Aquarium Advice Addict
its been awhile sence my last cycle but theres delicate nitrogen cycle and i think it's nitrites that sre present in water and are toxic to fish...correct me if im wrong but either way fish in uncycled tank is a no. avoid adding any fish to the 54 and do a fishless cycle youl appreciate it in the long run for the time being use the gravel to seed it and if you have a spare filter throw itnon the 54 or if you have a used cartridge that fits put it in the 54 filter
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daileene
Planted Tank Addict
Hello...Welcome to AA!
What were the levels of your water parameters? If the ammonia were more than 0.25ppm, then that would explain why. Ammonia more than 0.25ppm is detrimental for your fishies. And personally, I would not want any chemicals in my tank...sometimes they cause more problems than help. You might reconsider cycling without fish. Put back the fishes that are still alive in your tank to your established tank, then go from there. It will be less heartache and will be faster. Just as mentioned above, seed some old filter to this tank so it will cycle fast and easy..you don't have to worry about PWC when you are fishless cycling.
What were the levels of your water parameters? If the ammonia were more than 0.25ppm, then that would explain why. Ammonia more than 0.25ppm is detrimental for your fishies. And personally, I would not want any chemicals in my tank...sometimes they cause more problems than help. You might reconsider cycling without fish. Put back the fishes that are still alive in your tank to your established tank, then go from there. It will be less heartache and will be faster. Just as mentioned above, seed some old filter to this tank so it will cycle fast and easy..you don't have to worry about PWC when you are fishless cycling.
Ok. I'll leave it running for a couple weeks with no fish. I have a 210 gallon running and put fish in it a few days after setting it up and they're doing good. Ive been keeping fish a while and guess I thought cycling was putting fish in to cause ammonia to get the bacteria to grow and convert it to nitrates. I didn't realize you were suppose to let it cycle a while to before adding fish if you used water conditioner. Thanks.
daileene
Planted Tank Addict
Nitrites more than 0.25ppm if you are cycling with fish will also cause great damage to your fish. So if your level were more than 0.25ppm, then that was why your fishes died.
Yeah I thought the tiny fish in a big tank would make a hardly noticeable difference in parameters. We actually took a water sample to the lfs and the said ammonia, nitrate, and nitrites looked good which is what I figured for a tank that had only been setup for 15 hours at the time.
tornadonick
Aquarium Advice Freak
how long has the 210 been up, if that one is also new your fish still could get hit once the cycle gets going. I would read as much as you can about cycling, you wont regret it.
daileene
Planted Tank Addict
The LFS normally always tells you that the parameters are all okay..they normally test your water with the strips, and the strips are not accurate. If I were you, invest in a test kit, you will be grateful you have one. API freshwater master kit is always recommended as it is a liquid test and 99.99% accurate.
daileene
Planted Tank Addict
2 months cycling with fish is not normally done cycling yet. I am in my 9th week of cycling with fish and the cycle isn't done yet. So I would say it is safe to conclude that your fish got affected with the water parameters of 2 tanks that has not been done cycling. Tanks that are cycled should have ammonia=0ppm, Nitrite=0ppm, and Nitrate=5-40ppm. If your levels are nowhere this levels, then you are not done cycling yet.
In the tank that has been running for 2 months all the fish are doing great. There seem to be no problems at all with it. I guess if I continue to not lose any fish I guess it's still doing fine. I ask about the 54 not the 210 anyways. If I have questions about the 210 I'll be sure to ask and be grateful for advice. I don't need you trying to put me into a panic and think both tanks have problems. I also have zeolite in the 210 canister after the biomedia to help with ammonia it might not have gotten. I'm sure someone will be happy to tell me it's a sin to use zeolite. That's ok I'll use it as I see fit anyways. Please stick to the question I ask or don't bother replying. Thanks for the help I have gotten anyways. 
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
I kinda see what youre doing. Your forcing the cycle and fixing it with the zeolite. I did that with my first setup. I used the zeo for the ammonia, a nitrite pad for the nitrites and a nitrate obsorbing pad for them. I was lucky, I had 13 fish and didn't lose one. I'm now running with only bio media no carbon even. So that tank worked out ok.
But I did the whole fishless cycle on my SW tank. Dosed with ammonia and waited for all the tests to come back, tested several times a day even. lol
Do you test the water yourself? When I was using the media to cycle I was checking everyday to see if I should be changing it around ie: more zeo, or another nitrite pad etc..
But I did the whole fishless cycle on my SW tank. Dosed with ammonia and waited for all the tests to come back, tested several times a day even. lol
Do you test the water yourself? When I was using the media to cycle I was checking everyday to see if I should be changing it around ie: more zeo, or another nitrite pad etc..
Thanks. Yeah I just put the zeolite in after so the biomedia could hopefully take care of the ammonia and nitrite but if not the zeolite would help. I just was afraid maybe the place I bought the aquarium had used something to clean the aquarium with that was poisoning the fish. It took less than 10 hours for the first danio to die after I put it in so I thought that was way to soon to be due to the tank not being cycled.
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
Did the fish look ok in the store? How about the ten hours he did hold on for?
I would have to say not to put any more fish in there til you can figure it out tho. Was the tank bought used? Maybe detergents were used when cleaning it...Could be so many things.
I would have to say not to put any more fish in there til you can figure it out tho. Was the tank bought used? Maybe detergents were used when cleaning it...Could be so many things.
daileene
Planted Tank Addict
I am sorry if you feel that I am trying to put you into panic. Trust me I didn't have any intention of doing that. I just want to share what I have learned from here. I don't want you to lose any more fish, whether it be in the 210 or this tank.
In conclusion, don't trust the LFS to check your water for you. Test it yourself and you will see the difference. That's all I have to say.
In conclusion, don't trust the LFS to check your water for you. Test it yourself and you will see the difference. That's all I have to say.
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
LoL I gotta agree with daileene on the LFS checking water. I was told so many times so many things that were untrue its astonishing.
I think the OP has a test kit though, but thats what i took away from this. But its getting late and I could be confused hehe....
I think the OP has a test kit though, but thats what i took away from this. But its getting late and I could be confused hehe....
daileene
Planted Tank Addict
He said he went to the LFS for them to check his water and they said everything was fine..they normally used strip test not the liquid. So it is always not accurate...IMHO.
