pH/KH crash, fish dyeing, help!

[Laird-and-Dad]

Hi everyone! Last week, I lost a Platy. She had been bullied a lot, so I figured it was just a result of that. Today, I lost another, so I tested the water, and found that I had a pH/KH crash.

pH


KH


None of the other fish seem affected, and the now-deceased fish seemed fine before they died.

Here's a picture of the fish that died today, I don't know if it helps:



Thanks!

 

[Brookster123]

What's up with the tank? You using ro or rain water?

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[dalto]

Why is your KH declining so steadily? How often are you doing water changes?

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

What's up with the tank? You using ro or rain water?

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I'm using tap water

Why is your KH declining so steadily? How often are you doing water changes?

Look at the dots. The reason for the steadiness is that I haven't tested for a while. Each dot is a test.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Weird. Are you doing a fish-in cycle right now?

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

Weird. Are you doing a fish-in cycle right now?

Nope. Been cycled for a while.

 

[dalto]

Your KH is fairly low to begin with. If you have not been keeping up with water changes that could happen. However, what is interesting to me if I understand how ppm is related to degrees is that your KH is still about 3. I am surprised your pH dropped that much.

Have you been doing water changes? It is also possible your tap water itself has changed ph

Also, it seems like 3 weeks is too quick for that to happen from lack of water changes.

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

Your KH is fairly low to begin with. If you have not been keeping up with water changes that could happen. However, what is interesting to me if I understand how ppm is related to degrees is that your KH is still about 3. I am surprised your pH dropped that much.

Have you been doing water changes? It is also possible your tap water itself has changed ph

Also, it seems like 3 weeks is too quick for that to happen from lack of water changes.

ppm KH/17.9 = deg KH

My starting KH was 6.1 deg KH

I do ~22% pwc weekly. Pwcs seem to help. When you see the pH graph come back up at the end, those tests are before and right after the pwc.

 

[PNWaquarist]

My tap water is about 2.5 dKH and my pH is always in the 7.3-7.4 range.

By looking at your plotted data, my guess is that your city water facility experienced a pH crash. It would make sense that KH decreased as the pH decreased, as a pH decrease would liberate CO2 into the air and deplete bicarbonate ion (CO2 and bicarbonate are in equilibrium).

What I would do now is scoop up about 2 cups of tank water, add a third of a tablespoon of *pure* baking soda, dissolve it, and add the resulting solution to your aquarium. Wait 15 min and check the pH and KH. Both should increase. Repeat slowly over the course of a day or two until your pH is back up to 8.

Sorry about your fish. That really sucks.

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

Alright. Now this is weird. Here are my tap water parameters.

Ammo=0
Trate=0
Trite=0
GH>300
Chlorine=0
KH>300
pH>8.4

 

[PNWaquarist]

Call your city's water department in the morning.

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

Ok. Now I am really freaking out. pH 6.2. KH 20. GH 300. Trite 10? Trate 80. Ammo 3? Water super cloudy. Fish seem fine.

 

[dalto]

You need to do whatever kind of water changes it takes to get those nitrites down fast. That is definitely in the damaging to fish realm.

I would also double dose prime if you have any to try to bind up that ammonia and nitrite.

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

Got it. Any idea on what's causing this all to happen? I mean, just the pH and KH alone concern me. My normal water is pH 8.4, KH 300.

 

[apr28]

Any new decorations? rocks, wood?

Filters functioning correctly?

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

Nope.

Filters are fine

 

[Brookster123]

The source... it has to be the source water. Have you tested straight from the tap?

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[Laird-and-Dad]

Ammo=0
Trate=0
Trite=0
GH>300
Chlorine=0
KH>300
pH>8.4

 

[dalto]

Yeah, it could be fluctuations in the tap.

The interesting thing is that your tank appears to be cycling again which seems quite strange.

 

[Laird-and-Dad]

Just did 50% pwc. Water is less cloudy. Haven't tested yet.