Water Levels

[canuckaquarist]

Hello again,

I just bought a Freshwater Master Test Kit, because I feared my "Test Strips" were inaccurate after reading many posts here about testing.

After the deaths of the 4 Neon's I bought a few weeks ago. Now today, I brought 4 Guppies home, only wanted to get a pair, but lucky or unlucky? me saw a lady I wen't to College with and she threw in an addition 2 females on the house. Tonight the lone male died, the 3 females look perfectly fine still. So I bought this kit to check out what the heck is going on with my aquarium.

PH level is 7.6-7.8 range. Nitrate is 0-1 range. Ammonia is 0.

Thank you, and sorry for all my troubles, still an aquarist noobie I suppose

-Blake

 

[MSU Fan]

From the parameters you listed, the tank sounds like it is fine. Can you describe your tank a bit more? you said that 4 neon had died, are there any other fish still in the tank? how long has the tank been cycled? As I said, you ph is fine, ammonia is fine, and 0-1 nitrate (or do you mean nitrite?) is ok as well.

So today, you brought 4 guppies home. how did you acclimate them to the tank? a lot of people on here recommend the use of a qt tank, with usually a 1-3 week layover before putting in their regular tank.

Any additional info you add would be very helpful.

EDIT:
you don't have to apologize for asking a question or being a noob...the fact that you are on this site asking the question is a great thing! I was in your position not too long ago, so i know!

 

[rich311k]

Nitrate is 0-1 or nitrite?

 

[Zagz]

Never feel bad for asking questions as a newbie. Everyone was a newbie once. The only way to learn is to ask questions. I must also ask did you mean nitrates or nitrites?

 

[canuckaquarist]

Sorry, just realized had tests for both Nitrate and Nitrite, both were 0. Was wondering why the test had me doing two of the same, didnt look carefuly to notice the difference in spelling.

The tank is a 15 gallon. Has had 3 Mollies since the initial fishless cycle, had the aquarium going for three weeks without fish. The Mollies have been in there for about 5-6 months now, no problems, they even had babies the second week in (3 babies that we could find/capture), the babies are almost grown up now, about 1/2 the size of the mother.

Also have 2 Whiteskirt Tetras, (told people previously they were Blackskirt, because I was ashamed of buying dyed fish *Strawberry*, didnt know they were dyed when I bought them until probably a month after I had them). But they have been in there for about 4 and a half months now.

We added four Neon Tetras, told we had the room from both on here and the fishstore. We believe one died within days, we couldnt find him, then we couldnt find another another few days later, found them both on a hidden spot of the filter tube. The other two died a few days after that. All about in one week.

We do weekly water changes of 10-20%, and after the deaths we did a 40-50% water change (week ago) just to be safe with the recent deaths. These tests I just posted were from tonight about two hours ago.

Other then that, the Mollies have been flourishing in this tank since week two, as well as the Whiteskirts (Strawberries poor girls)

Thanks again for all input and help, its frustrating losing these new fish lately.

 

[joannde]

Hi. Neon's can be a bit sensitive and difficult to keep alive - aot of folks here have trouble with them. As for the guppies, again, there are weak strains out there. I've had better luck if I QT them first for a week, but even then have found that they aren't as hardy as is thought. It really could just be that you had "bad fish"

 

[SCFatz]

How many fish were in the tank at the time of the last death(s)?

 

[canuckaquarist]

I hope it's just "bad fish", I mean if there was really something wrong with my aquarium or how I am maintaining it, then the Mollies and Whiteskirts wouldnt have done this well this long. Especially raiding three baby Mollies for the past 4-5 months in it.

I guess I will see how these three female Guppies do, one was kind of staying in one spot near the filter lip, but from what I read pregnant females like to hang out around that area. Two of the females are really fat, one is skinny. So I think I might have some babies swimming around sometime soon.

Thanks agian.

 

[SCFatz]

Sorry, just realized had tests for both Nitrate and Nitrite, both were 0.

This just doesn't seem right.
From what I can gather you have 3 full grown mollies,3 juvenile mollies,2 white skirt tetras and 3 female gups all in a 15g.
There is 0 chance that a tank that size,with that much population,will test at 0,0,0 imo.

Either you have ammonia,nitrites or (hopefully) nitrates....it just kinda goes with the territory ya know?

 

[canuckaquarist]

From the tests, matching the bottles to the colour charts, they were 0. Maybe slightly above 0, did the tests twice to make sure I did them right.

Nitrite was light blue, which is 0ppm(mg/L), next up is light purple with 0.25, no other blues on the card.

PH was darkish blue, which would make it slightly over the 7.6 colour on the PH card. On the High Range PH card, the test registered a light brown, which is 7.8ish. So its around 7.6-7.8.

Nitrate was yellowish, which is 0ppm, but a little darker yellow registers 5, its probably somewhere between those scales. Although it was lighter then the 5 colour.

Ammonia was bright yellow, which reads 0ppm(mg/L), wasn't close to the next range which is 0.25 and has a greenish tinge.

All tests came out the same the second try.

I got a Penguin BIO-Wheel, and an airstone in the aquarium. I use AquaSafe, Nutrifin Cycle, and used a Big Al's brand that helps create bacteria to eliminate fish waste. All the personnel of the fish department recommended it at Big Al's of course I dont put much in with water changes, just a few drops.

 

[SCFatz]

Was the last water change still a week ago?

One suggestion is to pay particular attention to the instructions on the nitrate test.Shake this for so long/shake this for so long/wait so long ect....

 

[Guest]

Canuck, what kind of test kit did you buy? I see that you replaced your test strips which is good.

The reason everybody is asking, is because in a healthy cycled tank there should be 0 amonia, 0 nitrite, and you should be showing Nitrate up to 20ppm give or take.

Maybe you are not doing the test right? Make sure you read the directions.

Either way, we will all help you to figure it out. As, Zagz said we were ALL newbies once and no matter how dumb you think the question may be,it is not so please ask. You would be amazed after a couple of months on AA how much you will learn. I did not know that there was a difference between Nitrites and Nitrates when I began either for whatever it is worth.

 

[Zagz]

Do you have live plants in your tank? Did you test your tank just after a water change? As mentioned, following the advice on the nitrate test for shaking the test tubes is very important.

 

[canuckaquarist]

No live plants.

Yeah I added Bottle #1's 10 drops, shook, shook Bottle #2 for 30 seconds, added its 10 drops, shook the tube for 1 minute. Let it sit for 5 minutes and read the chart.

Last water change was today actually. Week ago I did the 50% water change after the Neon's died.

 

[SCFatz]

That might explain why they are very low.

Its difficult to tell low level nitrites using the card.

Try this:Run the test on your tap/source water (about the same temp) and your tank at the same time.Follow all the directions and then compare the vials (held together) against the card.

The only way I have found to truely confirm low level nitrates is to run a control sample (known zero) this way.

HTH

 

[canuckaquarist]

Did that dual test of Aquarium and Tap water. Both came out similar in colour, light yellow.

 

[canuckaquarist]

Well this morning, two more Guppies were dead.

Don't know whats going on, maybe I am overstocking? Could that be the cause of deaths to anything new that enters this aquarium?

 

[joannde]

There are lots of potential reasons. Once might be overstocking. What size is the tank ? can you provide a list of all the inhabitants and their sizes ?

 

[canuckaquarist]

It's either a 12 or 15 gallon, according to my fiancee who had it before we got together a long time ago.

Got:
- 3 grown Gold Dust Mollies, and 3 juvenile/baby Gold Dust Mollies.
- 2 Whiteskirt Tetras.
- (Now) 1 Fancy Guppy.

7.6-7.8 PH, 0 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia according to tests that I did twice to make sure the results were accurate.

Got a Penguin 100 Bio-Wheel filter and got an airstone running in the other back corner.

Thanks,
Blake

 

[joannde]

It might be a little overstocked but not much, so I still think you just got bad batches of fish - but (big BUT) that might be because I've had the same issues with neons and guppies. Bad strains. I thought it might be my tank, so I've started to QT new arrivals. I had three guppies and only 1 survived the week in the QT tank - so I know its not my tank - and I'm chaulking it up to bad bloodlines or shipping stress.