Help!!

[timbo1599]

I have had my tank for 4 months now and everything was going great. I did a water change on Saturday (not the first time I've done one) and now everyone is dying!!!! An Atlantic Blue Tang showed up dead Monday, a Yellow Tang Tuesday, and now a Clownfish isn't looking so good today!!!! I tested the water and the levels were fine except for the salinity. The water I put in had higher than normal salinity levels. So to fix this problem I put some tap water in until the levels evened out (which I did Monday). Could the problems be from this? I hate to see these littel guys dying and I don't want to lose my whole tank!!

 

[keonia]

what size is your tank?
what was your salinity?
How much water did you replace?
When you replace - change water you are removing water out of the tank and need to replace water w/salt. If you are adding water to a tank that has been evaporated you simply add water w/out salt.
What was the temperature in the tank and the water you added?
??

 

[my way]

How high did your salinity go? And where was is it before you you did your water change? Also it would help greatly if you gave specs on your tank, how big is the tank, did you test your water since you've had this problem? If so what are the readings. if not test it now. I don't know if raising your salinity could have messed with your biological filter. I would assume not but I'm no expert. Did you teat your tap water before adding to your tank?

 

[timbo1599]

Here is the breakdown (I'm not at home now so I'll have to grab all the water test results when I get home).
40 gallon tank
I did a 25% water change (some of that water had evaporated) and I replaced it with salt water.
The salinity was 1.023 before and it went up to 1.028-I then diluted the water and it is down to 1.025.
I used bottled water because my tank is so small and the tap water in Boston is so bad.
I did use tap water after the change to dilute the salt and I used tap conditioner.
I hope that info helps...I know having a small tank means the evironment is very tempormental but I've had problems in the past with water changes and have follwed the same practices.

 

[pfitz44]

Did you treat the tap water before you put it in??? Theres clorine and other minerals in teh water that good for us, but bad for fish....
on a side note... do u know any good LFS in the boston area??? im from milford
~Fitzy

 

[timbo1599]

I did treat the tap water before I put it in. The only thing I can think of is I didn't let the new salt water sit long enough. It was probably a little bit colder (my tank is set at 78) but nothing drastic.
I actually go to a store in the Natick/Framingham area. It's called Tropical Isle and they have great stuff. They are a bit expensive because they are so specialized but they offer great adivce and everything you could possibly need for your tank! I found them on the web, they have good website with directions.

 

[pfitz44]

good that u trated your water.
Go to that store atleast 2x a week!!
~Fitzy

 

[keonia]

How long have you had your fishes, I know you said you had your tank for 4 months now.
A salinity shock 1.023 - to --- 1.028 could be the cause. <possibly>
Water parameters would be great too.
What else do you have in the tank now?

 

[pfitz44]

Timbo... They get there shipments in on tuesday, so wed is a good day to go and see what they got... just an FYI