PLEASE HELP ASAP!

janice

janice

Member
For history, see my post entitled "major algae problems".
Yesterday I put in 8 gallons of RO water and this morning, my fish are dying. My Koran Angel is laying on the bottom breathing very rapidly. I can't see the other fish well enough to know if they are alive or not but the invertebrae (2 cleaner fish and a crab) seem fine! I've had this tank 2 years so no,I didn't have lotion on, I used my same bucket, etc. I'm in the middle of a water change from my tap now. I tested the nitrate/nitrate before I started. Both were a little high - nitrite was .. ---- crab's trying to eat angel, gotta go.. please help!!!! nitrate was around 40, nitrite a .... little high as well, but supposedly ok
 
janice

janice

Member
More info...
Prior to water change, I tested the water and here's the results:
PH: .2, Ammonia 0, Nitrite .1, Nitrate 30-40.
Changed 8 gallons of a 55 gallon using Glenwood Springs bottled RO water from grocery store. Added Aqua Plus water conditioner as usual (a little lighter cause I wasn't sure if it was needed). The new water was a bit cold but only dropped the tank temp 1 degree. It's been running under 80 so it dropped from 78 to 77. I just changed another 8 gallons using warmer water so now it's back up to 79. Salinity was good at all times (before RO water change, after RO water change, before 2nd water change). One regal tang and a clown fish swam a little. Other regal is under a rock - can't tell anything. Koran angel is still in front laying flat and breather hard. Shrimp and crab and snails doing fine. Haven't seen my banana wrasse yet.... fish stored is closed for another half hour... sigh..
 
gobylover

gobylover

Member
I take it your concern is that the angel is sick.Did you add salt directly to the tank?If so that is probably the problem.What exactly do you need help with??
 
janice

janice

Member
No, I never add salt directly to the tank.
What I need help with is what can I do to help my fish breathe? They are starting to swim around now but still breathing hard. The Angelfish is worse off. He picked himself off the gravel and is hanging in the rocks but not moving much. My LFS thinks there may have been pollutants in the bottled RO water but all my readings are fine. Should I do another water change with tap? How much is too much? Should I add more water conditioner? Cycle? ... other ideas?
Btw, I had a typo in my previous note on one of the readings.. er, I think it was nitrates I typoed on.. whatever but it's all reading within normal including salinity.
 
gobylover

gobylover

Member
What size tank is it?Do you have a power head?I wouldn't do another water change right now.Make sure there is enough circulation.What is going on with the Koran??Sorry,I see its a 55.Did you do the water change because of the algae?
 
janice

janice

Member
I have a protein skimmer and fluval canister filter. The skimmer provides plenty of circulation. I *did* mention that this tank has been going for two years right???? This isn't a newbie problem or an initial setup problem.... Not that I didn't screw up, because obviously I did something stupid.
 
tangs_in_pacifica

tangs_in_pacifica

Member
Janice,
You're going to think this ridiculous, because it is. Could the problem have anything to do with stray voltage? I know, it's ridiculous, but I can't think of anything else... maybe, you shut off pumps and turned them on during the water change... a PH finally started leaking current??? Stupid, but it's all I got??? BTW, I posted this to your other thread as well.
 
fishfreek

fishfreek

Active Member
I have read both of your posts... the only other thing i can think of is do you have enough water breaking the surface (o2 exchange)? The water my have pretty good curculation but needs to break the surface slightly to add oxygen to the water. Do you have an oxygen test kit? Sorry but this is the only additional thing i can think of. HTH
 
janice

janice

Member
Mr Angelfish didn't make it - I buried him in the woods :^( He was 7 inches long, raised him from a pup... sigh.. The other fish/inverts are surviving although it still looks like it may be a bit tough for them to breathe. I did another water change last night and now I think it's time to wait and see. If the mistake was not aerating the water (which sounds most likely), I'd expect everything to get back to normal. Thanks everyone.
I think I'm going to buy a RO filter.
 
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