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Is my tap water a lost cause ?

M

Merls

Seedling
Joined
27 Nov 2014
Messages
23
Been losing fish in my tank for last few weeks but been a lot worse (3-4 fish a day) in last week. I've done the full API test and cant find anything wrong other than my nitrate is high but as my tap water is high i don't know what i can do about it.

I've included a picture, number one is tank after 6 days, number 2 is tap, number 3 is snow (just to make sure i was testing right)

Cant really see the point in more frequent (normally once a week) water changes to reduce the nitrate when the water im putting in is so high.

Recently swapped to CO2 as well at a rate of 1 bubble over 2 seconds and PH stays around 6.8 but ive disabled the CO2 till i find out whats going off.

Im welcome any advice or help cause im getting close to the stage of just pulling the plug and giving up. I've had fish for 20 years but just can't figure this out and losing heart seeing all my best fish die :(
nitrate.jpg


Other info is
PH 6.8 - 7.0
Amnonia 0
Nitrite 0
Lightning set up is
Main led lights 12:00 - 20:00
Moonlights 20:00 - 21:00
CO2 11:30 - 19:00
Airstones 19:00 - 10:30

tank.jpg


Sorry it was rather a long post but your my last hope... (sure that was a star wars quote) ;)
 
Oh excuss me for the pics being so big didnt realise they would be so big from my phone
 
Tank looks like its been set up a while, is that the case? Highly unlikely nitrate is the culprit. The thinking on nitrate is that people aren't sure on the long term affects on health or how susceptible fry and eggs are. It certainly doesn't wipe out fish.
There must be something else, back track, any changes you have done lately? Any species in parti:ular affected? Any new additions of fish lately. I find sometimes you can add fish that bring in an infection that goes tbrough the fish like a dose of salts.

How come you turned down co2, were they gasping?

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I had the CO2 set at 2 bubbles per second and they was ok with it (till they was dying) and from what ive just seen im starting to wonder (and hope) i might be onto whats wrong, oh and tank been set up for 6 years at current location). Backtracking it was about the same time as i added some new fish and im just about to lose one of my favourite clown loaches i think <big big sad face) but look at his fins.

clownfin.jpg


Could this be a case of untreated fin rot ? or just him looking a mess as he dying from something else.

I've tried to take 2 video's, first is the clown seeming to be gasping for air (which is why i turned off the co2 to elimitate that from the problem)
second is just the rest of the tank so you can see the rest are not gasping but you might spot something else ive missed.

http://mdallen.com/clown.mp4

http://mdallen.com/general.mp4
 
Ive got 3 drop checkers set up at present (newbie going over the top), the glass one is blue, and the plastic one with white background is a dark green so i dont think there is to much CO2 in the tank, i've also got the airstones running 24/7 which is not ideal for CO2 i know but wanted to make sure there is oxygen in the water.
 
Can't see any fin rot on any of the other fish though, and some of the little fish are after the wounded clown which might explain his fins, going to try and section him away from the others.
Just fished out a dead angel fish that must of gone in the last hour, no signs of decaying fins on that so im guessing my fin rot idea is out the window.
 
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My best guess would be a bacterial infection brought in with the new additions. Are the new addiions suffering any symptoms? Sometimes new fish carry disease which they host but are immune to, your fish might not have resistance to it yet. Maybe try a broad anti bacteriacide like Myxazin.

I very much doubt your water would be the problem if you've used it problem free for that length of time unless your water authority has recently maybe flushed something through the pipes.

I had a similar situation in my tank once, Trouble free for years then added some neons. Same week I lost a few corys and harlequins and the fins on ny siamese fighter disintegrated.
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Added a few new plants as well, some of the new fish have died (in fact one died within 30 mins of adding him to tank, put it down to stress), I only live 10 mins from wharf aquatics so i will have a trip down there tomorrow for some general treatment or something i think. I've got some Interpet general tonic but ive had it opened for years, (actually expired in 2013) so not going to risk that.

Just seems strange as the tank looks really healthy (and tests fine apart from the nitrate issue) then all of a sudden bang... there is a dead fish again.

I've noticed one of the first signs is the fish seem to struggle to stay upright and tend to roll onto there side, its probably just a general thing when they become ill but thought id mention it in case it means something to anyone.
 
Hi
If the LFS plants have been treated with a copper based insecticide this could have had a affect on your loach which made it susceptible to a bacteria infection!
The other deaths could be down to acclimatisation shock and a bacteria infection passed on by the host fish as AWB as stated!
hoggie
 
i will do another water change tonight then, even though i did a 25% yesterday and pop to wharf tomorrow, will take a water sample as well.

Water draining from tank as i type :)
 
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With the greatest respect mate. I wouldn't take too much notice of the tests. Wouldn't like them to set you off in the wrong direction. I don't think they couod tell you much. Water changes are a definite. I mentioned Myxazin before which I have had success with previously but please double check as I think it maybe copper based and aggravate your clowns further. Same applies if you.have shrimp in the tank.

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I don't think that nitrates are known for killing fish, and test kits are notoriously inaccurate.
The pathogens that cause fin rot, sudden death syndrome etc are often present in our aquariums and our fish usually only become susceptible due to stress brought on by poor water quality, CO2 overdose, temp change, etc as already mentioned.
I'd treat with broad spectrum propriety agents like eSHa 2000 and eSHa exit (combined) to cover a multitude of infections.
But first it would perhaps be an idea to follow the good advice already given and do a substantial water change and clean the tanks filter, and take out any absorbent media that might inhibit the agents efficacy.
 
/ive just done a big water change. I run 2 all ponds solution external filters (1600 and 2000 i think) both have the normal media in them, should i remove the carbon from them during treatment. Will the other media components be ok
 
Looks quite heavily stocked. I would do 50% waterchanges everyday and clean one filter one day and the other 2 days later. Tossing in medications without a diagnosis is never clever in my eyes. Clean as much as possible and do large waterchanges.
 
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