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I think I did something really stupid....

Achilles1

Member
Joined
17 Aug 2013
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44
I'm afraid I made a mistake that killed my rainbowfish. I did a 50% water change and filled my tank with cold water (as I always do). Since this week I had 6 pseudomogil Furcatus in my tank. After the wc five of them died almost instantly. I never had this with my Otocinclus, but maybe the rainbowfish are more sensitive. The normal temperature of my tank is around 25 C.

Is it possible that a sudden drop in temperature killed my fish?
 
Hi all,
I'm afraid I made a mistake that killed my rainbowfish. I did a 50% water change and filled my tank with cold water (as I always do). Since this week I had 6 pseudomogil Furcatus in my tank. After the wc five of them died almost instantly. I never had this with my Otocinclus, but maybe the rainbowfish are more sensitive. The normal temperature of my tank is around 25 C. Is it possible that a sudden drop in temperature killed my fish?
Yes.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all, Yes.

cheers Darrel
+1

Sorry mate but you need to warm the water before had and use dechlorinator ...
My method had always been to have a bucket with an internal filter chucked in to circulate the water and mix it up good. I had a heater in there too. Doesn't have to be for long, but straight from the tape is a no no.
 
i was once advised not to use hot water from the tap when doing wc.
I normally fill a bucket with water then letting it come to room temp either overnight or over a few hours before WC. I've not had many issues with that but would any one know why the hot water tap is not recommended?
 
Not too sure about temperature drop, I used to fill straight from cold tap via hose, tank used to drop to 15-18C, no fish problems. In fact most of the fish seemed to like to swim in the incoming cold water. BUT what I did do is always 100% without fail, was dose the tank with dechlorinator (AmQuel+ in my case), enough for the whole tank. Make sure filters are off when filling, as the filter bacteria are very susceptible to chlorine/chloramine in incoming water.

If you didn't use dechlorinator that could be your issue. In UK chloramine is often emergency injected into water network after leaks and/or issues and this has been known to wipe out aquariums for those silly enough not to use dechlorinator. Seachem prime is cheap and 250ml will dechlorinate 10,000litres of water. Will try and find the link to guy who lost £700 worth of fish after a burst water main repair and chloramine was injected to sterilise the water main repair and he didn't bother with dechlorinator.
 
Hi all,
Not too sure about temperature drop, I used to fill straight from cold tap via hose, tank used to drop to 15-18C, no fish problems.
I must admit I don't worry too much about matching the temperature, but I only change small volumes of water.

I think the effect will definitely depend upon the fish, bigger fish will survive better than smaller ones, and it will be less of a thermal shock in larger volume tanks.

For me the main issue is that mains water will be at something like 4 - 8oC at present.

If your tank is fairly small volume, runs at 25oC, and you change 1/2 the water, you will get a rapid temperature drop from 25oC to ~17oC (25 - 6 = 19, 19/2 = 8.5, 25 - 8.5 = 16.5), and that is going to see of a lot of smaller fish.
f you didn't use dechlorinator that could be your issue. In UK chloramine is often emergency injected into water network after leaks and/or issues and this has been known to wipe out aquariums for those silly enough not to use dechlorinator. Seachem prime is cheap and 250ml will dechlorinate 10,000litres of water. Will try and find the link to guy who lost £700 worth of fish after a burst water main repair and chloramine was injected to sterilise the water main repair and he didn't bother with dechlorinator
Chloramine is a real problem, <"on the plec keeping forums there were reports of an epidemic of deaths in 2010/11">, when we had a lot of freezing damage to water mains and emergency water main treatment.

cheers Darrel
 
Here you go 22 aquariums wiped out due to emergency chloramine.
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/410456-22-aquariums-wiped-out/

Also just reading that HMA filters may not work on chloramine as well. The HMA carbon filter breaks chloramine to chlorine and ammonia, chlorine get absorbed but ammonia passes straight through, so recommendation with HMA filter is to always use Amquel+ to remove excess ammonia on filtered water.
 
cold tap via hose, tank used to drop to 15-18C, no fish problems.
Same for me, i don't experience problems with a temp drop, maybe/probably has to do with the speed of the change. I know in nature watertemparatures can fluctuate hugely too, most notably day/night.
 
i was once advised not to use hot water from the tap when doing wc.
I normally fill a bucket with water then letting it come to room temp either overnight or over a few hours before WC. I've not had many issues with that but would any one know why the hot water tap is not recommended?

I believe the advice not to use hot water from the tap is due to copper immersion tanks causing a build up of copper if the water stands in the tank for a long time. If your water is heated by gas so it only heats up while the water is actually running it won't be a problem.

cheers phil
 
copper immersion tanks causing a build up of copper if the water stands in the tank for a long time
Yes but I think largely an old wives tale. Copper pipe is attacked by hot soft low pH water, but my "Copper Tube in Domestic Water Services Design and Installation" book states that there are no UK companies that supply water that will attack copper as the water is treated to remove acidity before delivery. However water above 60C, if stored for a "long time", what ever that is, will "soften" and dissolve copper over a number of years. It states "copper is not a toxic metal" if in the water.
 
Same for me, i don't experience problems with a temp drop, maybe/probably has to do with the speed of the change. I know in nature watertemparatures can fluctuate hugely too, most notably day/night.

From my point of view and experience here you have the cause.. to fast that waterchange.
I always did (as my friends here in Portugal) WC directly from the TAP. Linking a hose witch is pumping right above the thermostat ... slowly introducing tap water that is being mixed as i do not turn off the filter (only reduce a bit the strenght menawhile is filling the tank). The INFLOW is always under water so i don´t need to turn off the filter. Filling the tank with the filter working so the temperature never goes down more than a 1 or 2 degrees.

I do not even use any Declo.. or anti something (never did) .. cause our tapwater is pretty good as analyses reveal. And very reach in calcium, magnesium, iron, and others.

I never had a fish dead cause of this.
Best regards
 
Mixing from a combination boiler is okay as the water is drawn straight from the mains pipe.......and heated almost emmediately!
Still add water dechlorinator though!
hoggie
 
do not even use any Declo.. or anti something (never did) .. cause our tapwater is pretty good as analyses reveal
The problem is, when there is ever a water supply issue and emergency chlorine & chloramine is added to the water, you won't know until all your fish die and all the bacteria in your filters die. Thus, in most first world countries, you should always use dechlorinator. If you know your water company only uses chlorine and will only ever use chlorine, you can degas your water before used by simply standing it for 24 hours with an air-stone running.

Can always make your own dechlorinator from sodium thiosulphate, 1Kg for £6 will dechlorinate approximately 100,000litres or more of water.
 
I´m aware of that but here the water is treated in tanks before it goes to the home chain suply.
One tank for each region, to treatment than goes to another and only after that is inserted in the chain suply.
 
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