Fish Keeping Forum: amonia and 1 casualty....help!

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big-mike
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Topic: amonia and 1 casualty....help!
Posted: 25 July 2010 at 7:49pm

I went down to my lfs yesturday too see what they had in and came home with a lovely looking flying fox but 7-8hrs later the poor little chap died Cry ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page. absolutly gutted i itook him and some water back to the shop for testing, the ph in my tank had dropped to 5.5 which i was told was because my tap water is soft causing it to become acidic (im still learning about this stuff) so i purchased some ph 7.5 balancer which sorted my ph out in a matter of hours however i also had an amonia reading of 0.5 so i set too and vaccumed my gravel changing around 30% of my water and then re tested, it had dropped slightly maybe 0.3 - 0.4 but im worried as i know this should be 0.0 my question is whats the best way to correct the amonia? would leaving it to convert to nitrite then nitrate be ok or is a faster approach needed??

oh and all my other fish seem fine and are happely zooming round the tank Big smile ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page.

Big smile ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page.

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jennybugs
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Posted: 25 July 2010 at 9:40pm

Water changes are my suggestion matey. Several one after the ther if necessary then let it settle for a bit before repeating if needed.

Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D

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big-mike
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 7:45pm

unfortunatly ive had 2 more deaths in my tank, my tiny black shark died late sunday night and i got home to a dead rosie barb yesturday but on the bright side ive done a 20% water change last night and again tonight i also removed my 2 plants which i think were dying and tonights water test shows good ph and a small drop in amonia (down to around 0.3ish) so fingers crossed i shud have my tank back to normal by the end of the week just a shame for my rosie, shark and fox R.I.P guys

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kirstyandjack Online
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 7:53pm

Sorry to hear that ... how long had your tank cycled before you added fish?

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jennybugs
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 8:13pm

That's just what I was thinking - I am so dense I can't remember off heart

Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D

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big-mike
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 8:30pm

my tank cycled fishless for just under 5 weeks then i added 3 fish, as u advised jenny i took my time adding fish over the next 4 weeks and now have 7 fish each around an inch in size

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kirstyandjack Online
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 8:49pm

Is your filter working okay? My fluval filter jammed once and I never realised because it was still making a noise but wasn't cycling any water ... wasn't until I went to do a water change that I noticed and by then I had to do massive water changes to keep everything okay until it caught up again.

K

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jennybugs
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 9:05pm

Originally posted by big-mike

my tank cycled fishless for just under 5 weeks then i added 3 fish, as u advised jenny i took my time adding fish over the next 4 weeks and now have 7 fish each around an inch in size

That's it Mike...it wasn't an accusation, I just couldn't remember

I'm just puzzled as to why you have ammonia in your tank. As K&J just says, how's your filter doing?
It's obviously not doing the full job as there's ammonia present. I'd buy some Tetra SafeStart to help boost the good bacteria or try some Seachem Stability which is just as good but a touch cheaper.

Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D

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big-mike
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:26pm

i did think maybe the filter but the outlet for the water is at the front and its pumping just as good as it always has i would imagine because it pulls water in 1 end and then pumps it out the other if there was a problem i would notice a loss in preasure at the outlet end??

i kinda got a bit carried away with feeding them towards the end of last week as i was worried my little shark wasnt getting any of the food coz he hides alot that coupled with only doing my 1st gravel vacuum sunday and the drop in ph i think i could have caused the deaths, i could be wrong!!

Edited by big-mike - 27 July 2010 at 10:29pm

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kirstyandjack Online
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:37pm

Maybe it was too much food? I have one much smaller fish and he grazes on the catfish's sinking pellet before he comes out. I also feed the wee worm cubes once or twice a week as they float about and everyone has time to pick off the cube or catch the falling worms :-)

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big-mike
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:42pm

thats what im thinking, i brought some frozen blood worm cubes and put 1 in the other day not realizing the worms were almost as big as my fish lol (should have brought the mini blood worm) and there was alot more in each cube than i thought!!

Edited by big-mike - 27 July 2010 at 10:44pm

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kirstyandjack Online
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:45pm

I did that too the first time .... I buy tubifex and cut the cube with a pair of scissors - for 13 fish I normally put in a half and that is their food for the day.

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big-mike
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Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:48pm

i think im gonna feed them every other day and blood worm once a week as a treat see how i get on with that, oh and half the worm cubes too lol

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jennybugs
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Posted: 28 July 2010 at 2:55pm

Originally posted by big-mike

thats what im thinking, i brought some frozen blood worm cubes and put 1 in the other day not realizing the worms were almost as big as my fish lol (should have brought the mini blood worm) and there was alot more in each cube than i thought!!

Do you defrost your cubes in somme tank water in a cup and strain out the food first? The liquid the food is frozen in is packed with nitrates (not that I think one cube will have killed anything) and can set your tank water off on the wrong path too.

Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D

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big-mike
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Posted: 29 July 2010 at 6:32pm

i defrosted the cube in some tank water in a jug but i didnt strain them before i put them in??

i think the ph mite have killed the fish 5.5 is quiet low is'nt it?

well ive done 15-20% water change 3 nights in a row now and i still have bit less than 0.5 amonia but my water is back to perfectly clear! my 7 fish are very happy chappys and arnt showing any signs of illness etc.. Smile ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page.

Smile ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page.

im going to vac my gravel again satday and ive cut there feeding down to every 3rd day for now

Edited by big-mike - 29 July 2010 at 6:40pm

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Posted: 31 July 2010 at 5:18pm

after some persistance water changes, reduced feeding and a little amo lock i finally got my tank under control

cheers for the help and advice all

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manutius
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Posted: 06 August 2010 at 6:38am

yaaaaay

15000+ posts and hardly any sense made or spellings correct

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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Topic: amonia and 1 casualty....help! Posted: 25 July 2010 at 7:49pm
	I went down to my lfs yesturday too see what they had in and came home with a lovely looking flying fox but 7-8hrs later the poor little chap died absolutly gutted i itook him and some water back to the shop for testing, the ph in my tank had dropped to 5.5 which i was told was because my tap water is soft causing it to become acidic (im still learning about this stuff) so i purchased some ph 7.5 balancer which sorted my ph out in a matter of hours however i also had an amonia reading of 0.5 so i set too and vaccumed my gravel changing around 30% of my water and then re tested, it had dropped slightly maybe 0.3 - 0.4 but im worried as i know this should be 0.0 my question is whats the best way to correct the amonia? would leaving it to convert to nitrite then nitrate be ok or is a faster approach needed?? oh and all my other fish seem fine and are happely zooming round the tank

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jennybugs Moderators AquaTrax User: YES Joined: 20 January 2008 Last Active: Yesterday Posts: 4085 Articles: 4 Member Rating: 392	Posted: 25 July 2010 at 9:40pm
	Water changes are my suggestion matey. Several one after the ther if necessary then let it settle for a bit before repeating if needed.
	Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 7:45pm
	unfortunatly ive had 2 more deaths in my tank, my tiny black shark died late sunday night and i got home to a dead rosie barb yesturday but on the bright side ive done a 20% water change last night and again tonight i also removed my 2 plants which i think were dying and tonights water test shows good ph and a small drop in amonia (down to around 0.3ish) so fingers crossed i shud have my tank back to normal by the end of the week just a shame for my rosie, shark and fox R.I.P guys
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kirstyandjack Online Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 December 2009 Last Active: Today Posts: 112 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 8	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 7:53pm
	Sorry to hear that ... how long had your tank cycled before you added fish?
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jennybugs Moderators AquaTrax User: YES Joined: 20 January 2008 Last Active: Yesterday Posts: 4085 Articles: 4 Member Rating: 392	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 8:13pm
	That's just what I was thinking - I am so dense I can't remember off heart
	Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 8:30pm
	my tank cycled fishless for just under 5 weeks then i added 3 fish, as u advised jenny i took my time adding fish over the next 4 weeks and now have 7 fish each around an inch in size
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kirstyandjack Online Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 December 2009 Last Active: Today Posts: 112 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 8	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 8:49pm
	Is your filter working okay? My fluval filter jammed once and I never realised because it was still making a noise but wasn't cycling any water ... wasn't until I went to do a water change that I noticed and by then I had to do massive water changes to keep everything okay until it caught up again. K
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jennybugs Moderators AquaTrax User: YES Joined: 20 January 2008 Last Active: Yesterday Posts: 4085 Articles: 4 Member Rating: 392	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 9:05pm
	*Originally posted by big-mike* my tank cycled fishless for just under 5 weeks then i added 3 fish, as u advised jenny i took my time adding fish over the next 4 weeks and now have 7 fish each around an inch in size That's it Mike...it wasn't an accusation, I just couldn't remember I'm just puzzled as to why you have ammonia in your tank. As K&J just says, how's your filter doing? It's obviously not doing the full job as there's ammonia present. I'd buy some Tetra SafeStart to help boost the good bacteria or try some Seachem Stability which is just as good but a touch cheaper.
	Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:26pm
	i did think maybe the filter but the outlet for the water is at the front and its pumping just as good as it always has i would imagine because it pulls water in 1 end and then pumps it out the other if there was a problem i would notice a loss in preasure at the outlet end?? i kinda got a bit carried away with feeding them towards the end of last week as i was worried my little shark wasnt getting any of the food coz he hides alot that coupled with only doing my 1st gravel vacuum sunday and the drop in ph i think i could have caused the deaths, i could be wrong!! Edited by big-mike - 27 July 2010 at 10:29pm
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kirstyandjack Online Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 December 2009 Last Active: Today Posts: 112 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 8	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:37pm
	Maybe it was too much food? I have one much smaller fish and he grazes on the catfish's sinking pellet before he comes out. I also feed the wee worm cubes once or twice a week as they float about and everyone has time to pick off the cube or catch the falling worms :-)
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:42pm
	thats what im thinking, i brought some frozen blood worm cubes and put 1 in the other day not realizing the worms were almost as big as my fish lol (should have brought the mini blood worm) and there was alot more in each cube than i thought!! Edited by big-mike - 27 July 2010 at 10:44pm
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kirstyandjack Online Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 December 2009 Last Active: Today Posts: 112 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 8	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:45pm
	I did that too the first time .... I buy tubifex and cut the cube with a pair of scissors - for 13 fish I normally put in a half and that is their food for the day.
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:48pm
	i think im gonna feed them every other day and blood worm once a week as a treat see how i get on with that, oh and half the worm cubes too lol
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jennybugs Moderators AquaTrax User: YES Joined: 20 January 2008 Last Active: Yesterday Posts: 4085 Articles: 4 Member Rating: 392	Posted: 28 July 2010 at 2:55pm
	*Originally posted by big-mike* thats what im thinking, i brought some frozen blood worm cubes and put 1 in the other day not realizing the worms were almost as big as my fish lol (should have brought the mini blood worm) and there was alot more in each cube than i thought!! Do you defrost your cubes in somme tank water in a cup and strain out the food first? The liquid the food is frozen in is packed with nitrates (not that I think one cube will have killed anything) and can set your tank water off on the wrong path too.
	Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 29 July 2010 at 6:32pm
	i defrosted the cube in some tank water in a jug but i didnt strain them before i put them in?? i think the ph mite have killed the fish 5.5 is quiet low is'nt it? well ive done 15-20% water change 3 nights in a row now and i still have bit less than 0.5 amonia but my water is back to perfectly clear! my 7 fish are very happy chappys and arnt showing any signs of illness etc.. im going to vac my gravel again satday and ive cut there feeding down to every 3rd day for now Edited by big-mike - 29 July 2010 at 6:40pm
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 31 July 2010 at 5:18pm
	after some persistance water changes, reduced feeding and a little amo lock i finally got my tank under control cheers for the help and advice all
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manutius Admin Group The Boss AquaTrax User: YES View My Setup Joined: 06 January 2006 Last Active: 03 September 2010 Posts: 16418 Articles: 9 Member Rating: 424	Posted: 06 August 2010 at 6:38am
	yaaaaay
	15000+ posts and hardly any sense made or spellings correct
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