fish dieing please help asap!

Sep 4, 2011
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#1
I Currently own a 15 gallon freshwater fish tank. refcently a had a really bad algae problem i couldn't even see the fish..so i went to the pet store got a better filtration system and now the tank is marvelous and clean. but just recently i noticed my fish acting strangely, i currently have 2 neon tetras 2 x-ray tetras and 2 mollies, and 2 glass catfish. the tetras have been doing a swimming motion but aren't moving, i have also notied that some of my fish are blind. i have had my bottom feeder die, and a glass catfish and anothr fish (idk the name) die aswell and i'm afraid the blind fish are going to die shortly after can someone tell me what has happened?
 

Thyra

Superstar Fish
Jun 2, 2010
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Yelm, WA
#2
Okay, we need more information. Like: how long has the tank been running, do you test your water for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates - (very important!) You didn't say how your tank got "marvelously clean" because a filter does not get rid of algae so presumably you did something else. When you cleaned the tank, you may have also destroyed the good bacteria. A sudden changed in any of the parameters could also kill your fish. Please - more details and we will try to sort it out.
 

Sep 4, 2011
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#3
well

sorry, to also make the tank clean i took out 40% of the water and added tap water, and added some algaefix, i don't test my water for those things although i will deffenitlly get a device, unfortunetlly one of my platies died about 10 minutes ago,and what do you mean by parameters? i changed my rocks and foam in the filter. thanks for replying. the tank has been running for atleast 6 months and all the fish are atleast 2 months old.
 

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Thyra

Superstar Fish
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
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Yelm, WA
#4
What you really need is a liquid test kit and they are a little spendy. By parameters I mean the amount of ammonia in the water - should be zero, Nitrite - should be zero and Nitrate should run about 20ppm. There are some "Stickies" at the beginning of this forum and you need to read them because they will help you understand how the good bacteria work. The good bacteria live mostly on hard surfaces and in your filter and mostly people don't change their filter media, they just rinse it in old tank water if its clogged. If you couldn't see the fish and now you can see the fish, you made a pretty big change for the fish to endure - probably chemistry wise also. In my experience algae is usually on surfaces and not flowing free in the water, although I suppose if will color the water. I don't know exactly what to tell you at this point and you may have to start from the beginning. Do some reading and keep asking questions. Good Luck!
 

Feb 27, 2009
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#6
In my experience algae is usually on surfaces and not flowing free in the water, although I suppose if will color the water.
Suspended algae is called Green Water and is single-celled algae that does float in the water. I've not had it in a planted aquarium (probably because I grow plants and they easily outcompete it), but I have had it in fry tanks that are bare otherwise. Its great food for fry that are too small for newly hatched brine shrimp.

Green Water is caused (as is all algae) by an imbalance in light/carbon/other nutrients. In my experience, long light periods help to grow it (I was only able to induce it by 16-18 hours of light).
 

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Thyra

Superstar Fish
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
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Yelm, WA
#7
Thank for the explanation, OC. I have learned a lot since the days when my kids had an aquarium. It is important to pick the right location for the tank - surprising how much light a tank can get from just normal room light.
 

Sunfox

Small Fish
Sep 4, 2011
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#8
Agreed! So just normal room light can cause it? I'm considering taking my tank out of the kitchen, especially with this info - my husband usually goes in there to get snacks and such and turns the lights on after 6-7pm when I ban myself from it (hate dieting...) and sometimes forgets to turn them off, which I get mad at him for since the fish needs a stable light/dark pattern.

I'm sorry about your fish, OP =( I hope this new batch goes much better for you.