Cloudy Water, Dead Fish, Please Help!

[morris14ccm]

So Wednesday afternoon I fed my fish, all were alive and everything seemed fine. I bought them on Friday and they have been fine in their 10 gallon tank since then. There were 6 fish. 3 guppies and 3 tetras. On Monday and Tuesday my ammonia level was at like .05ppm I believe, according to a plastic detector suction cupped in my tank. Before that it was nonexistent. I woke up on Wednesday and the level was down to less than .02 I believe. I found this strange because it differed from what i read about cycling, but i figured no ammonia was a good thing. On Mon. and Tues. the water was slightly cloudy, but on Wednesday it was clear again. I went out for about an hour and a half and then came home. When I got home 4 of the 6 fish were dead and the water was nearly opaque it was so cloudy and white.

Any idea what could have possibly happened in this time?

Also, I took the 2 survivors out and have them in a 5 gallon take now with a couple other fish.

this is my kit:
Top Fin&#0174 10 Gallon Aquarium Starter Kit - 10 gallons and under - Aquariums - PetSmart
Other than that I have gravel, one live plant (mondo grass), one fake plant, and a medium size rock with holes in it, got it all at petsmart.

 

[lauraf]

Cloudy water usually indicates a bacterial bloom. Any chance you know what your nitrite and nitrate readings are? I take it the tank wasn't cycled before you added the guppies and tetras? Did you add anything the store sold you like Safe Start or whatnot to assist in your cycle?
Also, sounds like you have an established - as in, cycled - 5g tank, right?

 

[morris14ccm]

I added SafeStart to the tank when I set it up. A whole bottle that i bought. instructions said to use it all at once, but that it was enough for a 30 gal.

5 gallon tank is not fully cycled yet so id like to get the fish out ASAP, but i dont know if i should dump all the water in my 10gal (its getting clearer now) and wash down the gravel and filter. I would like to keep the healthy bacteria so i dont have to start the cycle again if thats safe.

 

[lauraf]

Well, you are going to have to cycle both tanks. You can choose to do a fish-in cycle in one or both of the tanks, or do a fish-in cycle with one and a fishless cycle with the other (or use the established tank's bacteria to instantly cycle the other tank). You should get test kits to measure ammonia, nitrite and nitrate - you'll use these again, not just for the cycling process, so consider it a good investment. It would be easier to do a fish-in cycle with the larger tank - toxic ammonia and nitrite won't build up quite as quickly as in a smaller tank. But you'll need to do water changes pretty much daily. Are you using a dechlorinator water treatment when you do water changes?
Cheers,
Laura

 

[morris14ccm]

i have dechlorinator that i used when i first put the fish in but i hadnt done a water change. i was waiting until today. Any idea how this could have possibly happened in an hour and a half? Also, should i keep the water that is still in the 10gal? It's still cloudy. Do i need to wash the gravel, filter, and biowheel or no? Id like to keep the healthy bacteria, but it seems like the bacteria i have isnt very healthy.

 

[lauraf]

Okay, while your tank is cycling, you need to be doing water changes. I'd do 50% daily. Do not wash the gravel, filter etc - the bacteria you have is just out of balance - it is building to the level you want, so washing the equipment and substrate will start everything all over again. A dechlor product called Prime is excellent for helping fish to survive the stress of cycling, not sure if you happen to have bought that kind.
In terms of things happening within a short period of time, bacteria population can increase quickly and explosively - my guess is things just reached the tipping point. I'm surprised at how much ammonia built up from a small number of fish, but if you were overfeeding that might be the reason, along with lack of water changes. Unfortunately some fish stores don't give very good instructions on the cycling process. But we'll get your tanks cycled, and you'll be on your way!
So do a big water change, see what your ammonia read is, do another water change if needed until the ammonia is close to zero and add fish. Then be prepared to do water changes daily to keep the ammonia as low as possible while the tank cycles.

 

[morris14ccm]

ok, i took about 35% of the water out. ammonia is at "safe", tank isn't as cloudy, but is still very cloudy. should i take the rest of the water out or leave how it is with a safe level ammonia, but cloudy tank. i think i should change it all because the fish died as soon as the cloud started while ammonia was at "safe."

 

[lauraf]

The bacteria in you tank isn't 'bad' because your fish died - it's still in the process of cycling so these bacteria need to build up. If there are fish in a tank while it is cycling, you need to take water out to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels low enough that they aren't deadly to fish; if you have no fish in your tank while it is cycling, you need to add an ammonia source (fish poop is the ammonia source in a fish-in cycle) to keep feeding the bacteria that is growing - it will die off without its food source. So if you have left your tank without fish (read: ammonia source) for a few days, you will have to start the cycling process over.