My Fish Just started Dying

[Panther28]

Hello

I have 2 aquariums. 1 is a 20 gallon tank which has been running for more then 8 months with some up and downs. Recently I got a 55 gallon tank and set it up. With 2 convicts and 2 tiger barb. The tank is not planted. I am using a 70 gallon Aquaclear filter. The tank has been running for more then a month with out any problems. A few days back i check and my tank had completed cycling. I know it was fast i have been using the filter of the 20 gallon tank everday for 12 hours in the 55 gallon tank. Nitrites were zero with a lil nitrates and no ammonia at all. Everything is in perfect condition. Ohh And i had been adding fish gradually every week. With out any problems. Now to the main point all of a sudden yesterday all my fish got stressed some how and were staying at the top of the tank and gasping. I got worried and didn't know what to do. Checked the internet but no help. And after 1 hour my fish started dying one by one just with out any reason. So as I have some knowledge i did a 75% water change cuz they were just dying by the time i was finished changing water 5 of them were dead. if only i would have changed a bit earlier. What can be the reason. well after the water change i added some aquarium salt. When i woke up today in the morning the fish that were left were doing a little better. I have 5 left after 5 deaths. Please I hate it when my fish die on me. its like a part of me dies with them. Has anyone gone through this. I had not even put my hand in it. What can it be. PLEASE need help. Anyone.

 

[FreddyJ]

Do you use a bubbler and an air pump in your tank? Fish gasping at the top is oftentimes a sign that there isn't enough oxygen available in the water. How often do you do your water changes? Do you use a dechlorinator to prep your tap water? Sorry to read about your losses, hopefully one of the big-hitters on this site will chime in with some insight. I'm a beginner myself and I know that sinking feeling when the fish are swimming upside down.

 

[GeraldTheMouse]

Is there an air pump in your tank? If so, are there bubbles in the tank?

 

[Igor The Cat]

i severly doubt it is from oxygen starvation, sounds more like poisoning of some sort, how did you cycle your tank how long did it take?

-Java

 

[Panther28]

Yeh I have 2 air pumps running 1 in each corner

As for cycling the tank. I started with 2 convicts and 2 tiger barbs. I used the bio wheel from my 20 gallon tank for 12 hours everyday. So it took more then a month but it cycled the tank. I have 0 Nitrites and a little nitrates and no ammonia. Everything was great until yesterday. Boom and they start dying

 

[Lotus]

Did anyone spray anything near the tank (fly killer, cleaning products, air freshener)? Did anyone put their hands in the tanks, or put anything in the tanks? Did you put in anything other than food recently? Any new decorations?

Oh, and did you check the temperature of the tank?

 

[Panther28]

one of the airpump stone broke so I changed it to another one which was lying around in an empty 10 gallon tank with my other aquarium stuff. I think the empty tank had some white resedue on it. Can it be the reason? What ever it might be i think it was harmless as the tank was being used before. just dried out..

 

['-JIN-']

ur fish needs more oxygen.Did u wash it???

 

[Panther28]

Well i think that was it. I did not wash it and the fish got poisned. well now they are doing much better after a 75% water change. It could have been caused the chlorine. well The rest of the 5 fish are alive and doing much better then before.

 

[Igor The Cat]

ur fish needs more oxygen.Did u wash it???

yo, just beacuse its at te top of hte tank doesnt mean it needs more O2 it could be MANY different things....did you read any of the oter posts before you?

-Java

 

[tubbs24]

I used the bio wheel from my 20 gallon tank for 12 hours everyday.

Does this mean you keep your filter running for only 12 hours a day? If it is, you should be running it all the time. It keeps the water moving throughout the tank, and helps aerate (which is this case, aeration is everywhere)

 

[SkwidsLair]

What readings are you getting right now? Test absolutely everything.

Nitrates
Nitrites
GH
KH
Amonia
pH

What's the temperature?
What is your current stock?
Are you missing any fish?

 

[Timbo]

The fact that everything was fine for a month or so then everything wasn't and so very quickly tends to point to poisening. If it all happened within 24 hours. I would look no further back than a week, and frankly I would expect to find the cause within the previous 48 hours. But I am almost sure that something unfriendly was added to the water...
You did a massive water change which was the best you could do .keep changing to dilute whatever it may have been. and look for further signs.
Good luck.

 

[Toam]

Does this mean you keep your filter running for only 12 hours a day? If it is, you should be running it all the time. It keeps the water moving throughout the tank, and helps aerate (which is this case, aeration is everywhere)

I believe they said they run an aquaclear 70gallon on it full time, and they were running their bio-wheel on it from the 20 gallon for 12 hours a day to speed up the cycling process. At least that is what I hope they meant, I've never really eard of someone running a filter for only ahalf a day

 

[Panther28]

NO NO In my 55 gallon tank I run my Aquaclear filter all the time. I just take the bio wheel from the 20 gallon tank filter (penguin 150)and put it in the Aquaclear filter for 12 hours to speed up the benificial bacteria growth which it did. I Always leave my filter running. I am not that new to aquariums. I already have a 20 gallon tank already running for more then 6 months.
all my Nitrates,Nitrites,GH,KH,Amonia and pH are in the perfect condition as needed. Now that I did a 75% change all my fish have gone back to normal eating very nicely. What I think happned was posining from chlorine. I had changed the airestone without washing it. Which might have had some chlorine from previous use. It was dumb of me i did not wash it. Well everything was going perfect until i messed it up my self. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Panther28]

I believe they said they run an aquaclear 70gallon on it full time, and they were running their bio-wheel on it from the 20 gallon for 12 hours a day to speed up the cycling process. At least that is what I hope they meant, I've never really eard of someone running a filter for only ahalf a day

You got it right!