Toxic water??????????????

djm761

Large Fish
Mar 21, 2011
190
0
0
#1
I need help, Toxic water??????????????

set up new fish tank our tap water seems to be very toxic to the fish, many have died all are very sick.. this is the second start up in 9 days with the same results, fish dead or or very sick, can see that some are bleeding internally.
 

Last edited:
Apr 1, 2006
707
0
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33
South England UK
#2
Ah that's not good, have you got test kits? how are you cycling your tank? (yu have to 'cycle' your tank so that bacteria build up and eat the waste etc... its more complex than you may think.

It is likely that nitrite or ammonia are killing them..

We need to know your levels for:

Nitrite
Ammonia
Nitrite
Ph
And hardness (Kh/Gh) If you can.

These will tell us almost everything we need to know.

What kind of water you using? Normal from the tap, or a hose or a well? ANd do you treat it with aqua safe?
 

djm761

Large Fish
Mar 21, 2011
190
0
0
#5
sorry I should have given more information. This is my 5th tank I have a 1x30 2x45 1x55 the new tank is a 90. on the first attempt I used my 2.5 gal bucket to do the fill, I also used Prime water conditioner let the tank circulate for 2 days and then added 25 hardy fish, with in 4 hrs I had 4 dead fish, and most of the others where swimming with there noses out of the water, I moved the remaining fish to the 45 in the front room. I emptied the tank did a cold and then hot water rinse on every thing including all the gravel and replaced all the media in the fluval filter. I bout a Aqueon hose kit to do the fill the second time, I returned 6 of the fish to the tank, with in 7 hrs 3 of the 6 where dead.



I think the problem is in the gravel this is the first time I used colored gravel and when I open the hood on the tank it smells like I opened a can of paint, I went back to the fish store to voice my concerns but was told the odor was normal for colored gravel, and that the problem is with the city water. so I set up a 10 gal tank today using city water with some used gravel I had, 6 hrs later the fish are doing great. I do now believe the problem is with the gravel.



I don't have a test kit Ive always taken a sample in for testing, what do the members here recommend. thanks
 

lauraf

Superstar Fish
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#6
Oh, okay. Definitely get your own water tests. Buy the liquid test kits (NOT the strips) for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. A lot of people on this forum recommend the API master kit.
Was the used gravel you put in the 10g fresh out of another tank? And did you do anything for the new tank to cycle it, such as using filter media or decor from an established tank?
 

djm761

Large Fish
Mar 21, 2011
190
0
0
#7
the gravel hasn't been used for maybe 8-10 years, it was left over from a tank we used for baby Betta's.



I did take a used cartridge from the 45 gal tank to start the 10 gal since the fish were already exposed to that water
 

lauraf

Superstar Fish
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#8
Okay, well, using the cartridge from your 45g is probably why your fish were happier in that tank. Whether the coloured gravel is an issue or not, you need to cycle your tanks . . . . So, again - did you do you anything to cycle the 90g before you added fish?