mass die-off

[Avatar]

But is it the whole truth?

The Polyfilter does not lie...

My money's on your municipal water treatment plant dumping a little something extra in the water.

Matt

I'd bet there are many substances that will make PF change to red/orange, and believe heavy metal concentrations would have to be almost impossibly high/off the chart to cause immediate symptoms/death. DC flushes their system with chlorine every spring, no idea about other areas.

 

[b considine]

So, how does one go about "sterilizing" a tank before setting it back up again? After emptying/draining tank, fill tank with diluted bleach solution? Rinse several times and allow to dry before refilling? Other options?

Blaise

 

[ddavila06]

that Sucks Blaise..i had a similar situation in my 15 where i had my aspidoras albater earlier in the year..i lost most aspidoras (about 10 out of !14 fish) and lost A. Eunotos youngsters and a few fish..i thought it was a freak accident but who knows.. hope u can rebuild your collection shortly!

 

[dogofwar]

Was it the first tank on which you performed water changes (or re-filled)?

Matt

 

[Avatar]

Query

So, how does one go about "sterilizing" a tank before setting it back up again? After emptying/draining tank, fill tank with diluted bleach solution? Rinse several times and allow to dry before refilling? Other options?

Blaise

Despite the lack of comment on what I thought to be a well-reasoned response (and one based on keeping some 40 species of Corydoras over the years) and attempt to help establish cause, I have to ask: what is it that you expect to accomplish by sterilizing the tank? If a pathogen was the cause - that being the only circumstance that would merit sterilization - it will still be present in the fish irrespective of what you do to the the contents of the tank/filter/substrate/etc.

 

[b considine]

Was it the first tank on which you performed water changes (or re-filled)?

Yes. Drained the tanks, then went back and filled. I go down the line and drain. The go back to the beginning and fill. Takes about an hour, depending on whether I include the 65. Did not this time, as I started with filter maintenance. Other tanks have Poret and aren't normally included.

Blaise

 

[dogofwar]

Maybe I'm paranoid but I always let the water run for a couple of minutes before filling.

I'd also look at the canister filter. How recently was it cleaned? Was it really filthy?

Matt

 

[mchambers]

Agreed

Despite the lack of comment on what I thought to be a well-reasoned response (and one based on keeping some 40 species of Corydoras over the years) and attempt to help establish cause, I have to ask: what is it that you expect to accomplish by sterilizing the tank? If a pathogen was the cause - that being the only circumstance that would merit sterilization - it will still be present in the fish irrespective of what you do to the the contents of the tank/filter/substrate/etc.

It was well-reasoned, necessitating no response.

 

[mchambers]

So

I'd also look at the canister filter. How recently was it cleaned? Was it really filthy?

Matt

And if it was? Why would a water change trigger deaths? I know, Blaise should use sponge filters.

I really don't think an untouched canister was the cause.

 

[b considine]

Update: water parameters as of last night: nitrites = 0; nitrates = 10-20; ammonia = 0; pH = 6.4.

I'm now down to 2 scleromystax. I note all the fish breathing very rapidly.

Sam-What I meant by "sterilizing" is more "rebooting" the tank so I can place some new occupants into it. If the cause of these deaths is some pathogen, I'd prefer not to spread it to something else. A start over, as it were.

Blaise

 

[b considine]

Re: operator error. Fully willing to admit itmay be due to something I did (or didn't do). However, I'm a creature of habit and perform the same maintenance routine on the same tanks on the same day of the week. Regardless, I'm reviewing my protocol, and making adjustments where possible.

Canister filter cleaned about 2 months ago. Not particularly dirty. Changed out floss and rinsed bioballs.

Blaise

 

[mchambers]

I'd suggest revising your protocol by getting a rabbit's foot and keeping it in your fishroom. Seriously, I don't think you did anything wrong.

 

[dogofwar]

Maybe sprayed an air freshener or Lysol near the tank?

 

[b considine]

Nothing sprayed around the tanks. I have to wonder if I might have accidently introduced something into the tank that poisoned the corys. But why wouldn't it have poisoned the ancistrus?

So back to the other question: What do I need to do to prepare this aquarium for new occupants? My plans are to drain, replace substrate, "wash" tank, set back up.

How do I wash the tank? Dilute bleach solution? Let it dry out before refilling? Something else? If the fish were somehow poisoned, would simply rinsing te tank out several times suffice to remove the toxin?

Blaise

 

[b considine]

To paraphrase Dr. McCoy "They're dead, Jim." All corydoras are dead. All ancistrus appear fine.

After the break, I plan on tearing the tank down, cleaning it out, and starting over.

Blaise