Had An Emergency This Morning!!

[F8LBITE]

Well, last night I finally got around to putting my fish in the 6ft (72x18x21) tank I bought from ARTEE (great guy to deal with). They are about 15 Haps and Peacocks all showing color or just starting to color up between 3.5-6.5 inches. They were in my 40 Breeder for about a month and half (see pic). I was doing 50% water changes twice a week and they were doing fine, a few nipped fins here and there but pretty much doing well. I filled up the 100G tank 3/4 of the way with treated tap water, added powerheads for movement, put an established HOT magnum HOB filter(50g) on as well as an established Cascade 1500 on (150g) heaters and so forth. Then I added my old water from the 40B and transferred all the fish. They were swimming around and looked happy. This morning the water was cloudy and all the fish were in clusters hovering around the top of the water or with their bellies touching the bottom GASP!!!!!!! I realized this just as I was leaving for work so I called the boss and said "im gonna be late,fish emergency". I tested the ammonia it was .05 PPM in the second shade of light green on the tester the temp was 78F. So I quickly drained close to 50% and filled with treated tap. Ill see what its like when I get home from work I hope I dont lose any these are my babies ive raised for over 2 years. What do you think?? Did I hurt them? What should I have done differently??

Heres the 40B they were in:

 

[Artee]

good thing u caught it in time,

one thing I notice with tap water these days, there is a strong sulfur smell, might be co2 but I now flush out the water for 1 minute before adding , not sure if that was your problem...

hope everything is fine...

 

[longstocking]

Some how you damged the bio load ... which is weird but none the less can happen easily.


You did the right thing with the water change but the problem is the tank is recycling. WHat I would suggest....

Find the closest CCA member and ask them if you can have some of their filter media. Preferably A LOT.

Also dose the tank with Prime.

 

[McFluffrichromis]

I hope the best for your fish when you return home. I had a similar mishap earlier this week with 26 Brichardi. did a similar series of events including the 50% emergency drain. I lost them all. You live and learn. I learned to wait until the tank settles and establishes that Bacterial Colony.

I hope to say that they will be fine. I am still pretty new to the whole Cichlid adventures so I can not offer any advice.

Although, Your fish are so pretty I wish I could keep mine looking that good. They will be ok.

IMO its probably best to let the tank sit for at least a week before fish are added.

 

[longstocking]

Also... next time do not add old tank water...

There is no need for this. I don't know why people do this ( you are not the only one... not picking on you )

There is no bio in your water... or very little. Your bio load is in your filter media, rocks, sand, gravel etc..... not in your water.

If you are trying to match water perameters... this is a very bad way to do it. I know many people that have put fish in buckets and all the fish were dead within an hour using old tank water.

 

[F8LBITE]

I was trying to treat it like a big water change and I thought my filters had enough bacteria and wouldnt even need to cycle the tank. Should I use AMMOLOCK? to neutralize the ammonia?

 

[longstocking]

Yes... something that locks it down.

But you will need to watch all the levels. Nitrate and nitrite.

You probably only have a short mini cycle going on.... week or 2. None the less.... if someone is close I would suggest asking them for some media.

 

[F8LBITE]

just float the media in the water?

 

[longstocking]

Put it in your canister.... or if there is no room you can put it in one of those mesh bags in front of the water flow.

Keep in mind... media can be sand or gravel as well.

When transporting it put it in a bag with water like you would if you are taking fish home from an lfs. Don't let it dry out.

 

[Pat Kelly]

We've all done it.

I killed about 100 1" peacocks in January and I was just moving the tank.

Good luck

 

[longstocking]

If I sounded harsh.... SORRY !!!

Just trying to be blunt and to the point.

We have all done it... wait... no I haven't Pat

Don't get me wrong... I have killed MANY ( you don't want to know how many ) fish. Just not in this way.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Sorry

Some of us have done it.

Or as I used to write.... I've made mistakes, why should you.

 

[longstocking]

Exactly....

I read A LOT and take the advice of others. I am not perect by all means. If I sounded that way.... sorry.

I try to learn from other people so I don't make as many.


I moved about 15+ tanks and over 100 fish one year. Thanks to the advice of many people and help.... I only lost 2 fish. Want to know how? I left them in the bags without water :lol: Some how when I poured the fish out I left 2 in the bag Dark room... no light.... setting up fish tanks. It's just a bad idea :lol: Lesson learned... MUST HAVE LIGHT TO SET UP A FISH ROOM ! :lol:

 

[F8LBITE]

NO, no harshness at all. Im beside myself I have to be at work but I wish I could be home fixing this mess. These are the fish I care about most. I hope I dont lose any. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[SubMariner]

J, I hope everything works out. To bad you live in VA because I would of gladly given you some good bacteria and filter media to help you out. Sounds like you got a hold of the situation, but you're fortunate that you saw it that morning other wise your tank might of Crashed.



Take care,



RM

 

[F8LBITE]

OK I just got home and the fish are all alive!!!! some are just near the bottom but most of them are at the top. Why do they do that? its like they are trying to breathe air?!?

I picked up some amquel from the store and dosed the tank. What should I do now? Water change or let bacteria build up?

 

[maddog10]

Check all the water parameters. Do water changes, if readings are high. Keep an eye on things. Figure that the tank is probably cycling, so look for spikes in the readings and then leveling off to tell when it is over. Keep a real close eye on things, since the tank is now stocked with fish.

 

[F8LBITE]

just lost my 2.5 year old taiwan reef. Should I take the fish out and put them in other tanks?

 

[F8LBITE]

They appear to be doing well, Ill be monitoring the conditions and making waterchanges as I go. thanks for all the help guys and gals.

 

[longstocking]

Sorry you lost a fish

If you get some media in the tank the problem will be resolved within an hour.

The problem with just doing water changes is you are prolonging the cycle.

A LFS might even give you some media.... just make sure it's a nice store and a tank that isn't sick !!

I would stick some in the mail for you.... if I had the time and UPS delivered on Saturday But they don't !!

If the problem isn't resolved by Tuesday let me know.

( I've never tried this and not even sure it would hold a bio load over night... but it doesn't hurt to try )