All Fish Dead After Water Change

[myjohnson]

Thanks for the information. I tend to do 1/3-1/2... but a big factor is that I don't want to sit around all day waiting for the tank to refill.

How big is your tank?

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18377/si1380554/cl0/pythonnospillcleanandfill25

This should help you do water changes faster. It sucks out water and puts it right back in. Just hook it up to your faucet.

[Zulaab]

I do 75+ percent water changes.. I do use a carbon snake (aka John FshFrk invention) and I have so much happier fish when I do this over anything else.
I have a lot of spawning action (not always goal is reached, but the males are trying their hardest right after water changes)

[paranoid1123]

As long as you're not cleaning out/changing the filter and filter media at the same time, you're good to go. Apparently there's surprisingly little beneficial bacteria in the water column. Plus, the fish will love you for it. :)

+1

[imagirlgeek]

Also, in my first post, that was supposed to say 90 percent... and for some reason came out looking like a cartoon character's cursing rant (sorry)

I don't know why that is happening. I noticed it a few days ago and will figure out why it's parsing the percent sign like that when I have a little extra time. Sorry about that. It's irritating, I know.

[Oldsgirl]

Thanks for the information. I tend to do 1/3-1/2... but a big factor is that I don't want to sit around all day waiting for the tank to refill.

Also, in my first post, that was supposed to say 90 percent... and for some reason came out looking like a cartoon character's cursing rant (sorry)

[myjohnson]

There is no standard answer to the question of how much water to exchange, or how often.

It depends on several factors including the size of your tank, number of fish, feeding schedule and filtration system.

Testing for nitrates is the most effective way to measure your water quality. As you begin to establish your maintenance schedule, perform a nitrate test before and after each water change, as well as once in between.

NO3 builds up slowly and your goal is to keep it as low as possible; at the very least it should be less than 40ppm at all times.

Once you determine a schedule that works for you, testing can be done less frequently to confirm your routine is adequate.

[Mzungu]

On a side note, just for the sake of discussion, someone on the thread mentioned doing 90% water changes? Isn't that quite a bit, to the point is will throw things off in the tank? I've always been told to change 1/3, and not more than 1/2? Any thoughts/advice?

As long as you're not cleaning out/changing the filter and filter media at the same time, you're good to go. Apparently there's surprisingly little beneficial bacteria in the water column. Plus, the fish will love you for it. :)

[myjohnson]

Why do you think that?

[Oldsgirl]

yikes... all this is scary- makes me nervous about water changes now!



On a side note, just for the sake of discussion, someone on the thread mentioned doing 90% water changes? Isn't that quite a bit, to the point is will throw things off in the tank? I've always been told to change 1/3, and not more than 1/2? Any thoughts/advice?

[jsnoravo]

Last year, on Christmas day, I had a similar loss. Same as you, I had done the WC exactly the same as always. I also use Prime, and had been using twice the dose. I took a sample from the tap right after, and it tested at almost 10ppm! Even a double dose of Prime couldn't handle that, and all but a few died very quickly. It was the chlorine. Water company screwup! Same thing happened about eight years ago in the same house, which is why I started double dosing. Now, I filter my water first with the carbon snake that Fishfreak helped me build. My water company has not started using Chloramines yet, but even with the carbon snake, I have begun using the Prime again, just in case.

This happened to me as well. Fish died within 2-4 minutes. I tasted the tap water afterwards and the water smelled like a swimming pool. Ever since then I've been tasting/smelling the water before each water change, can't trust the water company man.

[jarrodaden]

I am glad that I saw this thread. I tend to get into a hurry and try to fill the tank really quickly. I have a carbon filter and I use the conditioner, but I always worry something could go wrong. I like the idea of putting water into a holding tank for a while and then pumping into the aquarium but I can't justify the expense right now.

Sorry to hear that some of you got burned. That stinks.

[myjohnson]

I might have to try that John!

I'm also unsure as to what is really in the water.

There is stuff we know like chlorine and chlorimine but I'm sure there is out junk in the water.

[fshfrk]

I have 50+ pounds of carbon. Whatever is in the water did not get removed completely as it normally did.

I had to use prime with my water change over the weekend after seeing my fishes look a little lifeless just sitting the sand floor.

I'm thinking about adding 25 pounds of ammo lock to see if it keeps the ammonia down.

I'm also backing off of the 90% wc down to 50% for a while. The City is acting up with this rain water.

try this.

http://www.lesliespool.com/browse/Home/Filters-Filter-Supplies/Filter-Supplies/ZeoSand-25-lbs/D/30100/P/1:100:6000:600030/I/14702

[myjohnson]

I have 50+ pounds of carbon. Whatever is in the water did not get removed completely as it normally did.

I had to use prime with my water change over the weekend after seeing my fishes look a little lifeless just sitting the sand floor.

I'm thinking about adding 25 pounds of ammo lock to see if it keeps the ammonia down.

I'm also backing off of the 90% wc down to 50% for a while. The City is acting up with this rain water.

[stevenallenbarnard]

Unfortunatly I've had this happen to me too many times. what I've had to start doing (since I'm too cheap to break down and build a carbon snake) is i've started doind smaller daily water changes. I always keep a 5gal bucket with water and an airstone. every day I pull out 5 gallons, then I add the 5 gallons that have been in the bucket with an air stone for a day. i also treat the water with a simple, cheap dechlorinator, although I prefer to use stress coat if possible.