Help with re-doing tank RIP tetras

[riverlanddiscus]

Good Morning all.

My Bolivian Butterflies have had eggs in their shared discus tank and the discus are having late night snacks. The lfs is closing down so 2 days ago, I got a 90 litre tank with filter, heater and light for $25 - cheap. The lfs guy emptied the tank as I watched. I went home and within 2 hours had washed black aquarium gravel and re-filled tank using prime, the old filter, heater without rinsing. Added small driftwood with anubia (sp). Late yesterday I added 2 neons and 1 fighting fish in readiness for my butterflies. This morning both neons are dead and the fighter is acting strange. Darting everywhere, going upside down. No visible problems.

Ammonia 0, ph 6.5, temp 26, nitrates 0, nitrites, 0.5.

Any idea what is happening? Thanks goodness I didn't add my butterflies yet.

[ILLUSN]

chlorine poisoning, ph shock or some kind of heavy metal poisoning.

how much prime did you use and what did you use to clean the tank with?

[riverlanddiscus]

Hi Jothy,

BTW, I have converted the 2227 to wet only now. Very easy to do and works perfectly.

Sorry, He didnt use Prime, he used API Water Conditioner and used 5 ml of it. Instructions say 1 ml per 75 litres. Could that overdosing have done it? I didnt clean tank as he had fish in there and while I watched changed them to another tank. I thought I could keep it cycled and not rinse or clean the tank or equipment. Ph was same in old tank to this new one. I'm thinking the black gravel. I got it from Big W and although I did rinse it, this seems to be the only thing new.

[ILLUSN]

BTW, I have converted the 2227 to wet only now. Very easy to do and works perfectly.

Good to hear you'll have less trouble with it now.


over doseing proably wasn't the problem, it might be the gravel, either way let it run for a couple of weeks and then try again

[Greggy]

nitrites, 0.5.



0.5ppm of NO2 (Nitrite) will do this. FWIW Discus suffer very badly when exposed to NO2. Discus are very hardy and quite resistant to physical wounds and other infections etc, but NO2 is deadly.

Your biological filter is at fault. The bacteria that convert NO2 into NO3 are very fragile and it doesn't take much to harm (lose) them. The bacteria that convert NH3 into NO2 are more hardy so it looks like you have to finish cycling the tank (get back the bacteria that convert NO2 into NO3) before introducing your fish.

Your betta isn't likely to make it either I'm afraid.

Short term solution? Large (50% or more) & frequent (twice daily) water changes!

Regards,

Greggy

[ILLUSN]

nice pick up greggy, i thought that was NITRATE, not NITRITE.

your right, NO2 poisoning.

[riverlanddiscus]

Thanks Greggy, I put the beta back in my small tank (30 litre) and he has recovered (he must have been a cat with nine lives) so obviously the tank wasnt cycled enough - cant work it out though cos I just took it from shop and re-set it up. I will wait for couple of weeks, re-test and add couple of test fish before I add my butterflies.

[riverlanddiscus]

Hi, I have changed the new black gravel to old multi coloured (really ugly but know it's good) and tested water - as follows
Gh 120
Kh 40
pH 6.8
No2 0
No3 30

Should I keep going without fish for another couple of weeks or add a small cheap fish and hope for the best.

[ILLUSN]

give it 1 more week, test daily, if the no2 stays at 0 you'll be fine.