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Thread: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

  1. #1
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    Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

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    Hi, I have a 10G tank which I left neglected for months. http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...t=cyberkinetic

    It was overgrown with all sorts of algae but fish/shrimps(malayan) continues to thrive for quite a while(platies kept breeding). However then the nightmare started when the fish starts to die off one at a time... and shrimps disappearing as well.

    Eventually I was left with a small bunch of rummynose tetras and all the other shrimps and platies died. That got me to finally do something about it but the plants are beyond salvage as the algae practically swarmed the whole tank.

    I had to just blindly snip away with the scissors and pull off the plants in bunches. eventually emptied the tank of all plants and scrubbed the tank walls clean. I also used the vacuum substrate cleaner to try and clean the base. However although I managed to remove most of the plants, there's still a lot of roots which I had no way to remove so they are still stuck there. I then put in some new root ferts and replanted as much plants as I can to fill up the void from those which i removed. I also managed to clean up the canister filter, replacing the fine filter wool, cleaning the coarse filter wool and swooshing the media in fish tank water.

    However the plants all withered and melted away and in the midst and algae was also coming back with a vengence. I bought some new platies, otos, malayan shrimps.. instant death within a day... all platies dying with a white layer on their bodies... I felt like a murderer putting them in.

    This was despite daily 10-15% water changes(with Seachem Safe) and also addition of Seachem Stability ever since I did the tank clean up about a week earlier.

    This happened earlier in the year and I decided to stop getting livestock and just replaced the plants with hornswort and some stem plants on a metal mesh. Just dumped the plants into the tank and didn't bother planting them.. just to have them suck up the excess nutrients in the tank. They flourished actually and I had done 2 trimmings to remove inches of growth on the hornswort. The stem plants also grew new leaflets.

    Then I thought maybe i can add new livestock but last week, I got 4 otos, and 2 days later, all died again. Now I am a serial killer....

    I finally got my API test kit out and tested the water parameters... PH was acidic, the lowest on the range of the test kit(yellowish), Ammonia was showing either a zero or just a shade above, Nitrite was zero for sure(light blue) and Nitrate (Orangey red) which is possibly the highest on the scale. KH and GH seems to be lowest as well(since there's no changes from the first drop onwards). Subsequent tests throughout the last 2 weeks shows similar results except maybe a lighter shade for the Nitrate reading, but still it's always a orangey/red. I wonder if a 10-15% water change daily too little. But I've been consistently doing that for a month... surely the water condition would have improved by now?

    All these while, my rummynose tetras was unaffected. In fact I had bought a few additional rummynose together with the platies/otos and they are still around, bright red head and active during feeding till this day.

    After about 3 weeks since I bought the hornswort and stem plants, the hornswort are still doing fine, but the stem plants are turning brownish along the edges.

    Since getting the plants, I did daily Excel dose and Flourish(twice a week). Water changes is still 10-15% daily and added Stability(supposed to do for 7 days, but i just kept adding daily).

    I opened up the canister filter and it's not too dirty as well...definitely nowhere near the condition when i clean it up during the major cleanup.

    From history, the PH was almost always acidic in my tank and I had tested several times where the ammonia was higher and my fish are ok... so not sure if it's the cause of death for the fish this time. The stem plants which was growing for a few weeks started turning brown, so I'm not sure if it's a lack of nutrients or what? The hornswort still grows very well though.

    I had some leftover De-Nitrate and Matrix, probably 300-400 grams.. just under 2 bottles, I just dumped everything into the tank on the substrate... hopefully they can house more bacteria in the tank... although i think for a 10G tank running a Eheim 2224 with 8 rummynose and covered with hornswort... it should be ok?

    I thought of putting some coral chips to buffer the acidity but knowing that my rummynose are doing fine now, I'm also hesitating if it might harm them as well and I will end up with nothing in the end... so it's like... "should I or should I not?"

    Another observation is that since the second time of adding new plants(hornswort) I have no algae problem already. The tank walls are relatively clean and free from algae and none on my plants as well.

    Any suggestions or advice? Much appreciated. Just wondering if I am better off getting a new tank and starting fresh. Just throw away everything, soil/sand/media etc.. Control-Alt-Delete. Feeling very defeated.... hiaz...

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Sorry for your losses.
    Saw your thread when you first started the tank till now, it's been more than 1 year.
    When your tank is established over a period of time, and then you encounter massive die off, there will be a few questions that will need answering.

    1. PH value: what is your PH? You mentioned the lowest indicator on your API PH measurement.
    Established planted tank can usually experienced a PH crash when your water becomes more and more acidic over time. Did you notice any white slime or mucus on your fishes skin? If you do, your fishes could be swimming in acid.
    An immediate remedy in that case will be to add some baking soda to bring up your PH, and then coral chips for long term PH buffering. Try to bring your buffer PH to 6 or higher gradually if you still have any living creatures. A suddenly PH change will also be quite deadly. There is really no need to do anything with the plants.

    2. Since you have started yanking out your plants, you will literally disturb the substrate. That can actually bring on a nitrate and ammonia spike, which could be deadly as well. But since you have already done that, you will really need to change most of your water, until the test reading for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is at the acceptable range.
    I really do not recommend the use of any chemical to do the job, because they do more harm than good.
    What's your last ammonia, nitrite and nitrate reading?

    3. There are already established colony of beneficial bacteria in your substrate, and in your filter media. You do not really need to start from scratch.
    I doubt your algae is an issue with your fish massive die off, unless you have those algae blooms that depletes oxygen. If that is the case, you will need more surface agitation, or you can add an airstone to help.

    If you start again, just get some root tab fertilisers and put it into your substrate, and start your planting again. When the test reading are stable and acceptable, then you introduce some hardy fauna.
    Last edited by sthh; 31st Mar 2014 at 20:52.
    My fish friends --------------------------------
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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Thanks for your reply!

    1. Regarding the PH value, i can’t be really sure since it is showing the lowest colour on the reference table and it mentioned even if the PH is lower, it will just stay as that.. seems lower than 6 i suspect. Those platies that died overnight were indeed covered in a layer of whitish substance which is slimy too.. had a hard time picking them up using the tongs. I considered the baking soda and coral chips combi, but hesitating as my rummynose tetras are doing fine. I’m worried that with my tinkering, i’ll endanger them as well with the PH swings.. i read that they prefer slightly acidic water but i think 6 or less is not "slightly" anymore..but still, it’s a fact that they are doing fine...

    2. It’s been more than a month since i started the daily 10-15% water change and probably more than 2 months since i did the major overhaul of the tank... i would’ve thought the tank water should be quite decent by now. I was concerned with bigger volume water changes causing distress to my rummynose.. so i decided on small but frequent daily water changes instead. The latest test on water parameters shows PH at 6 or less, ammonia is 0 or max 0.25ppm (colour is in between), nitrite is a distinct 0, and nitrate between 80-160ppm(hard to read the colour tint to be honest.. )

    3. Since the overhaul, i’d replaced the airstone with a internal bubble filter, those cheap transparent box type and filled it with Seachem Matrix ... used a little more than a bottle, probably 300+ ml worth of media. The Eheim filter had 1L of Substratpro and i added 500ml of matrix by replacing some of the tube-like mechanical filtering media. Seems a decent amount of media for a small tank i would think...
    The root tab fertilizers were added right after i did the overhaul actually.. so it should be good to go for replanting. But fearing another massive cleanup, i just left the hornswort as they were for now... i didn’t replant the stem plants as well..just kept them on the mesh still..can see roots growing already though, but keaves all browning...

    Under pressure from the missus who thinks i’m spending too much time fish tank gazing instead of with my boys.. sigh...

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Before undertaking any other chemical measure, did you try and improve the overall aeration of the tank? The most important single factor contributing to a healthy fish tank is good oxygenation. A well aerated tank works wonders in improving the well-being of all living organisms (BB), fauna and flora. But good aeration does not equate with water movement (currents) alone. Too much current causes a stressful environment to fish. Good aeration works wonders for tank health.

    Aeration is best achieved by good surface agitation. A good and simple way is to use a tiny air pump attached to an air tubing without an air stone. Suspend the tubing such that the air bubbles exit at one side of the tank and about halfway down from the water surface. In this way, when the bubbles reach the water surface, the pushing action of the bubbles will cause the surface agitation to spread across the whole water surface of the tank. Placing the tubing at the side of the tank also makes it unobtrusive. The important thing is to ensure that the water at the surface moves laterally across the whole water surface. This method alone can work magic to the livestock and plants in the tank, greatly improving its whole environment. Do not underestimate this simple measure.
    Hope this helps.
    LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    I am using the Sera PH test kit, because it can read ph from a 4.5 to 9 range. API only reads up to 6.
    When you experienced a PH crash, your water PH is probably below 4.5, probably as acidic as vinegar. Your fish will definitely be cooked by the acid, which strips off the protective slime from their body, explaining why you see a white slime from those dead or dying fish.
    There is no buffering capacity in your tank. You need to put some corals or calcium carbonate to provide buffering capacity to your tank.
    I suggest you read up on PH crash, and also read up about old tank syndrome, which will explain why all your newly added fishes die immediately, whereas the old ones are still alive.
    My fish friends --------------------------------
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    1 discus tank

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Hi Tetrakid,

    I do have a bubble filter that I placed at the corner of the tank. The bubbling that surfaces does spread across the surface of the water. In fact it is a little messy as the bubbles burst and spreads water all over my lighting, fan and table top. Sort of fixed it by placing plastic cling wrap to cover the frontal part of the tank. Not really to fix the water splash, but because my 2 yr old kept trying to put his fingers into the tank.

    I used to use an airstone only but I realize that the air seems to be coming out lesser and lesser, probably clogged. Thus decided on the corner bubble filter since i can use it to add more media to the tank as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by tetrakid View Post
    Before undertaking any other chemical measure, did you try and improve the overall aeration of the tank? The most important single factor contributing to a healthy fish tank is good oxygenation. A well aerated tank works wonders in improving the well-being of all living organisms (BB), fauna and flora. But good aeration does not equate with water movement (currents) alone. Too much current causes a stressful environment to fish. Good aeration works wonders for tank health.

    Aeration is best achieved by good surface agitation. A good and simple way is to use a tiny air pump attached to an air tubing without an air stone. Suspend the tubing such that the air bubbles exit at one side of the tank and about halfway down from the water surface. In this way, when the bubbles reach the water surface, the pushing action of the bubbles will cause the surface agitation to spread across the whole water surface of the tank. Placing the tubing at the side of the tank also makes it unobtrusive. The important thing is to ensure that the water at the surface moves laterally across the whole water surface. This method alone can work magic to the livestock and plants in the tank, greatly improving its whole environment. Do not underestimate this simple measure.
    Hope this helps.

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Thanks sthh,

    I'll try to get the Sera PH test kit to try then.

    I did some readup on old tank syndrome, I think it's spot on what happened to me! Thanks for sharing that.

    I dropped 50grams of coral chips in a mesh bag into the tank, just a small handful, planned to do it slowly and gradually as the last thing I want is to kill my existing rummynose. Probably get a new PH test kit before I add anymore.

    What I don't understand is even if I started off with really bad water, with daily 10-15% water changes for a month should have cleaned it up substantially. The following is what I had taken of my water test a few days ago, I tested it again yesterday night and the results are still similar. Probably the ammonia is a little more yellowish(lower) that's all.




    Quote Originally Posted by sthh View Post
    I am using the Sera PH test kit, because it can read ph from a 4.5 to 9 range. API only reads up to 6.
    When you experienced a PH crash, your water PH is probably below 4.5, probably as acidic as vinegar. Your fish will definitely be cooked by the acid, which strips off the protective slime from their body, explaining why you see a white slime from those dead or dying fish.
    There is no buffering capacity in your tank. You need to put some corals or calcium carbonate to provide buffering capacity to your tank.
    I suggest you read up on PH crash, and also read up about old tank syndrome, which will explain why all your newly added fishes die immediately, whereas the old ones are still alive.

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Good to know that you have identified the problem.
    There is a rather good article that describe what happens in an old tank syndrome:

    http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html

    There should be some form of buffering in my tank, either coral chips, oyster shell or others.
    Noticed that your nitrate level is off the scale.
    10-15% water change is useful for daily task.
    Weekly task could include a 80% water change (Do that when your parameters are stable, and when your fishes are used to it)
    Monthly task could be siphoning your substrate, and replacing or washing choked up mechanical filter medium (Usually those disposable white wool that traps debris and dirt) and rinsing your biofilter (usually ceramic rings or japanese mat)
    My fish friends --------------------------------
    1 goldfish tank
    1 discus tank

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Thanks.. read that article..

    I am rather confused on the nitrate values as well... it just doesn't seems to come down at all even after a month of diligent WC. Can't wait to check on the PH value later tonight. I'm planning to increase the daily water change to about 20% but will first monitor the PH level after the coral chips addition. One parameter at a time... I think I don't want to rush and get things all messed up again.

    Thanks for the suggestions. Appreciate it!



    Quote Originally Posted by sthh View Post
    Good to know that you have identified the problem.
    There is a rather good article that describe what happens in an old tank syndrome:

    http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html

    There should be some form of buffering in my tank, either coral chips, oyster shell or others.
    Noticed that your nitrate level is off the scale.
    10-15% water change is useful for daily task.
    Weekly task could include a 80% water change (Do that when your parameters are stable, and when your fishes are used to it)
    Monthly task could be siphoning your substrate, and replacing or washing choked up mechanical filter medium (Usually those disposable white wool that traps debris and dirt) and rinsing your biofilter (usually ceramic rings or japanese mat)

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Quote Originally Posted by Cyberkinetic View Post
    Hi Tetrakid,

    I do have a bubble filter that I placed at the corner of the tank. The bubbling that surfaces does spread across the surface of the water. In fact it is a little messy as the bubbles burst and spreads water all over my lighting, fan and table top. Sort of fixed it by placing plastic cling wrap to cover the frontal part of the tank. Not really to fix the water splash, but because my 2 yr old kept trying to put his fingers into the tank.

    I used to use an airstone only but I realize that the air seems to be coming out lesser and lesser, probably clogged. Thus decided on the corner bubble filter since i can use it to add more media to the tank as well.
    I know the problem, and that was why I said use only a tiny air pump. You must get the smallest air pump, or use a metal air valve to control the air output. The purpose is soley to create an ongoing and effective surface agitation. Filtration is secondary to oxygenation - because even without dirt filtration, your fish can live well. Many canister users also do not pay much attention to this aeration aspect, resulting in degradation of the BB inside their canisters. Water flowing to and back from a big canister may not necessarily provide good aeration, especially if the outflow is simply directed back to the tank water and not at the surface to create good surface agitation. Whenever you have problems with your tank or fish, the first thing you should do before doing a dozen other cures is to oxygenate the water well for one or two days and observe the overall improvement. You can bet that nine times out of ten there will be a marvelous change (improvement) to all life within the tank.
    Last edited by tetrakid; 1st Apr 2014 at 19:11.
    LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Hi Tetrakid, I’m still running the air pump just that instead of airstone, the bubbles goes through a simple box type bubble filter.. so i think it should still be providing aeration to the tank.

    I just checked the PH ... still off the chart acidic but i’ve not managed to get another ph test kit yet. Likely the 50grams of coral chips too little. I added another 50 grams and did my usual 15% water change.. gonna test again tomorrow. Noticed my stem plants sprouting new leaves but the browning generally is increasing...

    Got a shock too as i noticed the red on my rummynose head portion were very light when i first look at them when i was home.. but it sort of returned after a while.. for a moment i thought they were in trouble.. fingers crossed...

    Quote Originally Posted by tetrakid View Post
    I know the problem, and that was why I said use only a tiny air pump. You must get the smallest air pump, or use a metal air valve to control the air output. The purpose is soley to create an ongoing and effective surface agitation. Filtration is secondary to oxygenation - because even without dirt filtration, your fish can live well. Many canister users also do not pay much attention to this aeration aspect, resulting in degradation of the BB inside their canisters. Water flowing to and back from a big canister may not necessarily provide good aeration, especially if the outflow is simply directed back to the tank water and not at the surface to create good surface agitation. Whenever you have problems with your tank or fish, the first thing you should do before doing a dozen other cures is to oxygenate the water well for one or two days and observe the overall improvement. You can bet that nine times out of ten there will be a marvelous change (improvement) to all life within the tank.

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Quote Originally Posted by Cyberkinetic View Post
    Hi Tetrakid, I’m still running the air pump just that instead of airstone, the bubbles goes through a simple box type bubble filter.. so i think it should still be providing aeration to the tank....
    For max effect, you should be able to see the active and continuous dancing ripples on the surface of the tank.

    I must repeat that oxygenation is the single most important factor in fish-keeping, though there will be many who will argue that this is not so and will insist on trying a dozen chemical cures to treat a sick tank.
    LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Quote Originally Posted by tetrakid View Post
    For max effect, you should be able to see the active and continuous dancing ripples on the surface of the tank.

    I must repeat that oxygenation is the single most important factor in fish-keeping, though there will be many who will argue that this is not so and will insist on trying a dozen chemical cures to treat a sick tank.
    I also agree with tetrakid. I had almost similar experience as you. Use an airstone instead. Your overall tank will be oxygenated throughly. And the BB in your filter will start helping you remove those ammonia and nitrate. I keep my tank pH at 5.5 and none of my fish died. So spend less on the pH control but remember to provide gradual pH swings during water change as you are using some pH reducing substrate.

    Before I use an airstone exclusively the whole night, my tank water contains tiny debris floating all over and water is slight hazy. After some 4 airstones and 2 pumps for circulation, water became crystal clear, though it takes a week or two. I saw your tank and would gladly tear out all the plants and keep just fast growing creepers like glosso for the time being and provide proper circulation throughout tank.

    So just concentrate on wc, water circulation and aeration. Deal with algae later.
    Last edited by greenie; 2nd Apr 2014 at 11:11.

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Quote Originally Posted by greenie View Post
    I also agree with tetrakid. I had almost similar experience as you. Use an airstone instead. Your overall tank will be oxygenated throughly. And the BB in your filter will start helping you remove those ammonia and nitrate. I keep my tank pH at 5.5 and none of my fish died. So spend less on the pH control but remember to provide gradual pH swings during water change as you are using some pH reducing substrate.

    Before I use an airstone exclusively the whole night, my tank water contains tiny debris floating all over and water is slight hazy. After using an airstone, water became crystal clear, though it takes a week or two.
    Yes, when well-oxygenated, ALL life in the tank will soon be restored to good health. That is the secret of healthy aqua-life.

    In order not to stir up the debris and dirt at the tank bottom, it is important to make sure the air tubing does not reach the bottom. Placing it half-way down the tank is good (as mentioned in my original reply post). Air stone is good, but the push power is somewhat reduced and gentler, and that is why debris is not stirred even if you place it at the tank bottom. If without an air stone, the power for pushing the water sideways at the water surface (ie. the water/atmosphere interface) is strong, thus oxygenation is more efficient and all life in the tank will 'rejoice'.

    Cheers.
    Last edited by tetrakid; 2nd Apr 2014 at 11:18.
    LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Hi greenie,

    thanks for your reply.

    The photo of the tank you saw is in the past already... think i will post a current picture tonight. I don't have it with me now. I have basically tore off everything and only have bunches of hornswort(which i just left them in the round holder that they come in when i bought them) and some stem plants(on a metal mesh). Basically just leaving them in the tank to suck up extra nutrients and clean up the water.

    I basically run the corner filter running 24x7 so the bubbling is throughout the day... after hearing from you and tetrakid, I'm thinking maybe to change it to another type of corner filter that comes with an air stone instead. Maybe also get a splitter and add another airstone separately as well. It's hard to control the airflow as I kept the water level pretty high about an inch off the top of the tank, so any bubbling will still splash onto the screen of the lighting unless I set the air flow to be really really weak but I think that would defeat the purpose for oxygenating the water though.

    Also I was talking about being relatively algae-free for a while since doing daily water change, but I realize last night that there's some algae starting to build up on the extra Seachem De-nitrate media which I dump on top of the substrate, it's starting to get a little brownish layer on the surface of the media.

    Other than the coral chips I added, I don't really plan to make other PH altering changes to the tank. Just keep with the water change and continue to monitor. Just to make sure my PH test kit is working, i tested with tap water and yes, it's close to neutral... so that confirms my water is definitely acidic and not a fluke. The improvement of the water quality is probably slow, I just can't believe with all the water change there's no improvement at all, although it is very frustrating not seeing observable improvements.

    Quote Originally Posted by greenie View Post
    I also agree with tetrakid. I had almost similar experience as you. Use an airstone instead. Your overall tank will be oxygenated throughly. And the BB in your filter will start helping you remove those ammonia and nitrate. I keep my tank pH at 5.5 and none of my fish died. So spend less on the pH control but remember to provide gradual pH swings during water change as you are using some pH reducing substrate.

    Before I use an airstone exclusively the whole night, my tank water contains tiny debris floating all over and water is slight hazy. After some 4 airstones and 2 pumps for circulation, water became crystal clear, though it takes a week or two. I saw your tank and would gladly tear out all the plants and keep just fast growing creepers like glosso for the time being and provide proper circulation throughout tank.

    So just concentrate on wc, water circulation and aeration. Deal with algae later.

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Hi tetrakid,

    i'm a little confused now... to use airstone or not to use airstone. Which is actually better?

    Currently without airstone, I get big bubbles coming out from the corner filter... from your latest reply,that seems to be better than the smaller bubbles from the airstone which doesn't break the water surface as strongly. So having the corner filter(with water flowing through the mechanical-floss and biological-seachem matrix filters inside it) with the big bubbles should be better than a simple airstone?

    Quote Originally Posted by tetrakid View Post
    Yes, when well-oxygenated, ALL life in the tank will soon be restored to good health. That is the secret of healthy aqua-life.

    In order not to stir up the debris and dirt at the tank bottom, it is important to make sure the air tubing does not reach the bottom. Placing it half-way down the tank is good (as mentioned in my original reply post). Air stone is good, but the push power is somewhat reduced and gentler, and that is why debris is not stirred even if you place it at the tank bottom. If without an air stone, the power for pushing the water sideways at the water surface (ie. the water/atmosphere interface) is strong, thus oxygenation is more efficient and all life in the tank will 'rejoice'.

    Cheers.

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    You have already arrested the PH crash issue, and now have coral chips to buffer your water.
    Take your own time to re-arrange your plants, add oxygen pump or bring up your water to optimal condition through gradual water changes, and bring down the nitrate level.
    Try not to stress yourself out. Afterall, fishkeeping is supposed to be therapeutic. Have fun.
    My fish friends --------------------------------
    1 goldfish tank
    1 discus tank

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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Quote Originally Posted by Cyberkinetic View Post
    Hi tetrakid,

    i'm a little confused now... to use airstone or not to use airstone. Which is actually better?
    Currently without airstone, I get big bubbles coming out from the corner filter... from your latest reply,that seems to be better than the smaller bubbles from the airstone which doesn't break the water surface as strongly. So having the corner filter(with water flowing through the mechanical-floss and biological-seachem matrix filters inside it) with the big bubbles should be better than a simple airstone?
    What you need to ensure is that the whole water surface is agitated well ('dancing' all the time) and vigorously when the bubbles rise to the surface. But at the same time, it should not cause strong currents deeper beneath the surface, as that will cause discomfort to the fish, and also stir up muck and dirt to cloud the water. Ideally, the lower portion of the tank should be still and without current, but only a gentle upward flow which mixes the oxygenated water in the whole tank. The trick lies in adjusting the height and intensity of the bubbling column. Only you can judge the overall effect, as each tank is different in layout. Whether you use an air stone or not is up to your preference.

    In my case, I do not have any filter, so my setup is purely to create a rippling surface, which to me is the top priority.
    LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!

  19. #19
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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    I prefer airstone as the smaller bubbles increases greater surface area for the oxygen to dissolve in water. Surface agitation is secondary to oxygenate the tank I suppose as the air bubbles are the source of oxygen. The brown algae you mention is readily eaten by otos. Do introduce them as your clean up crew. Get two should be enough, increase if not improvement or ensure those algae is really brown algae. It could be just mum and gunk, siphon out if so.

  20. #20
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    Re: Fish dying and I am clueless what to do next

    Currently my water surface is definitely not still... as the bubbles tend to travel a bit before bursting..so rippling effect is there too...

    The air outlet is around upper middle height of the tank so it doesn’t stir up much stuff.. the water outflow from the canister filter’s rainbar shoots towards the front of the tank, so there’s definitely a current going around.. but the water is very clear, hardly see any particles floating around...

    Quote Originally Posted by tetrakid View Post
    What you need to ensure is that the whole water surface is agitated well ('dancing' all the time) and vigorously when the bubbles rise to the surface. But at the same time, it should not cause strong currents deeper beneath the surface, as that will cause discomfort to the fish, and also stir up muck and dirt to cloud the water. Ideally, the lower portion of the tank should be still and without current, but only a gentle upward flow which mixes the oxygenated water in the whole tank. The trick lies in adjusting the height and intensity of the bubbling column. Only you can judge the overall effect, as each tank is different in layout. Whether you use an air stone or not is up to your preference.

    In my case, I do not have any filter, so my setup is purely to create a rippling surface, which to me is the top priority.

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