"Posioned Water"

[nuvola]

Hi i have just started this hobby afew weeks ago and have managed to set up my first tank however i have met with a problem because my water has suddenly turned cloudy and every fish inside is dead.I tested my water parameters and the nitrate levels are close to zero.

Since then i have removed all of the fishes and rescaped and removed most of the rotting vegetation. I have also removed 95% of the water and added de-chlorinated water and bacteria tablets and powder to the tank. After waiting for a few days for the water to clear up a bit. i realise that the water is still abit cloudy and when i added otos to the tank this morning they seem to be doing badly to the extent of lying on their sides. Can anyone kindly advise me on what is the problem here and whether or nt my tank is poisoned

Substrate:ADA amazonia II
Filter: BOYU EF-05
LIghting: Kenis 55W
Plants:Marsilea Crenata, and 2 other stem plants which i cannot identify

* the pic with the driftwood is my first setup after which the tank turned toxic and i tried the 2nd setup which also i believe is toxic as well

[Pikey]

Can you explain(in detail)the steps you took when setting up the tank,also the timescale in days or hours between the stages you followed when doing so.
This is typical new tank syndrome I believe.

[nuvola]

1. add ada soil
2.fill water till arnd soil level
3. start planting
4.add drift wood
5.7 days later test for water nitrate level and confirming that it is zero added tetras
6.following week tetras dead all within a night

for the 2nd setup it pretty much the same thing just that instead of drift wood i added rocks and added a few stem plants. but this time i added just one oto to the tank to test.the oto was lethargic at first and then fell to its sides within a few hours. i manage to spot it and change it back to the previous tank. it is now still alive but i believe that if i leave it in the previous tank it would have died shortly after.

[Wackytpt]

Did you cycle the tank?

[Fuzzy]

Test your Ammonia and Nitrite levels.

Not your Nitrate levels at this stage. Both readings should be undetectable before you put any fauna in.

[An2timun]

avoid stirring up the substrate too often so that the bacteria settle down...and try to wait a little longer(after 3 weeks or more) before adding the fishes...good luck.

[nuvola]

i havent stirred the substrate in 7 days but the water is still cloudy. i have measured the nitrite levels and it shows to be zero as well

[Blue Whale]

Wow...I go with Wacky.

1. Did you cycle your tank? If yes, how long?
2. Maybe I give you an impression of my tank which is currently cycling.

[nuvola]

my method of cycling did not use the soil. i merely bought a few feeder fishes and cycled the water with a bare tank. i have did a water change today, water seemed clearer will put in bettas to test the water soon

[felix_fx2]

Cycling normally includes the substrate as in the whole tank setup without the fish.
Test your nitrate before you add the fish in.

Good luck

[Pikey]

1. add ada soil
2.fill water till arnd soil level
3. start planting
4.add drift wood
5.7 days later test for water nitrate level and confirming that it is zero added tetras
6.following week tetras dead all within a night

for the 2nd setup it pretty much the same thing just that instead of drift wood i added rocks and added a few stem plants. but this time i added just one oto to the tank to test.the oto was lethargic at first and then fell to its sides within a few hours. i manage to spot it and change it back to the previous tank. it is now still alive but i believe that if i leave it in the previous tank it would have died shortly after.

Ok,it`s definately new tank syndrome.
Here`s what`s the best thing to do:

Take out no more than 25% of the water currently in the tank,dechlorinate some freshly drawn tap water and carefully match the temperatures of the new water and the remaining tank water before adding the new water(slowly)to your tank.
Make sure the filtration system is running correctly,you need to turn over about 3 x tank total water volume an hour through the filtration system,then allow the tank to stand untouched for at least 24 hrs.
Can i ask,the soil and plants you are using,are they from a reputable aquarium supplier?
They should be ok if they are.
I would always try to `borrow` someone elses fliter sponges(For a squeeze) or some water from their tank that was removed while carrying out a water change,to help `seed` nitrosomas bacteria into my new tank set up.It rapidly helps to establish a healthy colony.
You can use very hardy fish species such as Paradise Fish(Anabantoids):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabantoid

to help create a bioload to feed your bacteria culture,they`ll happily take and absorb oxygen from the waters surface.I wouldn`t use a lovely drawf gourami as on that Wiki link,a cheap,common paradise fish or two will do.
Then sit back,monitor the water chemistry daily and observe the tank.
It`ll go through it`s maturation process given a little time.
After you`re sure things have settled down then you can go about stocking fish,albeit a few at a time.
Never stock ALL the fish you want at one time,it`s a recipe for a costly disaster.

Good luck.
Pikey.

[Blue Whale]

Nuvola,

You might not like this. But temporary don't add things first. It is not your fault on part of the sand, you have to understand that you just need time for the dust (to settle), particles and even trash to be filtered off. Normally when we add the sand bed, even if you wash it, there will still be something that is not removed. So what we do is to so call cycle the tank. Wait for everything to clear before we add the drift wood, plants, plant nutrient dosage etc. When condition stable then we introduce the fish.

Normal tank without any sand and plant, yes, 2-3 days is sufficient. But when it comes to planted tank, more work needs to be done. Rearing fish and planting are both consider to be cultivating patience. If you ask my colleague, I think they will tell you that I am a volcano. Hot-tempered cum impatient person. =) Just part of the learning curve.

[Fuzzy]

my method of cycling did not use the soil. i merely bought a few feeder fishes and cycled the water with a bare tank. i have did a water change today, water seemed clearer will put in bettas to test the water soon

Using fish to cycle the tank or to test the water is not recommended (or humane.)
A piece of market prawn and some patience (2 to 4 weeks worth) will do a better job.

[Blue Whale]

Nuvola, if you have seperated the fish for a few days, you can try to introduce one back to test if you are confident now.

[nuvola]

I have just added one otto into the tank but the fish died overnight. for now the nitrate and nitrite are both zero as well. i believe that my test strip might have been contaminated...for now the tank is still uninhabitable for fishes any one can advice on cheap and quality testing products?

[blue33]

I call this soil pollution! No setup should cycle like this.

1. Did you cycle your tank? If yes, how long?
2. Maybe I give you an impression of my tank which is currently cycling.

[nuvola]

soil pollution means that the substrate by itself already has a problem or did i do something to pollute it?

[blue33]

I mean Blue Whale , not you.......

soil pollution means that the substrate by itself already has a problem or did i do something to pollute it?

[Blue Whale]

I mean Blue Whale , not you.......

Ha ha...that is just clean water only. No other stuffs are added except black sand and filter. The water would then be changed again before adding nutrients and introduction of water, usually wait for the dust to settle for a few days.