Platy dying in new tank

[alex76]

Hi,

From my post in Algae & Fertilisation section, after the algae blooming, I have throw away all plants except the clean moss and slab of HC. I have clean the tank throughly and clean the lapis sand with boiling water to sterilised it.
I fill in with clean tap water n let filter and air pump at max to run for a day.

Then I transfer few Platy from my office tank. Hours after it, they all died
and water turn a bit milky.....I wonder what's going on.... I mean usually I did 90% water change with tap water, these fishes r still ok as I think there are quite robust.... even in the office I will usually do 95% water change with new tap water n they all seems fine and lively even after that.

Is it the rock and lapis sand that I have boil it with hot water changed in chemical reaction that poisoned the water? I've noticed even the Malayan trumpet snails that I throw in the sand also gone case

[Pebble]

After your boiled the sand, all the "good bacteria" dies too. In the past when you changed 90% water, there's still good bacteria in the gravel to balance things up. You have to start cycling your tank again, as if it's a new tank. I recommend at least 1 week of cycling, if not 2 wks.

Do you use water conditioners to neutralise the chlorine/chloramine? That's lethal to fish.

[Shadow]

yeah you need to cycle your tank and you also need to condition your tap water. Boiled lapis sand should not causig anything, unless the water is still hot when you put the fish in . I also sterilise my sand and rock with hot water, nothing bad happen to my fishes.

[alex76]

After your boiled the sand, all the "good bacteria" dies too. In the past when you changed 90% water, there's still good bacteria in the gravel to balance things up. You have to start cycling your tank again, as if it's a new tank. I recommend at least 1 week of cycling, if not 2 wks.

Do you use water conditioners to neutralise the chlorine/chloramine? That's lethal to fish.

I didn't use anti-chlorine as like last time also....
I'm afraid cycling for 1 or 2 weeks without fauna, the algae will start to bloom again

[Shadow]

should be the other way around, unless you are talking about algae eating fishes. What you need to do is plant masively and cut down the lighting time for the first week.

I cycle my tank for 3 weeks without any fish, but must put some on the fourth week since saw mosquito larvae swimming around. The only algae is brown and green spot on the glass.

[Pebble]

I didn't use anti-chlorine as like last time also....
I'm afraid cycling for 1 or 2 weeks without fauna, the algae will start to bloom again

For new tank, alage will take some time to build up. You can put 1 or 2 hardy fish in to cycle with the pump on + all plants planted. Go easy on the fertiliser, esp liquid fertiliser. I like to use root fertiliser pellets, as it restricts the nutrients to the gravel, at the spots where the plants are. Liquid ferts tend to feed the algae.

Maybe increase your CO2 rate too. You can try using Yamato shrimps to help control algae too. But caution - add shrimps only when tank is very very "seasoned", as shrimps are very sensitive.