# Did a water change and fish died a hour later



## Clay320 (Apr 23, 2012)

I posted this on my tank build thread(link below) but thought it might get a reply sooner here. The build thread has more details on the tank.

http://www.aquariumforum.com/f45/10g-mini-community-setup-33234.html



DISASTER HAS STRUCK!!!

So everything was fine till today. Nothing was going wrong and everything was ok.

I use those 5 in 1 strips and last night the Nitrate was reading about 30 (with over 40 being the start of the danger zone on the chart that goes with the strips).

So this morning I did a water change, 20% (2 gal) to correct the nitrate levels.

I walk by two hours later and 3 of 4 glo-fish are flat out dead and the snails aren't looking good ether.

I just about panicked and my first thought was that something was in the tap water that I had put in. I had some bottled water and immediately moved the snails to a cup of bottled water and one glow fish that was showing life into another.

What could have happened??? I'm sure it is something I haven't thought of but here is what I have checked.

Last night the strip said: Nitrate 30ish, Nitrite 0-.5, Total Hardness (GH) 200-300, Chlorine 0, Alkalinity 300, PH 7.8ish.

Just now I checked the tank water and the Nitrate was lower and everything else was the same. Checked the tap water and that showed no issues.

I am checking all the rocks again with the vinegar test but I did that before and everything was fine.

After moving the live fish and snails to bottled water they seem to be doing better after 20 some minutes. None of them showed any signs of illness or otherwise before the water change.

I have no idea what happened, I have always used tap water and had no issues, however something went on with the water change no clue what though....


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## j0fish (Jan 25, 2012)

To help those diagnosing your issue (more experienced than me) you might edit to include that you did in fact de-chlorinate the water before adding it to the tank.


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## Clay320 (Apr 23, 2012)

I did not de-chlorinate, however I never have in the 2 months I've had the tank. On my test strips chlorine read zero before and after the water change in the tank and from the tap.


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## Laurencia7 (May 19, 2012)

Tropical fish are somewhat finicky. They don't do well with lots of changes in their conditions. Could have been shock or any number of things. I would first avoid those test strips. I just had a bad experience with them, two days ago. Try the API Master test kit, pricey but lasts longer and more accurate.

Nitrate is caused by bio waste breaking down, and created the gas exchange. Nitrite is caused by too much Bio waste being left in the tank, and makes your ammonia levels higher. Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle and cycling. Methods for ammonia, nitrite removal. 

It sounds like your tank was going into a cycle. Which you changing the water was normal, and ok. So don't feel bad. I don't know much about glo-fish, only that they are hybrid fish bred with jelly fish dna in order to make them glo, a relative freak of man. 
That being the case, they can have internal deformities that can contribute to them not being healthy. GloFish® Fluorescent Fish Home Page

I had neons as a kid, (only smaller fish I have expr to draw from) and they aren't a very hardy fish. They are so small it's hard to tell when they are sick, and once you do they die fast. Glo-Fish might be better, but aren't they just as small? I would not blame yourself. But I would either get hardier fish, or not mess with their chem/enviro as much. Snails are another story. 

Just avoid too many drastic changes, it stresses the fish. Was this your first water change? how many times do you change? Did you add chemicals? or water conditioners? If not, you have to add Stress Zyme, or Slime Coat to the bucket you add water with. Did the bucket/Pot have other chemicals in it before? Generally you want a receptacle that has not been used for other things, only fish tanks.


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## Clay320 (Apr 23, 2012)

I believe that it was a combination of things like you said. Our tap water is from our own well and iss very hard, we use salt in the filtration system for the house (common for those with well water) to combat the hardness and minerals in the water, or something like that at least. Over the weekend we put in some more salt which makes the water noticeably salty for a day or two. 

That along with a bunch of other little things probably made it too much for the glo's. 

This was not my first water change but the first water change sense the water filter for the house was messed with. Haven't used any chemicals at all. I use 1 jugs that have only ever had drinking water in them. 

Thanks for the help. I'm thinking the salt was the killer the but it over the edge.

Welp, new water for the tank, and I'll give it another shot!


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## Laurencia7 (May 19, 2012)

Not sure what kind of salt was in your water, sounds odd. I would have the aquarium (if you have one, not pet store) test your water before you add fish. Also ask an expert on the best way to proceed. I have city water here, and it's very hard!! We have terrible calcium build up, so I don't change the water in my tanks as much because it shocks my fish. Do what you think is best, many people have conflicting ideas on how to proceed with their tanks.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Water that has ran through a water softener is not the best in the world for a fish tank. It removes minerals that is needed by fish and as you see it also adds salts that isn't the right kind for fish. You need to collect your water before it hits the softner.


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## Tomorrowland (Mar 9, 2012)

First of all, my younger brother has a Glofish tank. Here's what I know about them. They are Danios (scientifically Danio rerio), not Tetras (like Neons). As far as I know, original Glofish were enhanced in their embryo stage to detect environmental pollutants. The colors are produced by a fluorescent protein gene that occurs naturally in some marine life, and was enhanced in their forefathers, so the neon color has been bred into them over time.

Susan is entirely correct. Perhaps since this was the first water change since the tinkering with your home's water filtration system, beneficial minerals are likely to have been stripped from the water, and hazardous salts added (not to us, but to fish, the likelihood is pretty high). And personally, I would never suggest anyone to not treat their water before addition to the aquarium. In my humble opinion, I think there's a high probability that this stressed your fish worse than the small salt addition. Yes, your chlorine may have stayed at 0 and you did lower your nitrate, but unfortunately there is no way of knowing how much beneficial bacteria you removed. Also, many water conditioners (for my freshwater tanks, I use Prime by SeaChem and Stress Coat from API) do not just de-chlorinate water, they also help repopulate beneficial bacteria, remove nitrite, nitrate and ammonia, and supply the fish with healthy slime coating. Stress Zyme is another great addition to any tank, added weekly to keep your beneficial bacteria at a healthy level.

Sorry about your fish, and I do wish you the best of luck in the future.


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## Clay320 (Apr 23, 2012)

Alright thanks everyone for the help. I've got new store jugged water and refilled the tank, hopefully things will be set now.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Bad idea really. The potential problem is mentioned by Susan above....adding water that has had the minerals stripped is dangerous to your fish. I know your ph was 7.8 or so, but have you checked it at different times throughout the day? The minerals also help hold your ph stable.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

+1

much better to balance out and condition your tank with live plants.

As you have found out water changes are not without danger.

Still just my .02


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I change lots of water on my tanks, just using tap no water purifier on it. I can change up to 90% of the tank, using prime and don't have problems. Its not the water changes that are dangerous but how they are done and what water is used.


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## Redtide (Oct 12, 2010)

whats the temperature of your well water? was it the same as the tank?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I'm all for dechlorination if there is chlorine, but this person has a well, and is unlikely to have naturally occuring chlorine. In a city, the advice makes sense, but from a well?
Generally, if you makes a change in a major system and fish die after, the change is at fault. The water could return to a good quality 24 hours after. When my city flushes its pipes every Spring, I have to skip my weekly changes or the fish die, even if the water reads fine. Don't forget, an API test kit tests some useful perameters, but water is way more complex than our little tests show. 
I suspect you hit a (fatal) glitch.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Water changes present much less danger than a lack of....proven time and time again in this hobby. There is a reason that the norm now is to do water changes, when it used to be the other way.


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