# New tank, serious problems, fish dying



## Aaronb (Mar 21, 2011)

Hi. My wife and I just bought a 54 gallon corner aquarium. We set it up Saturday and used water conditioner to treat the water since we used tap water. It seems to be working well on our other tanks. We had some seemingly healthy zebra danios from another tank we put in to start cycling. Less than 10 hours later they were dead. I'm not sure what the problem is. I ask on another forum and they were stuck on it being cycling problems and suggested doing a fishless cycle. I thought 4 zebra danios an inch long or less polluting the water with ammonia and dying from it in less than 10 hours was unlikely in a 54 gallon aquarium. I was afraid the place I bought it from had used something to clean the aquarium that was the problem. I cleaned it with vinegar when I got it home. The place I bought it had a resident cat that had been in it so the cleaned it with a rag and what I assumed was water. I was just hoping to get a different opinion. I don't want to do a fishless cycle and end up killing more fish because of a different problem. I appreciate an thoughts. Thanks. 

Aaron


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## mec102778 (Feb 17, 2011)

What are the water parameters in the tank?


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## Aaronb (Mar 21, 2011)

They were all zero. I have zeolite carbon and purigen in the filter besides the biomedia since the tank is new. There is no fish in the tank now so I'm assuming it's the same. I'm not home to check though.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

It sounds like something is in the tank to me. Danios don't die too easily from normal cycle stuff, albeit four of them. Personally, I think you need to drain and clean it out better. Doesn't sound like fun, but that may need to be done.

Take out the zeolite. That fights and supposedly neutralizes ammonia. You need to see ammonia to drive your cycle. IMO anyway.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Did you rinse well?I dont think cats have anything to do with it,I have cats and tons of fish,no problems with them ever.


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## Aaronb (Mar 21, 2011)

Yeah I wasn't sure on the zeolite. I had used it on other new tanks before with seemingly good results. My theory was that it was placed after the biomedia so the bacteria would still get ammonia but the zeolite would help get what the bacteria missed until there was enough bacteria that no ammonia would reach the zeolite. Should I replace all the media since it probably absorbed whatever bad stuff is in the water. What would you recommend cleaning it with and how? I thought I did a good job cleaning with water and vinegar before. Thanks for your help.


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Try testing your tap water for ammonia and nitrites just to be sure. It could be that the previous owners used something nasty to clean the tank. Clean it with boiling hot water VERY CAREFULLY. I think that will be your best bet at getting anything nasty out and you can soak it in water for a few days after that too just to make extra sure. Skip the vinegar too just to make triple sure that it was not too much vinegar. Then try Danio for a few days. I don't think it would be a cycling problem that fast. It takes days to build up any kind of ammonia level in a tank and a week or more before you would start getting nitrites.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

It sounds like there was a big difference between your corner tank and the one your Zebras came from. Check the temperature and ph of your two tanks. If there is a big difference, this could be killing your fish. Next time you add fish, add two guppies if your ph is high, two White Mountain Clouds if the ph is low. These two types of fishes are very tough and usually get through cycling fine.


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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

I've had 4/5 danios die in a new tank that was cycling (brand new tank rinsed out), couldn't figure it out. Did some research on acclimation of new fish and found i've lost a lot less. At first when i started in the hobby i'd just dump the fish in the tank h20 and all (very stupid of me). If you know you acclimated them right i'd bank on the problem having something to do with the tank cleanliness.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would clean it with a bottle of water conditioner. Aquasafe would work well I think - yellow bottle.


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## ladyonyx (Apr 20, 2009)

Use of some funky cleaning supplies on the tank is likely the cause, but it could just be that your water parameters from one tank to the next were too different. Cleaning it out certainly couldn't hurt. Did you acclimate your danios from the original tank to the new tank? 

On a different note, IMO there is no reason to subject fish to the cycling process. Adding straight ammonia and monitoring with a liquid test kit is extremely easy and works great. It may take a little longer, but it's much less stressful on your fish. Just because they can handle a cycle without dying doesn't mean they have to. If you're interested in trying it out, here's a link to fishless cycling: Fishless Aquarium Cycling Method

Hope your tank straightens out and good luck with everything!


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

i agree with many of the posts... acclimation will definately kill that quickly. I'd believe that more than some chemicals left behind even after you cleaned after you bought it. I agree with the fishless cycling.. its a bit cheaper and doesnt have fish death involved.


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## Aaronb (Mar 21, 2011)

I floated the fish for 30 minutes adding water from the new tank to the bag a couple times so I think they were acclimated properly. Do you mean to use a clean rag and straight water conditioner to clean the aquarium? Would it help to put a lot of salt in it and let it run for a day or two? Thanks.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Test the water of the tank the fish came from and the one they died in. If there is a big difference in parameters, that may have been your issue. If they are near identical, the tank has something in it for sure.


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## Aaronb (Mar 21, 2011)

Ok. I'll check the parameters when I get back home. I'm out of town for a few days. I'll probably clean it anyways. The ph was really soft the other day so I put seachem ph regulator powder in it. I bought a couple neon tetras and put them in and they died in an hour, so I don't want to take the chance of any more fish dying.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

Just as a quick run down: I agree the cat was innocent, I agree on draining the tank since the danios died. I'd fill the tank, run it for 24 to 48 hours, drain it again (so that anything soluble that's still in there has been dissolved and is now flushed), change the filter media (in case the culprit can linger there) and then just run it empty for a couple days with no ammonia nullification stuff (just to settle it, allow any offgassing that's going to happen to happen) before starting the fishless cycling thing if that's the way you go. I've heard a couple of times of fishless cycling atempts that got stuck midway, I assume because there just wasn't enough of the second stage bacteria, something that doesn't happen when you cycle with fish because the fish carry the full compliment in their gut, so if you go fishless make sure you seed your tank with some gravel from your already cycled tank to make sure all the necessary bacteria are present, but do it after you dechlorinate so chlorine doesn't take a toll on your precious live cultures.


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## Aaronb (Mar 21, 2011)

Ok thanks I'll try that. Yeah I wasn't suggesting the cat had caused the problem. I just mentioned it in case anyone was wondering why the lfs would clean a new tank. I'm glad I used seachem products in this filter since it's bow that I need to replace it. I left the filter running on high while I'm out of town hoping the purigen, carbon, and matrix will absorb some of whatever it is. Would you recommend changing the filter pads as well? Thanks for everyone's help.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

Are the filter pads the kind you can squeeze out in tank water and reuse? If so, I'd rinse and reuse myself. You can use really hot water and do it a couple times.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Aaronb said:


> Hi. My wife and I just bought a 54 gallon corner aquarium. We set it up Saturday and used water conditioner to treat the water since we used tap water. It seems to be working well on our other tanks. We had some seemingly healthy zebra danios from another tank we put in to start cycling. Less than 10 hours later they were dead. I'm not sure what the problem is. I ask on another forum and they were stuck on it being cycling problems and suggested doing a fishless cycle. I thought 4 zebra danios an inch long or less polluting the water with ammonia and dying from it in less than 10 hours was unlikely in a 54 gallon aquarium. I was afraid the place I bought it from had used something to clean the aquarium that was the problem. I cleaned it with vinegar when I got it home. The place I bought it had a resident cat that had been in it so the cleaned it with a rag and what I assumed was water. I was just hoping to get a different opinion. I don't want to do a fishless cycle and end up killing more fish because of a different problem. I appreciate an thoughts. Thanks.
> 
> Aaron


biggest thing is you went too fast. IMHO.

I would do a planted tank and let the plants get established for a week before adding a single fish. The don't add food for a week and add 4 or more zebras.

And I would also not use any chemicals. The plants are all the is needed to condition that water along with the week waiting period.


my .02


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