# what happened to my silver hatchetfish?



## vivalaavans (Sep 13, 2013)

Today I noticed my silver hatchetfish died. I did a water test and this is what I got:
Ph- 6.0
Ammonia- 0.25
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 0.25

I am running an eclipse3 filtration system, seachem's prime, API Aquarium salt.
I don't know what happened to my hatchet


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Ph of 6 straight from the tap? Is your home or apt on a water softner system? Can you check your ph straight from the tap, then set aside water and test again about 24hrs later? I assume the ph reading you got cam from the tank?


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## snowghost45 (May 13, 2013)

Sad to say sometimes fish die and we don't know why. I hate it when that happens.


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## vivalaavans (Sep 13, 2013)

jrman83 said:


> Ph of 6 straight from the tap? Is your home or apt on a water softner system? Can you check your ph straight from the tap, then set aside water and test again about 24hrs later? I assume the ph reading you got cam from the tank?


Yes I tested my tank lol. I don't know if my home is on a water softener or not.. could the Ph have been the issue?


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## snowghost45 (May 13, 2013)

Do you have other fish in the tank? It's one reason why I don't fool with ph kits, ammonia and nitrites, nitrates. I faithfully change my tank every week, have live plants and everyone is happy. About 20 years ago I fooled with my ph and killed off my entire tank.

Oh and by the way, knowing how everyone reacts here to the way I take care of my fish, I'm sure there will be repercussions of this post.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

The first thing on the list would be to check the water just out the faucet at the same place where you get the tank water from.
Then if it's at a Ph of 6 you will need to find out why. Is it from a water softener. Cause they use salts sometimes to do this.
Then too you might drop that API salt into the garbage can. Mollies need a little salt but can do without it and even breed in
water that don't have it. Aquarium salt is a high profit sales item for the shops as the FDA does not regulate it since it is not
a medicine. Ergo the high profit margin so they push it. That thing about testing it the next day is good also but try to put in 
a bubble line from your air pump.
A few things that I know of which will lower Ph are tree leaves especially oak or Cypress or that Indian Almond leaf. Plus 
driftwood or peat moss I believe it's called. Could just be peat though. Old driftwood doesn't affect it much though.
What you are trying to establish is if the Ph is normal coming into the tank but dropping soon after. 
This would present exactly the conditions said to be worst for fish. High or low they can get used to but sudden changes
or bouncing them up and down is what harms them most.
BTW I just looked up hatchet fish and it says for the marbled kind it is 5.8 to 7.5 and for what they called the common
hatchet fish it is 5.5 to 7.5 in PH. So a bouncing PH might have done it but the 6 is all right so they say.
One more BTW...how long have you had him ? Not to dog anyone but the AqAvisor says they need to be in a school of
at least 5 of them. It might have hastened his demise. Just a thought.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I don't think just the pH is the issue,it is more an indication of something else(water softner has been mentioned a couple times).
Hatchet fish are soft water fish so a pH of 6 I don't think would be a problem.But if gH,and kH are "whacked " then they could be considered an issue.
I'll add(no fan of salt{except in marine aquariums where it belongs}) that if you water goes through a water softener and then you added salt it is the salt that caused the death.In most cases salt is an irritant(to fishes skin) and is only useful IMO to aide in osmoregulation.Adding it to water from a softner would have given you HIGH levels.
I don't think(although I searched and found no conformation) that hatchet fish should have salt in their water.
Find out about if you have watersoftner,if you do you should draw your water before it,don't add salt and try again.FYI hatchets like to be in schools(5+) and are known to be VERY sensative to water quality,and even the stress of being alone could have contributed to it's death.


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## vivalaavans (Sep 13, 2013)

coralbandit said:


> I don't think just the pH is the issue,it is more an indication of something else(water softner has been mentioned a couple times).
> Hatchet fish are soft water fish so a pH of 6 I don't think would be a problem.But if gH,and kH are "whacked " then they could be considered an issue.
> I'll add(no fan of salt{except in marine aquariums where it belongs}) that if you water goes through a water softener and then you added salt it is the salt that caused the death.In most cases salt is an irritant(to fishes skin) and is only useful IMO to aide in osmoregulation.Adding it to water from a softner would have given you HIGH levels.
> I don't think(although I searched and found no conformation) that hatchet fish should have salt in their water.
> Find out about if you have watersoftner,if you do you should draw your water before it,don't add salt and try again.FYI hatchets like to be in schools(5+) and are known to be VERY sensative to water quality,and even the stress of being alone could have contributed to it's death.


Yeah I know they're schooling fish. I work at a pet store and we only had one left so I took it home hoping to find more. But I couldn't seem to find them anywhere. I had him for about a month before he passed and the water levels have been the same since the day I got him.


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