# Sad day, learn from my mistake



## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

Last night i did a water change and a gravel cleaning... i did something i forgot i shouldnt, I'm beggining to use a 50/50 mix of RO water and tap water. BUT, this time i forgot to premix the two. I believe this was the mistake. The next morning, my awesome GBR was dead. I believe it to be from shock of the drop in ph and then rise in it again as well as a small temperature change. Next time, I'll be sure to mix them to minimize the stress on the fish. Be sure you do too!
This is all i can think of considering the final parameters matched closely those before i did the change.


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## FishDash (Feb 18, 2011)

Thats unfortunate, sorry about your loss. My girlfriend forgot to put prime in her clean water when doing a change and we woke up the next day to find 2 floaters. So yes, let this be a lesson to everybody.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Hmmm....I mix RO with 4 different tanks. Two of them are 125g tanks. Impossible/impractical to pre-mix. I put in all of the RO water in the tanks and then top off the remaining with my tap water. No fish has ever died from it.

Sorry for your loss. I guess that could have been it. I have Angels, Cardinals, Noens, Blood Fins, Rummy nose, Gourami, Cories, Guppies, Platies, Mollies, Swordtails and have never experienced problems with the way I do it. Maybe GBRs are a tad more sensitive?


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

They have been said to be more sensitive. none of my other fish (many of the same that you have) died. So another thing for other people planning on getting a GBR... be slow with your changes!


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Might be good to look up those articles on osmotic shock that were posted in another thread awhile back. I've also heard GBR's can be sensitive. Love the acronym too, haha. What does Ram stand for, anyway?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

German blue ram = Microgeophagus ramirezi


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## Alasse (Mar 12, 2009)

Sorry for your loss, i've heard GBR are a bit touchy.

On my peps, i do the waterchange, but to fill the tank again, i put the bucket on top and slowly syphone the new water back in (its cold water, take 30min to syphon a bucket of water) this gives the heater time to warm the water back up as its added.

I have copper pipes for hot water and refuse to use it, so cold water goes back into all my tanks. The more sensitive i use the syphon method, takes longer but not as stressful for the fish.


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## jerichodrum (Mar 23, 2011)

Im sorry for your loss.


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## Levi (Mar 20, 2011)

Wow I'm sorry to hear that. My condolences.


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## redearedbomber (Mar 15, 2011)

Very sorry to hear that


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

I was able to find another one that has a similar pattern and color to the other.. Its a lot smaller but it'll grow


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