# New Garra Rufa keep dying help!



## Chico (Jul 2, 2011)

I have 2 100litre garra rufa tanks 1 currently with about 25 in and the other about 10.The tanks have gone through their full cycle for about 2 months now and I have had a pro check the filtration and everything is correct both tanks have full RO water in. I recently ordered 30 new fish and when I put them in I woke up the next day to find 20 of them dead. The parameters of the tank are zero ammonia, zero nitrates and nitrite less than .2, GH was 5 but I have been slowly raising this using a product my pet shop gave me, PH is 7.2. The temperature of the tank is just over 29 degrees as I live in Spain and it is very hot here at the moment, The heater is set at 27. A week later I ordered another 30 fish and put them in the other tank, the same thing happened, parameters for this tank are PH 6.8, Nitrite less than .2, zero ammonia, nitrates 10mg and GH 6, temperature again 29 degrees. It is soul destroying to see this happen and I am desperate to get this right so that I can add more fish to both tanks. Could it be the temperature that killed them or the GH maybe and what I can do about it. The fish survived overnight in the pet shop and his water was PH 6.8 and GH 15.


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## thenewseverum (Nov 23, 2010)

I think you are adding way to many fish at one time. Your spiking your levels and your bio-filter cant keep up so it kills everything. You should add AT MOST 4 or 5 fish at a time and thats pushing it. If thats not it, are you acclimating the fish properly? Drip acclimating them? I wont lie, I have no clue what GH is or if it matters, Ive never heard anyone use GH before. If that has something to do with it, theres a huge difference and not properly acclimating them to your water would make them go into shock and, clearly die.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Why are you using RO water? 100% RO is not safe to use. Even if you are adding back the nutrients with the gh bost product you are using. Have you tested your kh? Have you tested your ph multiple times throughout the day?


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## Chico (Jul 2, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Why are you using RO water? 100% RO is not safe to use. Even if you are adding back the nutrients with the gh bost product you are using. Have you tested your kh? Have you tested your ph multiple times throughout the day?


I was advised that RO water was the best to use as the water in spain is not very good. I have not tested KH. What % of tap water with conditioner should I use, there is so much info on the forums I am really confused!


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## Chico (Jul 2, 2011)

thenewseverum said:


> I think you are adding way to many fish at one time. Your spiking your levels and your bio-filter cant keep up so it kills everything. You should add AT MOST 4 or 5 fish at a time and thats pushing it. If thats not it, are you acclimating the fish properly? Drip acclimating them? I wont lie, I have no clue what GH is or if it matters, Ive never heard anyone use GH before. If that has something to do with it, theres a huge difference and not properly acclimating them to your water would make them go into shock and, clearly die.


GH is the general hardness, I don't think the problem is adding too many fish as they all survived in a much smaller tank overnight at my pet shop and the levels are not changing when I add the fish. Do you think maybe the temperature? What do you mean by drip acclimating?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would go no more than 50/50. As far as adding too many and the part you mentioned about the other tank...that was an established tank and if they were going to start showing any issues from that, it probably wouldn't happen until sometime after you got them.

This is drip acclimating: 
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/drip-acclimating-fish-11327.html


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## Chico (Jul 2, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> I would go no more than 50/50. As far as adding too many and the part you mentioned about the other tank...that was an established tank and if they were going to start showing any issues from that, it probably wouldn't happen until sometime after you got them.
> 
> This is drip acclimating:
> http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/drip-acclimating-fish-11327.html


Thanks, I am going to start preparing the tanks with conditioned 50/50 water, Should I do daily water changes of 10% using tap water to achieve this? Or how can I achieve this without stressing the fish already in the tank? Believe me your help is very much appreciated.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would just watch the fish. If they start to show signs of stress I would do at least a 15% water change. If they appear okay, no problem. Just check on them a lot and act if necessary.


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## thenewseverum (Nov 23, 2010)

I could probably put 2 and 2 together and figured out what GH meant, thanks for filling me in haha.


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## Chico (Jul 2, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> I would just watch the fish. If they start to show signs of stress I would do at least a 15% water change. If they appear okay, no problem. Just check on them a lot and act if necessary.


So far so good, I am slowly changing the water so that eventually it will be 50/50. Just a quick question, once the tank is changed and I need to perform regular 10% water changes, which water do I use for these the RO or tap?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would do 50/50 for your water changes. That way your tank stays 50/50.


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## Blue Lagoon (Jul 20, 2011)

Maybe part of your problem is who you are getting the fish from i also have a shop in Spain i have 4 tanks and due to my tanks going through there cycle i lost quite a few fish to begin with but after my cycle im am very steady now losing maybe 1-4 a week max sometimes none and these fish came from uk.
I have lately shared the fish from one of my tanks to the other 3 tanks then bought fish from a supplyer over here and these fish drop like flies out of 150 in just 4 weeks i have lost half of them and they get treated exactly the same as my other fish and i keep my temp at 30 im guessing you are buying the smaller fish to? where is your shop.
In my other 3 tanks i have big fish.


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Maybe you should make a separate tank and learn how to breed them, that way you won't have to buy the fish from a seller anymore or as often.


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## Chico (Jul 2, 2011)

Blue Lagoon said:


> Maybe part of your problem is who you are getting the fish from i also have a shop in Spain i have 4 tanks and due to my tanks going through there cycle i lost quite a few fish to begin with but after my cycle im am very steady now losing maybe 1-4 a week max sometimes none and these fish came from uk.
> I have lately shared the fish from one of my tanks to the other 3 tanks then bought fish from a supplyer over here and these fish drop like flies out of 150 in just 4 weeks i have lost half of them and they get treated exactly the same as my other fish and i keep my temp at 30 im guessing you are buying the smaller fish to? where is your shop.
> In my other 3 tanks i have big fish.


I have just got some more from my supplier and will know in the morning whether this time round with 50/50 water it has been successful. Can you recommend me a good supplier in the UK that will ship to Spain as I find getting anything in spain a complete nightmare. Hope fully I wont need it but any suppliers recommended will be useful. Thanks.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I've started a thread about garra rufa fish. It might be of some help to you or you might want to share some of your experience.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/foot-spas-garra-rufa-fish-care-17341.html#post111288


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