# Need help to find reason for dying fish



## darkyputz (Nov 18, 2015)

Hello!

I have a problem...in the last three days i lost three fish...
They were kind of drunken in the beginning, and then more and more flipped over and lying on bottom...
Took them out of tank in my "Hospital" (warm fresh water with aeration) but they did not got better and all died...
And i am pretty clue less why all the sudden...
The only things that changed are about 3 weeks ago already, when i:
1. Combined my 2 tanks to a chain
2. Added overflow and return circuit
3. Added 45 gallon sump filter (replacing my diy bucket filters)
4. Added Anacharis plants (left rubber and weight on them (LEAD??))
5. Added bioballs with bubbler to Sump tank
6. Added PVC pipes as plumbing (used ones)

Sump filter is an spare fish tank, that i pimped with 2 walls to separate filter matts, planting area, bio ball area and pump/UV/heat area
I used Lowes GE silicon to glue them...but i cannot tell if Silicon i or II...

Water values were optimal, but that is that way since i have to many of them...but they never had an issue...
How could i find out if it could be the silicone?!
How fast would kill Silcone II fish?!
Or would it kill fish at all?!
Bioball and Anarchis could not be the issue...or could it?!
The rest of the materials are already from the older set ups...

So what would you think in this list could be the problem...and waht would be the fastest fix...

Oh...and my wife was painting something in the basement with very strong thinner smell...can that kill fish, when it gets from the Air into the tank by power head aeration?!
Would be the right time frame as well...
Moved the stinky part out of basement this morning and opened all windows, just to make sure, it is not that...

Please help...

Or could it just be, that i destroyed to much bacteria by rebuilding it all, and now have a cycle issue?!
Ammonia is high, nitrite too...

Changing water like crazy right now...

Thx in advance


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## werebat (Jan 27, 2012)

ammonia is the most likely culprit. water change but make sure the ph doesnt spike too much either.


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## darkyputz (Nov 18, 2015)

Do they die like that when it is ammonia?!
Or is this there "standard" way to die?!
Should my hospital not help if it was ammonia?!
Never had dying fish like that...
Thx so far


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## darkyputz (Nov 18, 2015)

Hello...and thx for the Ammonia idea...
I did a water test after 80% water change and expected good values again...but nitrite was still outside the scale of my dripping test...
4!!! Water changes later i am down to 0,25...and the fish are getting there color back...
Also added some salt (3 gram) to outperform the nitrite assimilation against chloride...
And i now know, that my last panic cleaning after my vacation probably wiped out the whole bacteria population (was so panicked that i wiped all with vinegar)
So my guess is that i am facing a non cycled system now...and that i "just" had my nitrite peak which killed the fish (6 in until now)...
Got some dirty filter from my neighbor to get it starting real quick again...
Feel so dumb and sorry for being so careless with my fish...

Hope lesson learned


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