Omg.... Its A Disaster!!!!!!!!

[mp3rp]

Ok so I invited my girlfriend over because my parents went to some friends house. Anyways she got really interested in my fish tank out of everything else in my room. She came in right about when I was going to do a pH test so I let her do it. I told her the steps and everything and she did it pretty good. The pH was pretty high so I told her that she can pore in some API pH down. I told her a cap full NOT HALF THE BOTTLE. I paniced and didn't know what to do. I ran for my fish net and took out the fish and put them in a pot filled with water. Should i change the water now? I mean she pored half of the API pH down bottle. The fish are kinda acting weird they are swimming all on the side. I really don't know what to do. Should I euthanize them? Should I euthanize her? Plz any help would be good and as soon as possible i don't want to loose all my fish!!!!

EDIT: All this happened about an hour ago. The fish looiked fun until now. They are crooked.

[KcEE]

Yes yes!! You should quickly do a large water change!!! Have you done it yet? What water was in the pot that you put the fish in?

[mp3rp]

im changing the water right now and i came on this site to ask what i should do. I put the fish in the pot. I got the water from the tub but i added tap water conditioner

[OscarFan]

if possible take some water from another tank and put it in the pot.

[KcEE]

OK. I think you gotta do a large water change. Say 50%. Then try to get the PH levels right again. Probably test it again. I hope the fish will be fine. Give us an update alright. God speed!

[2manyfish]

Do a good sized water change on your main tank 50% or so. Check to see if your pH is in the normal range for your tap water. BTW, it's better to just use the tapwater as is rather than trying to adjust the pH all the time!
The fish in the pot are going to have to be reacclimated. You will have to do this slowly...small amounts of tankwater into the pot every 15 minutes, then dump half the pot of water down the drain and fill it again.
Even so, your fish may not survive....but at least you can try!

Good luck to you!

[Ellen4God]

Oh goodness, mp. I'm sorry that happened! I'm not an expert or anything like that, but I would probably do several water changes. This will help the over dosed water be weakened more than just doing one single water change. Check your pH too to see if it's starting to look a little better maybe...?



Oh, and breathe. That'll help. And don't euthanize your girlfriend...I'm not sure that'll be good for your relationship.

[YaYgoldFish]

She must be feeling so guilty right now..This is kind of like a father letting his son use a saw for the first time and he cuts off his arm...in a way... Goodluck to you and your fish on this one..

[KcEE]

Oh, and breathe. That'll help. And don't euthanize your girlfriend...I'm not sure that'll be good for your relationship.

LOL! I left that out. Yeah. Don't euthanize your girlfriend! Hmm...are you paying more attention to your fish than your girlfriend by any chance? Maybe she's telling you something. HAHAHA!!! Just kidding. :hmm3grin2orange:

[OscarFan]

Now about that girfriend. You want to make it look like an accident. In my experience food poisoning is the best but a cut break line is also good. LOL

[Ellen4God]

Now about that girfriend. You want to make it look like an accident. In my experience food poisoning is the best but a cut break line is also good. LOL

Now, Oscar - Do you have something you need to tell us? ...Hmmmmm...

[mp3rp]

Now about that girfriend. You want to make it look like an accident. In my experience food poisoning is the best but a cut break line is also good. LOL


HAHAHAHAAHAHAH. Lol that the funniest thing i ever heard. I have been changin the pot water every couple of minutes. The fish are still swimming crooked. I have changed the tank water 70%! should i put the fish bak in? I did the test and its at 6.0. I usually liek to keep mine at 6.7

[Incredulous_Ed]

Yes, change some more of the tank water and put thge fish back in.

[mp3rp]

i just changed 70%!! I should change more???

[Incredulous_Ed]

Probably. Then add the fish. Just to be safe. They are probably getting more stressed in the pot than they would be in the tank.

[YaYgoldFish]

Yes, I would refill it, and do another 25-50..This would be a good reason now to play with p.h.

[Incredulous_Ed]

yeah, I would not add any pH modifiers in the future. Your fish will be healthier without them.

[Algenco]

what is the ph of your tap water? Why do you feel it's necessary to change it? As you now see it is a disaster waiting to happen when you mess with the ph. Anything over a .2 change in 24 hours is very stressful to your fish. Its possible that the jump from your tank water to tap has already harmed the fish. Unless you are keeping wild caught fish that have to have a ph that is different from tap it's best not to mess with it.

Hope everything works out

[mp3rp]

ok... i changed 70% and then another 50. i checked the water pH and its still at 6.0. like i said i usually kepp it at 6.7-6.8. I put the fish in and they still swim crooked. My girlfriend feels so gyulty and i feel also sad for her. But lol that food poisening cracks me up!!.

[Incredulous_Ed]

Add an air stone to the tank.

[mp3rp]

Add an air stone to the tank.


yes,... yes... yes. i turned that on and put my fish in the tank. I feel horrible know. The fish arent swimming know. I hope everything turns out good with the fish. The pH is now on 6.5. LOL lesson learned, NEVER EVER EVER let someone change anything in your tank.

[Incredulous_Ed]

Also, stop adding pH down. It will stress your fish. Hope the gf doesnt have a heart attack.

[mp3rp]

ok everyone thnx to you the pH is normal and the fish, still swimming crooked are in the tank. I'm going to sleep know and 2morro I hope the fish will be fine. I will explain everything that happened and hopefully everything will be ok.

[kkevvy]

Parents out of town, girlfriend over...

Even if she ruined your tank, I don't think sleeping is on the agenda. haha just kidding.

[KcEE]

Heh heh...try to get some rest then. Hope your fish will be fine. Let us know in the morning. :thumb:

[NickJennings]

Don't let her beat herself up about it. I'm sure she is a bit upset about it, I know I would be!

Just 'comfort' her and I'm sure she will get over it! lol

[Kuli_Loach]

euthanize the g/f and then come talk to me. LOL, j/k, I would add aquarium salt and stress coat now.

[Lady Hobbs]

Like everyone else here, I have to say as well, to stop messing with your pH.
The fish we get here mostly come from fish farms where they are raised in big cement tanks. They then go to distributors that have a different pH, then to stores with even another pH and finally to our homes with still another.

Fish are adaptable with different degrees of pH and must get acculimated to each one. Changing pH constantly leaves them not able to adjust to any and are on a constant roller coater of adjustments.

It is very easy to raise pH but aerating the water, add a tiny bit of baking soda or some shells or running some peat thru the filter. But lowering it is next to impossible and will only raise again in a matter of hours.

If your pH is so high that it's of concern to you, then you should only stock with fish that need higher pH levels.

[gm72]

Just another opinion to stop adding chemicals to your water. They are completely unnecessary.

[mp3rp]

Today I woke up to see one of my Brilliant Rosbaras stuck to the filter :'( All the other fish seem to be fine. I think i'll go to pet land exchange it for another one and return my catfish. Hopefully no more will die.

Anyways whats up with all this stuff about not trying to lower pH? I thought that pH was necessary and it had to be the level the fish prefer because if it's not they get stressed out. Usually when I try to lower the pH I lower it about .2-.4 but the next day it goes back up. I've tried every kind of pH down..... First I tried it with the one that came with the test kit, then this salt type, and a couple of days ago I bought a liquid type pH down which I didn't get to use yet until yesterday and we all know how that turned out.

[gm72]

Fish are adaptable to a variety of pH levels. Very few fish absolutely NEED a certain pH level. Acclimate the fish slowly and they will be fine. It is the stability of the pH, not the actual level, that is most important. By playing around with the pH so much you are actually stressing out the fish far more than necessary.

[mp3rp]

Fish are adaptable to a variety of pH levels. Very few fish absolutely NEED a certain pH level. Acclimate the fish slowly and they will be fine. It is the stability of the pH, not the actual level, that is most important. By playing around with the pH so much you are actually stressing out the fish far more than necessary.

I only change the pH about once, maybe twice a week if it gets real bad.

[gm72]

But again, there is no need to do this. By changing the pH you are doing far more harm than good.

[mp3rp]

So let me ask you a question...... Do you guys EVER change the pH? I've seen on other threads that people say they do a pH test about every week. What is the point if your not going to change it?

[Lady Hobbs]

When folks have cichlids that require a higher pH, they adjust the pH to their needs. But messing with pH for community tanks is unfounded and not needed.

[mp3rp]

When folks have cichlids that require a higher pH, they adjust the pH to their needs. But messing with pH for community tanks is unfounded and not needed.

OK cool.. thanks for clearing that up. I will try to cut down on the pH testing.

[gm72]

Just stop adding the chemicals. Test a few times, a few times for a week. You'll see your pH remain very stable. Your fish will thank you for it.

Most of us here don't regularly check our pH because it does remain stable if left alone.

[kkevvy]

My water has a PH of around 8, and I don't try to change it at all. I have a large piece of driftwood which gradually lowers it, maybe .2 over a course of 2 weeks. Thats really all.

If your PH is too low, add some crushed coral or something similar to your substrate. If its too high, get a mesh bag and put peat moss in it and place it in your filter. It will stain the water a little bit, but the activated carbon will take care of it.

Its important not to change it too much. A change in .2 or .4 twice a week is REALLY stressful for fish.

[Pr0eve]

I know this was going to be bad when I read "Ok so I invited my girlfriend over because my parents went to some friends house"

lol, good luck bro. as for the GF? she can pay it off, clean your room for you, or help you mesh it up, ha ha. anyway, there is a reason why no one help with my tank.!!!!

I kill enough fish by my self.

[Pr0eve]

"Do you guys EVER change the pH?"

no I do not, I have a comm tank and a cichlid tank, but my PH is at 7.6 - 8 out of the tap..

[mp3rp]

lol, good luck bro. as for the GF? she can pay it off, clean your room for you, or help you mesh it up, ha ha. anyway, there is a reason why no one help with my tank.!!!!

Trust me lesson learned

[Kuli_Loach]

Lol, glad it is better now but sorry about the fish that died. Yea I leave my pH alone, if you want to lower it though, driftwood works pretty good and is safe, my pH stays about 7.2 out of the tap.

[NickFish]

Community fish can adapt to a lot of pH the thing that stresses them are sudden changes in pH. If you want to lower it use peat or driftwood but unless you are breeding them it doesn't really matter.

[tropfish]

I never change the PH either. It will go down for a while but if theres no buffer to keep the PH there it will just go back up. Fish for the most part don't need certian PH levels, what they need is PH stability. My PH is 7.5 and i used to keep a variety of fish before i went into cichlids that had lower needs then what i gave, but they did excellent, as long as i slowly acclimated htme to my PH.