Dead fish???

[fishlips28]

Last week my girl krib died and now last night my gourami died! Is something wrong with my tank?? The other fish are fine and swim around like normal. They are all very active. (I have 3 albino cory's, another gourami, a boy krib, and 3 platies) Let me know if anyone has any ideas?!?! My nitrates were a lil high(12.5ish)...but not high enough for them to die...I'll check the rest of my parameters tonight. I just did a water change the yesterday because my gourami looked like he was going to die Sunday night...I guess it didn't help..he died anyways! Ok, well let me know what you think? Thanks, Katelyn

[xoolooxunny]

you could have a bacterial outbreak in your tank?? As soon as any other fish look ill, take them out right away, and keep a close eye on your tank. how big is your tank?

[Incredulous_Ed]

Have you added anything to your tank recently? it may have introduced something harmful. This may seem obvious, but is your heater working? One time I left my heater off after a water change and my fish were about to die.

[Lady Hobbs]

Has your tank been cycled or have you been using these fish for the cycle?

It takes very little ammonia and nitrites to kill off your stock.

[Severus]

Test the rest of your water and get back to us. It could be bacteria or some other kind of internal parasite...
Like Ed said it might not hurt to check out some real obvious things also.

[fishlips28]

Ok, this is what I found out. I returned my one fish to the store and they offer free water testing, so they tested my water and everything was normal! My tank is a 20 gallon tank. I have no back-up tanks to put my fish in if they start to look sick! I'm pretty sure that I haven't added anything new to my tank. I have been putting a tapwater/saltwater mixture in my tank just because the other water is hooked up to the softener and is heated...well I think you understand what I'm trying to say. I have probably done that now for a month...and it doesn't seem to bother them. I've heard that it's ok, since I put Aquasafe in with my water. Yes, my heater is working. I tend to pay a lot of attention to the temperature of the water, and I always notice the light on (not constantly, but enough to know that it's working right and shutting off when the water is to 78). My tank has been cycled for about a month now...so I'm not in the process of one. What do I do if it is something bacterial?? My one plant that is in the water is like a flower thingy (plastic) and it started to turn a blackish color, but I washed it in warm water and it was fine. I also have a stone archway thing, and it is starting to turn a dark green color. Is any of this not normal or bad??? I really don't know! Ok, get back to me when you can and let me know what you think! Thank you! -Katelyn

[jweintraub]

It's normal for plastic plants to turn brown and rinsing it is the right hting to do every so often. As far as why they're dying off, I couldn't tell you... wish I could help!

[jeffs99dime]

test your water parameters from your tank and post them here. (ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate)
test your tap water for all levels too. then post them as well

[Incredulous_Ed]

How much water do you change and how often do you change it?
the saltwater/tapwater mix you use, does this come from a filter on the faucet? I would advise to stop using that water and just use regular tapwater (if I understand correctly).

[Cichlid_Man]

Hi,
Everybody covered it all here but I am just posting my 2 cents...

Please post your water numbers, OK?
What other types of fish are in there?
How MUCH salt are you putting in your tap water?
Unless these are brackish fish, NO SALT is required unless you are treating an illness.
Without hearing anything else, I say the salt is doing your fish in.
I could be wrong, but...

[Incredulous_Ed]

Without hearing anything else, I say the salt is doing your fish in.
I could be wrong, but...
That's what I think too!

[fishlips28]

sorry, my computer has been down for awhile. All my parameters are normal. Adam thinks that the one fish died of some sort of disease...it had a couple of pretty torn fins (gourami). As for the female krib...that has yet to remain a mixture. As for my water mixture. I have two faucets at my sink, as do most if not all of you. The one is drinking water and the other is not. My water is well water...that is what I use for my tank, but since I only have one bucket to use, I take all the water out that I need for the water change and then when I go to fill the tank back up, the well water is too cold, so I add some water that we use to do dishes with (the saltwater/water softener water). I'm not sure exactly how much I put in...but that's the scoop, hope that helps in figuring things out... sorry that it took so long!

[Chrona]

Did you ever notice any aggression between the fish? If not, it is likely finrot, which is easily treated with something like Melafix.

It is also possible the fish was simply not well adjusted to the hard/high dissolved solids water you have, and it finally took it's toll. Water softening units that use salt without a membrane tends to add more dissolved solids into the water. At high levels of dissolved solids, fish osmoregulation can't function correctly and they suffer. I would just slowly change over to all well water.

[Lady Hobbs]

I think you mean you have a soft water unit at your home that softened thru going thru salt? Rock salt is used in those salt water systems and it may well be your problem.

[gm72]

Water softeners actually add a very negligible amount of sodium to the system water, usually only 7 to 8 mg/l sodium per grain of water hardness. So, unless you have REALLY hard water (a possibility), it is not likely to be the softener as the culprit. But, you also say that not all of the water you add to your tanks is from the softener, so this further decreases the probability that salt is the culprit. I have a water softener for my well water and has not caused a problem in years of keeping fish.

HOWEVER--what kind of salt are you using? Regular water softener salt is fine, but some salts have chemicals added, like a rust remover, to further decrease iron in iron-heavy water systems. I know for a fact that these chemical-added salts are NO good for the fish.

Sure hope this helps!