Small aquarium disaster, lesson learned

[ddarko2215]

Well, my 6 gallon aquarium had a rough week. Preparing to stock my my larger aquarium I introduced three baby BN into my small tank last weekend while my larger tank is cycling.

my fish count included
3 guppy, 4 BN (1 adult).


I had a siphon accident with my air pump with drained 80% of my tank on my carpet. Once I dealt with that issue and replaced the water I checked on the tank in the middle of the night and the filter stopped running. I took apart the filter and the impeller was seized up from the fake plant cloth strings that have come off over time. After I fixed that the next morning 2 of the guppies died. The next day the water turned slightly cloudy. I tested ammonia and it read 0 so I went to work. I came home and my adult BN was dead. I tested my nitrite level and it was at 2ppm. I did a 50% water change and am unsure if I need to do anything else? Originally when the tank siphoned out I didn't didn't want to clean the gravel and I'm wondering if the filter being off for a few hours with the increased bio load and sudden dead fish just created pandemonium in the small tank.

Lesson that I learned - Don't be an idiot and hook up a valve to airline.

[ldoerr]

You need to do a few more large WCs to get the nitrite down. If it was at 2ppm and you did a 50% WC it is now at 1ppm. You need to get that as low as posible. I would reccommend to do a few 80% WCs all in a row. I have done that recently on my 2.5g tank. I think that I did 3 or 4 75%-90% WCs and I got the % of original water down to ~1%. I would HIGHLY reccommend that you do a few more large WCs.

[CrunchyLeaf]

Why do multiple water changes? Why not just put the fish in a bucket for 10 minutes, remove all the tank water and fill with new?

[Joonkun]

either or works but honestly in such a small tank it should take long do a few large water changes. netting them at this point could cause more stress than its worth.

[ddarko2215]

Well, woke up this morning and the last Guppy died and like you said the Nitrite was 1ppm (now I feel stupid, should have done the math). I did a 90% water change before I left for work. The 3 Small BN appear to be doing fine but who knows. I guess when my filter motor stopped running, the increased bio load then the 2 fish dying, just totally messed things up and my 4 year tank must have had to re-cycle. Should I espect that these last BN will die, does Nitrite poisening effect long term? and should I not introduce them into my new tank when it finishes cycling? I want to learn as much from my mistakes as possible so so point out my idiotic mistakes!

[Cermet]

A little salt may help if the fish were hurt by nitrites - 1 tsp/10 gal or for a five, add 1/2 tsp; use kosher salt NOT table or saltwater (really seawater) salt. This can help them until their gills heal.

[ddarko2215]

Thanks Cermet, I forgot to mention I mixed a tablespoon of Aquarium salt to the last bucket of water I poured into the tank this morning. I'm not sure if your supposed to mix it, I always do though.

[imma24]

I guess when my filter motor stopped running, the increased bio load then the 2 fish dying, just totally messed things up and my 4 year tank must have had to re-cycle. Should I espect that these last BN will die, does Nitrite poisening effect long term? and should I not introduce them into my new tank when it finishes cycling?

IMPO I would put those plecos in your larger tank when it finishes cycling only because I would not feel comfortable keeping them in a 6gal for much longer - maybe someone here feels differently though.

I wouldn't think that your filter being off for a few hrs would have anything to do with your cycle being lost, unless you removed media from it and replaced it with new stuff? Bacteria dies once media dries or has no exposure to ammonia for more than a day or two.

Dead fish won't cause a major issue unless they started to rot which would increase your ammonia.

As long as you keep your water clean via frequent water changes to get that nitrite level down, your plecos will hopefully remain OK.

[Cermet]

Thanks Cermet, I forgot to mention I mixed a tablespoon.

That is the best way to introduce the salt. The reason this is suggested is it helps the fish remove waste through their gills (fish use gills like we use kidneys.)

Good luck and keep those nitrites close to zero. If you don't have an air stone running and have a unit, install it.

[ldoerr]

I would still reccommend that you do at least 1 or 2 more HUGE WC to get the nitrite closser to 0. You still have nitrite in your tank.