In article ,
says...
Gunther,

I noticed in your relating your aquarium specifics you never mentioned pH or
KH, which either one could see a change and your problem. Is your water
soft or on the hard side?

Well, pH is the same as always, around 7.3 +/- , and I've
always thought of our water as being middle of the road.
It's not what you'd call soft, but I've lived with harder.
However, I didn't measure the pH of the nasty water --
as soon as I saw the elevated nitrite I grabbed the
python. KH I cannot measure. Need I invest in another kit?
Apparently it wouldn't hurt me to go read up on KH/GH at any rate.

I'm willing to believe the egg theory myself. As I said, once I caught
it and changed out the water, all has been fine, chemistry-wise. The
problem is I was slow to detect the problem, and the fish took a
lot of damage and/or stress. Slightly clamped and red streaked
fins on the worst (I fear she may not make it), and a young Moor
is acting weirder than usual. Luckily, the one I'm pulling for
the most seems to be holding his own for now. I'm now worried
about 2ndary problems due to compromised immune systems.

On the subject of test kits: is there any reason to suspect
Aquarium Pharm test kits are less accurate than other brands?
A local LFS guy swears they're not worth beans since they can
give outright false readings, and he prefers strips over _any_
brand of liquid test kits. I just bought AP's holy trinity
last month, and cannot justify trashing them and buying
all new tests kits. Opinions?

Finally, this same LFS guys says that despite what I read in
the local papers, Sunnyvale (where I live) water has used
chloramine for the past 15 years, so it's probably not an
issue in this case. Hmmm...

Gunther


When all is said and done it was probably the result of the egg laying that
shot up the nitrite and since you tank is overstocked slightly, these
conditions could have caused the problem. The reason that I express concern
about the KH is that this is more instrumental in the nitrite to nitrate
conversion than the conversion of ammonia to nitrite. If the KH was too low
and/or exhausted, this could have prevented more nitrite from being
converted, which resulted in the elevated nitrate, because of the additional
protein conversion because of the eggs.

In any event, just a thought.

Tom L.L.
-----------------------------------------------------
"Gunther" wrote in message
Dentist visit was fine...I even got a sugar-free sucker :-D

Water tests done this AM and again this evening (12 and 24 hours
after the emergency) read goodness: ammonia=0, nitrites=0,
nitrates 10ppm.

It is possible that the water district boys, being new to this
chloramine stuff, gave us a hot-shot (overdose) at first? I now recall
a distinct swimming-pool like odor from the tap the for the
first few days of the change-over which I don't notice now.
That could be either because (a) it's not there anymore, or
(b) I'm used to it.
But if an OD was the cause, why are the other two tanks in the
house doing fine?

Donald, how's your office tank doing? I seem to recall your
house is on well water (or rain water, or maybe a bucket-brigade
of UCSC students?), but your office is within spitting distance
of my place. I know because I spit on the Libby's can every
chance I get.
Any problems there?

I'm really concerned about this: I do my best to keep my goldies
healthy, and when something goes awry, I want to know why so
I can avoid it in the future. This one's got me stumped.

BTW: Is there such a thing as post-partum immune deficiency?
(wondering why only one fish succumbed to the nitrite poisoning.)

Gunther