I think I just killed all my fish

I cannot believe I did this but I think I managed to kill an entire tank of
cichlids tonight. I am really bombed out about it.

I have a 45 gallon tank with some juveniles thriving for the past 3 months.
Typically I changed the water once a month when I had some community fish in
there and once the cichlids were really small. Today I decided to test for
nitrates and switch to a biweekly water change. I had changed 25% two weeks
ago. The nitrates were kind high so I decided to a more aggressive water
change around 40% of the water, I used a python like I always do and filled
the tank up with water close to temp as the tank. The thermometer did not
register a temp change and the heater stayed up after it was full for maybe
3min I used a water treatment in the tank. immediately after this all my
fish went to shock, sitting at the bottom of the tank still gasping for air.
Couldn't understand what went wrong initially I thought they were just
frightened because of the substrate vacuum etc.

Two hours later still gasping and one already dead... I'm afraid they will
be more!

I am so mad right now.

Any comments as to what might have gone wrong are very much appreciated.

And just yesterday I was bragging about their colors and behavior to my
wife, I screwed my self so bad.

TIA

Steve

Sorry to hear that.
"SA" wrote in message
...
I cannot believe I did this but I think I managed to kill an entire tank
of
cichlids tonight. I am really bombed out about it.

I have a 45 gallon tank with some juveniles thriving for the past 3
months.
Typically I changed the water once a month when I had some community fish
in
there and once the cichlids were really small. Today I decided to test for
nitrates and switch to a biweekly water change. I had changed 25% two
weeks
ago. The nitrates were kind high so I decided to a more aggressive water
change around 40% of the water, I used a python like I always do and
filled
the tank up with water close to temp as the tank. The thermometer did not
register a temp change and the heater stayed up after it was full for
maybe
3min I used a water treatment in the tank. immediately after this all my
fish went to shock, sitting at the bottom of the tank still gasping for
air.
Couldn't understand what went wrong initially I thought they were just
frightened because of the substrate vacuum etc.

Two hours later still gasping and one already dead... I'm afraid they will
be more!

I am so mad right now.

Any comments as to what might have gone wrong are very much appreciated.

And just yesterday I was bragging about their colors and behavior to my
wife, I screwed my self so bad.

TIA

Steve

"SA" wrote in
:

I cannot believe I did this but I think I managed to kill an
entire tank of cichlids tonight. I am really bombed out about
it.

I have a 45 gallon tank with some juveniles thriving for the
past 3 months. Typically I changed the water once a month when I
had some community fish in there and once the cichlids were
really small. Today I decided to test for nitrates and switch to
a biweekly water change. I had changed 25% two weeks ago. The
nitrates were kind high so I decided to a more aggressive water
change around 40% of the water, I used a python like I always do
and filled the tank up with water close to temp as the tank. The
thermometer did not register a temp change and the heater stayed
up after it was full for maybe 3min I used a water treatment in
the tank. immediately after this all my fish went to shock,
sitting at the bottom of the tank still gasping for air.
Couldn't understand what went wrong initially I thought they
were just frightened because of the substrate vacuum etc.

Two hours later still gasping and one already dead... I'm afraid
they will be more!

I am so mad right now.

Any comments as to what might have gone wrong are very much
appreciated.

And just yesterday I was bragging about their colors and
behavior to my wife, I screwed my self so bad.

TIA

Steve



Did you put in dechlorinator BEFORE you added water?
Meph

"Mephistopheles" wrote in
message hlink.net...
"SA" wrote in
:

I cannot believe I did this but I think I managed to kill an
entire tank of cichlids tonight. I am really bombed out about
it.

I have a 45 gallon tank with some juveniles thriving for the
past 3 months. Typically I changed the water once a month when I
had some community fish in there and once the cichlids were
really small. Today I decided to test for nitrates and switch to
a biweekly water change. I had changed 25% two weeks ago. The
nitrates were kind high so I decided to a more aggressive water
change around 40% of the water, I used a python like I always do
and filled the tank up with water close to temp as the tank. The
thermometer did not register a temp change and the heater stayed
up after it was full for maybe 3min I used a water treatment in
the tank. immediately after this all my fish went to shock,
sitting at the bottom of the tank still gasping for air.
Couldn't understand what went wrong initially I thought they
were just frightened because of the substrate vacuum etc.

Two hours later still gasping and one already dead... I'm afraid
they will be more!

I am so mad right now.

Any comments as to what might have gone wrong are very much
appreciated.

And just yesterday I was bragging about their colors and
behavior to my wife, I screwed my self so bad.

TIA

Steve



Did you put in dechlorinator BEFORE you added water?
Meph


why would that be necessary?. As long as you add the dechlorinator to the
water it makes no difference if you do it before or during the process of
adding the tap water. I use a python and always add dechlorinator while
refilling and in 35 tanks I've never lost a fish during that process.
Something else is wrong here, gasping for air could be an ammonia spike but
why after a 40% water change?. Check with the water utility and make sure
they have not switched to chloramines.

Rick

SA wrote:
I cannot believe I did this but I think I managed to kill an entire
tank of cichlids tonight. I am really bombed out about it.

I have a 45 gallon tank with some juveniles thriving for the past 3
months. Typically I changed the water once a month when I had some
community fish in there and once the cichlids were really small.
Today I decided to test for nitrates and switch to a biweekly water
change. I had changed 25% two weeks ago. The nitrates were kind high
so I decided to a more aggressive water change around 40% of the
water, I used a python like I always do and filled the tank up with
water close to temp as the tank. The thermometer did not register a
temp change and the heater stayed up after it was full for maybe 3min
I used a water treatment in the tank. immediately after this all my
fish went to shock, sitting at the bottom of the tank still gasping
for air. Couldn't understand what went wrong initially I thought they
were just frightened because of the substrate vacuum etc.

Two hours later still gasping and one already dead... I'm afraid they
will be more!

I am so mad right now.

Any comments as to what might have gone wrong are very much
appreciated.

And just yesterday I was bragging about their colors and behavior to
my wife, I screwed my self so bad.

TIA

Steve

Use Amquel next time. It's the best friend to a Python system. Works quick,
and eliminates Nitrates and Ammonia.. nitrites too!!

Dan J. S. wrote:

Use Amquel next time. It's the best friend to a Python system. Works quick,
and eliminates Nitrates and Ammonia.. nitrites too!!


Can you provide some support for the claim that Amquel
eliminates nitrates? Where do they go?

From:
http://www.novalek.com/kpd51.htm
"AmQuel quickly and effectively removes ammonia, chlorine and chloramines"

Please think before you post erroneous information.

Jeff Dantzler

http://www.novalek.com/kpd79.htm

2. A primary purpose in aquariums and ponds is to protect aquarium and
pond fishes and invertebrates by quickly eliminating (actually
detoxifying) the harmful components of the biological nitrogen cycle -
ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates without slowing the nitrogen cycle
(see KPD-64 "Biological Filtration"), or interfering with the
beneficial bacteria involved, or depriving these bacteria of their
food.

To control the toxic organic nitrogenous compounds of ammonia,
nitrite, and nitrate and other toxic organics that build up in
aquariums and ponds from the excretion of body wastes by fishes,
invertebrates, bacteria and other aquatic organisms start with a
Standard Dose (see definition above). This Standard Dose will remove
(detoxify) at least 1.2 mg/L (= approx.1,2 ppm) of all ammonia
compounds, at least 2.0 mg/L (=2.0 ppm) of nitrites, and at least 13
mg/L (=13 ppm) of nitrates. We recommend only one standard dose per 24
hour period. The removal of these compounds will happen within five
minutes, or slightly longer for ammonia at a higher pH above 7.5. It
is important to understand that the amounts of organic compounds
removed may vary with differing water conditions. The amounts
indicated above are the minimums that AmQuel will detoxify, and what
is removed may be up to several times higher. Use accurate test kits
to check how much of each compound is being removed when using
multiple doses (see the section in KPD-80 on "Water Quality Test Kits"
under "Problems When Using Water Conditioners..."). Be aware that test
strips may be insufficient to provide accurate readings; check liquid
and powder reagents to be sure that they are not out-of-date.

So, according to their own support page, Amquel + does handle 13 ppm
of nitrates.

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 19:08:42 -0000, Jeff Dantzler
wrote:

Dan J. S. wrote:

Use Amquel next time. It's the best friend to a Python system. Works quick,
and eliminates Nitrates and Ammonia.. nitrites too!!


Can you provide some support for the claim that Amquel
eliminates nitrates? Where do they go?

From:
http://www.novalek.com/kpd51.htm
"AmQuel quickly and effectively removes ammonia, chlorine and chloramines"

Please think before you post erroneous information.

Jeff Dantzler

Jeff Dantzler wrote:
Dan J. S. wrote:

Use Amquel next time. It's the best friend to a Python system. Works
quick, and eliminates Nitrates and Ammonia.. nitrites too!!


Can you provide some support for the claim that Amquel
eliminates nitrates? Where do they go?

From:
http://www.novalek.com/kpd51.htm
"AmQuel quickly and effectively removes ammonia, chlorine and
chloramines"

Please think before you post erroneous information.

Jeff Dantzler

Please practice what you preach!

http://www.novalek.com/kpd79.htm

Dan J. S. wrote:
Jeff Dantzler wrote:
Dan J. S. wrote:

Use Amquel next time. It's the best friend to a Python system. Works
quick, and eliminates Nitrates and Ammonia.. nitrites too!!

Please practice what you preach!

http://www.novalek.com/kpd79.htm

I may have jumped the gun on this one...

However--Dan refered to "Amquel", which from the link I cited
"Contains 100% sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate". This will do nothing
to combat high nitrite or nitrate. It is to deal with chloramine and
ammonia just as I asserted.

From http://www.novalek.com/kpd79.htm,
"As a general rule, when using tap water in which chlorine and chloramines
are present, but not nitrites, nitrates or other organics -- then it is
safe to use the less expensive AmQuel. If there is the possibility of
nitrites, nitrates and other organics being involved, then Amquel+ is
recommended."

Amquel+ is not what Dan refered to.

I was not aware of the newer Amquel+ and Dan may have in fact meant to
type Amquel+. Sorry for being too quick to criticize.

I am not a big fan of fancy products that magically make metabolites like
nitrite or nitrate "dissappear". I assure you the nitrogen is still in
the tank in one form or another.

The only way to get rid of the nitrogen is to do water changes, or to
drive enough photosynthesis that the excess nitrogen gets locked up in
plant biomass. You can also get fancy carbon or resin that will adsorb
nitrite or nitrate, but I personally am not interested in being locking
into buying such products on a monthly basis. Water changes are cheap.

Hope this clarifies.

Jeff Dantzler

As continued as you add the dechlorinator to the water it makes no aberration if you do it afore or during the action of adding the tap water. I use a python and consistently add dechlorinates while refilling and in 35 tanks I've never absent a angle during that process.