big problem :(

bobby · 02-02-2007, 04:56 PM

Hi all!
Today i change 2/3 of my aquarium`s water and after 20-30 min all fish die...do someone know what may be a problem?What i must to do when i change the water?
Thanks and i am sorry for my english - i am from Bulgaria and can`t speak well.

BJP · 02-02-2007, 05:01 PM

The simple way to tackle large volume changes is to compare your ph from the tank water to your tap water prior then not do it unless your really close. Also you'll need to match the temperature of the water you're adding back pretty close. If the tank has been a very long time without a water change then fish can get used to bad conditions and some can't handle going back to good ones rapidly. In those cases you want to start with small changes and ease your way into larger if needed.

Also, if anythings added to your water source like chlorine or chloramines you'll need to treat for that.

If your gravel bed hasn't been vacuumed in a long time start small with that also. Just part of the bed at a time with each change until you gradually get it clean.

bobby · 02-02-2007, 05:36 PM

Thanks.The water`s teperature was the same.Now i check Ph and i think it`s normal (between 7.0 and 7.2) i am realy confused...

BJP · 02-02-2007, 06:01 PM

It's normal now but unless you tested we don't know what it was prior to the change.

How long had it been since the last water change prior to this one?

How did you get the water to the tank?

If it was a bucket or pail, was it clean and free of chemicals, detergents and oils at all times prior to use today? You should always try to have a clean container for transporting water dedicatted to only transporting clean water in.

Loman · 02-02-2007, 06:11 PM

Bobby,
Welcome to the forum

BJP is clearly helping you with the details on this. What he is getting at is that the fish were in some way shocked in this process and could not adapt fast enough. It is the same reason you acclimate fish when you purchase them. So the temp, the pH, something has changed from before to now and the fish could not handle how quickly it was different. It is also possible that the change actually improved the water conditions but the fish were not able to live through the rapid difference.

bobby · 02-02-2007, 06:31 PM

Last time when i chande 1/3 of the water - 1 mounth ago i have the same problem - many fish die...what i do - yesterday i infuse water in some conteiner and today i move all fish in another little aquarium with 1/3 of the water, after this i wash the big aquarium (only with water) , infuce the water from containers to the aquarium, make temperature the same like another aquarium and turn back the fish and the old water into aquarium...
I know that i do something bad but i don`t know what...

My english is realy bad, but i hope that u understand me

Loman · 02-02-2007, 06:42 PM

bobby,
We can work through any langauge issues if we keep trying. If you do not understand anything that is posted to you tell them and the person can find a different way to explain.

You use the workd infuse - is that just put water into a bucket/container? What type container are you using? How long are the fish out of the tank and do they get cold?

You say you wash the big aquarium - why are you doing that? Is there something on it like algea.

The first suggestion I would have is to do frequent but smaller water chages. I am thinking that if you are changing something that it would go slower this way and the fish could adapt.

BJP · 02-02-2007, 06:42 PM

In the picture above you'll see two gravel vacuums. Ignore the white pieces of plastic I shoved into them for another project. They're basically pieces of hose or tubing several feet long with a wider end we use in the tank to clean the gravel. If you can't aquire one at a store you can maybe make one out of some items around the house to work the same way.

Place the big end in the tank, give the other end of the tube a little suck like a straw to get water coming out. Then while water is coming out, move the big end in the tank up and down into the gravel to vacuum out any wastes. Only change a small amount of water at a time to start. Maybe 1/10th or 10%. Do this about once a week and add new clean water to the tank afterwards.

It's not good for the fish to be moved around, it stresses them out and it's not good to clean the tank entirely. As an added benefit, you can never break the tank in the process. Glass gets slippery and I've seen many people drop them hauling them out to be cleaned.

bobby · 02-02-2007, 07:04 PM

loman,
yes i just put water into a plastic bucket. the fish was out of the tank maybe for a hour. I wash the aquarium because it`s have many algea into the glass and the sand was dirty.Maybe next time i will change only 10% of the water. What i must to do with water before put it into a aquarium.I check t, pH and ammonia.