I started my planted 55-gallon tank in March. After a long fish-in cycle with a few gold barbs, I added the rest of my stock: one electric blue acara, one bristlenose pleco, and six more gold barbs. Soon after, the barbs started dying. They turned reddish, flashed on objects, lost balance, and then died, while the acara and pleco stayed perfectly fine.
I later tried livebearers (the acara bullied them) and now have tiger barbs, but they’re showing the same symptoms as the gold barbs. Some have already died.
I’ve been keeping fish for years and never had this happen. The only big change is how I do water changes. I used to fill a bucket, treat it, then pour it in. Now I use a Python system that drains and refills directly from the sink. I add dechlorinator for the whole tank after I start refilling, which means some chlorinated water enters before it’s treated.
Could that brief exposure be killing off my beneficial bacteria? It would explain the ammonia-like symptoms even though my tests show the tank is cycled.
Water parameters:
pH 8.0–8.2
Ammonia ~0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate ~0 (likely due to plants)
What should I do?
Posted by dragon-elbow-coal
5 Comments
Couldn’t tell ya, I know I’ve definitely added water in my 10g before treating it and nothing has happened. I am curious to see what people say your issue is though
Could it simply be the brief chlorine exposure causing it?
Try dechlorinating your water before adding it into the tank and see if you get the same results.
Perhaps your water provider increased the chlorine concentration recently.
Why not add dechlorinator before you add water?
I’d like to add that I have a HOB filter rated for 100 gallons and a sponge filter with a 6″ diameter. I keep the water at 74-76°F.
How much water are you changing?