# help please !!! i think i poisoned my fish :(



## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

to make this as short as possible i recently upgraded my tank, today i transferred my fish to it they seemed a little stressed but not to bad color was back in them after about 20 mins. however i bought some seashells from a store this morning to put in my tank i soaked them in hot water for a wile to removed any dust ect. and then put them in my tank. well stupid move dont know what i was thinking but they were yellow color (not natural) im assuming some sort of paint. after a few hours i noticed all my fish were loosing color very fast  then i notice the color off the shells dissolving in the water ! i took the shells out right away skimmed the sand and did a 60% water change. some of my fish seem to be looking better some are still pale. theyre also acting very different swimming around very erratically and not eating. i plan to do another 20-30% water change for the next couple days but thats all i can think of to do to try and save my poor fish! wondering if anyone has any other suggestions for me?? i really hope my dumb move doesnt kill any of my fish


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## NeptunesNeighborhood (Apr 19, 2012)

Do more water changes or get them into another tank with fresh water (established tank)
It's possible if there was something harmful in the water it could be in your filter, substrate, decor, you need to clean everything. Unfortunately this will break the cycle of your tank.
Do the standard water tests and post the results, it's possible the pH took a huge drop/leap or the nitrogen cycle got thrown off by either the material producing ammonia or even killing the Beneficial Bacteria


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hard to say if it was the shells or that since the tank is newly set up that it wasn't fully cycled and the fish are now showing signs of ammonia/nitrite poisoning. 
The increased water changes are the way to go. You might also place an additional filter in the tank with fresh carbon, (filter cartridge) which may help to filter out anything the shells left behind. 
As the previous poster suggested you should test the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Also, you might look into a product called Dr. Tim's One and Only--it will instantly cycle your tank if that is indeed the problem here. Anytime a tank is newly set up-or re-set up-- and the fish start showing symptoms such as you describe it's a good possibility that there's a problem with the cycling.

Also: very important that you use a dechlorinator the detoxifies nitrite and removes ammonia. Seachem Prime will do the job and has a dosage specifically for nitrate/ammonia poisoning. Even if cycling is not the problem here, where you're doing so many partial water changes make sure you're using a good quality dechlorinator so you won't be further stressing your fish by exposing them to chlorine and chloramines.

Good luck. Stupid shells! 
Robin


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

they look quite a bit better than this morning !!! my old tank is still set up but not running so i will turn it on and get the temp up for them and transfer them into that for now. i have been using nutrafin cycle and nutrafin aqua plus (*** always used it and never had any problems so far) knock on wood lol but i will look at my lfs and see if i can find those conditioners and try everything you guys said ! i do have 2 filters on there already an aqueon 55 and aqua clear 50 i emptied the water out of them yesterday and rinsed the filters themselves and i rinsed the aqueon filter cartridge in tap water but i know the aqua clear cartridges i cant rinse under tap water and it would be pointless to rinse them in the tank water so ill just have to get some new ones and put them in there ..thanks so much guys !!! i hope i can save them !!! but like i said they do look alot better today and theyre not swimming around all crazy anymore thank god ! i actually have hope now that theyre gonna make it through !!


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

all the decor in my new tank is new as well, would it be good to take a couple out of my old tank and stick them in there? they havent been dried out there still sitting in the old tank water ..


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

The reason I suggested putting a new filter in there is 1:to have fresh carbon to filter out anything the shells left and, 2: so that any beneficial bacteria on the filter(s) you already have in there can do their job of keeping the tank cycled. Rinsing the established filter in tap water will kill the beneficial bacteria. So if you haven't already replaced the filter media: don't! And I'm sorry I didn't make that clearer.

How long has the old tank been sitting? Did you do anything with the new tank to cycle it? When you have an already running, fully cycled tank and you want to move your fish to a new tank all you need to do as far as cycling the new tank is move the filters from the old tank to the new tank. No rinsing, cleaning or replacing. It's one of the easiest sure fire ways of cycling a new tank. 
The only way to know for certain if your tank is cycled is to test the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. In a fully cycled tank the ammonia and nitrite will be 0 and the nitrate will be aprox 10ppm. If your nitrate reads O than more than likely the tank is NOT cycled. 
So if you don't already have a test kit, (and the test tube type are generally more reliable than the test strip kind), then it would be a good idea to get a kit. (Pet stores are not always the most reliable place to get your water tested). Since we don't know what's wrong with your fish, and the symptoms you described are typical of ammonia/nitrite poisoning, we really need to know where your tank is as far as cycling. There are other things that can cause these symptoms but we need to start with the water.

Please post back with more info

Robin


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

okay well i have new filters for the new tank because the filter off my old tank was too small to filter the new one however i dont see why i could stick my old filter on the new tank for a bit just incase.. but no ihavent replaced the filters yet so i wont do that, i actually live in a small town so the closest pet store is about 45 mins away and my hubby is at work with the vehicle so i have to get him to pick me up stuff on his way home from work..the only test kit i have in ph and my ph levels have remained at 8 since i set up the tank so i know that part is fine but i told him to grab me more test kits so i will find out what my levels are at when he gets home this evening.. the old tank has been sitting for maybe 24 hrs not even i just took the fish out yesterday.. and the only thing i did for cycling pretty much is used cycle stuff and tap water conditioner and let the tank run by itself for about 8 days so maybe its not fully cycled and not the shells or a mixture of both


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

the nutrafin cycle bottle says : biological aquarium supplement : immediately establishes safe biological environment owerful responsive ammonia and nitrite elimination:allows immediate into to fish , for new tanks you put different amounts for 3 days and then water cganges new fish ect. 
and the nutrafin aqua plus says:tap water conditioner :makes tap water safe removes chlorine and chloramine : neutralizes heavy metals:coats to protect scales and fins:visibly reduces stress from transportation

this is the 3rd time *** set up a tank with these products and untill now *** never had a problem its always seemed to do what the bottles say but i always had a small tank 25-30 g and now i just set up a 55g so i guess it could take a lot longer to cycle with more water ...


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

sorry for all my typing mistakes lol i meant i dont see why i couldn't stick the old filter on untill i know my tank is for sure established ... although theres not much room to do that would it be safe to just take the filter media out of the old filter and put it in the new filter ? the new filter has 2 cartridges side my side and are the same size and my old filters so i was thinking take one of the new cartridges out and replace it with the old one ..


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

sorry for the billion posts lol im just terrified of loosing my poor fish they sell for around 30$ per single fish here in British Columbia not to mention its took me a wile to find all the ones i have but i was also thinking would it be a good idea when i do another water change tonight (have to wait till my 14 month old goes to sleep, impossible to keep him out of my way lol) to use old tank water instead of replacing it with tap water ? i just went and turned the heater on in the tank to warm the water up if that seems like a good idea ...


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

okay so my 
nitrite -.03 
nitrate - 5
ammonia .06 
and ph - 8 
according to the books it came with these are low enough that its nor extremely harmful, for the ammonia it says to continue using nutrafin cycle on its regular schedule for the rest it says numbers above those do immediate 20% water changes .. so im thinking i will just continue to do water changes for a few days and keep testing my water and hope my fish get better... i also put my old filter media in the new filter so help with establishment so i dont know if thats helping because i couldnt check my level before but i have a feeling my levels may have been higher before putting the old filter in


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

You really want your ammonia and nitrite to be 0. I would continue to test the water daily and you should see those two numbers drop down to 0. If they go up, then we'll need to take action. The nitrate should level out between 5 and 20ppm. 
Since the fish seem to have improved somewhat, and you've removed the shells, I would continue on in the new tank, with the old filter media which is a really good idea and should help to cycle the tank. The nutrafin product, which I'm not familiar with, if it does what it says it does, then that's added assurance that your water quality will be continue to improve. And yes, keep doing the partial water changes as you've said you plan to do. :thumb:
Watch your fish closely. You want to see all of them eating at every feeding. And they should be actively swimming at all levels of the tank--not hanging at the top or hovering at the bottom. And speaking of eating: make sure you're not overfeeding especially during this critical time where you're trying to get your water quality up and there's 'something' going on with the fish's health. One small feeding a day is plenty--and small is only as much food as they can consume in less than a minute. Even when the tank is running smoothly this is the proper amount to feed them.

Okay? And good for you that you found/made time for your fish with a busy little 14 month old running around! I remember that age--pretty much impossible to get anything done! (My '14 month old' is my avatar so you see the moving only gets worse!)

By the way, what kind of fish do you have and what size tank?

Robin


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

haha yes he is definitely alot of work ! and when ppl say they grow fast enjoy every moment you can they mean it ! lol but im a stay at home mom right now so id imagine if i was working i would find it much harder to maintain ! but in kamloops nutrafin is all the pet stores main product they do have a few others they carry but whenever i go in and ask for something they always give me nutrafin and tell me its the best most reliable product they carry. this fish are looking better everyday ! they ate yesterday and this morning so thats good ! i have a pair of convicts that are acting like theyre about to breed so id imagine that would be a really good sign ! my levels are a bit better today other than the ammonia :| nitrate-10 , nitrite- 0.1 , ammonia- 0.6 and ph still - 8 so getting better and i have - 
electric yellow ( Labidochromis caeruleus) - 5 (4 are just babies still) 
ruby red peacock (Aulonocara rubescens) - 1
giraffe (Nimbochromis venustus)- 1 
blue dolphin (Cyrtocara moorii) - 1 
blue johanni (Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos Maingano) - 1 
jewels (Hemichromis bimaculatus) - 2 
red spot severum (Heros severus) -2
pink convicts - 4 
pleco - 1 
and a 55 gallon tank , i have plans of getting rid of the convicts they try and breed to much i know a few ppl in my town that have them and said they will be happy to take them if i dont want them anymore and im gonna get the blue dolphin a couple buddies since they are so calm and peaceful and id like to get the rub red a friend maybe 2 but theyre few and far in between here so we'll see, but surprisingly for such a mixed tank they all get along very well sometimes the convicts get aggressive when they're breeding and my Nimbochromis venustus can be a bit of a bully but he's never done any damage just chase them away from his cave..i've read jewels are extremely aggressive but the 2 that i have (other than the Cyrtocara moorii) are the calmest and least aggressive in my tank kinda weird lol


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

so the fish are all looking much better back to theyre normal colors eating well (would eat a whole bottle of food if i let them lol) but now *** noticed almost all of them flashing :s no winning with this new tank ! but my ammonia is still around .6 would that be whats causing the flashing? should i keep doing water changes everyday, or should i go get some stabilizer ?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yes toxins in the water like ammonia will cause flashing. I would not add chemicals to the tank (unless you mean live bottled bacteria, like Dr. Tim's One and Only, etc.). Keep up the water changes.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Agree with DJ. 
And if your tank is cycling then you may see your nitrite rise as the ammonia lowers which will also irritate them. The water changes, (using the dechlorinator each time) will also help with that and you may want to also add a small of amount of salt, (sodium chloride) as this will help to detoxify the nitrite. A couple of teaspoons per ten gallons is all you need. Dissolve it first and add it gradually.

I somehow missed your fish list in your sig, (if I'm in a rush I do tend to skim read a bit)--but as the fish mature you may have trouble with more serious aggression--especially in that size tank. Just something to be aware of.

Robin


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

okay good to know thank you so much guys !!!


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

oh i just noticed your post robin but yes i do know when they get to be mature adults i will have to get rid of some or upgrade my tank again.. i would love to have a bigger tank right now but i just dont have the room to accommodate it we live in a town house so hopefully by next year we will have purchased a home and then i can get a bigger one !! although one of my really good friends has a 55 gallon with convicts and it was extremely over stocked ! she started with 4 and they just kept breeding haha but i guess it makes a difference because they are all the same breed she doesnt have any problems with them though, she just leaves the fry right in the tank if a couple survive then shes got a couple more lol a majority of them do get ate though lol


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hope the fish continue to improve
Robin


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Robin said:


> I somehow missed your fish list in your sig, (if I'm in a rush I do tend to skim read a bit)--but as the fish mature you may have trouble with more serious aggression--especially in that size tank.


 

Yes a year in a 55G is going to be a challenge with that mix, best of luck. :thumb:


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

well they look back to themselves now thank god ! although everytime i go near the tank they rish to the top for food i feel bad  i havent fed them since yesterday, i read when your levels are high not to feed them so ill wait and feed them again tomorrow and hope that helps lower my levels faster. i feel bad making them skip a day of meals though poor guys but im gonna continue with daily water changes until they are down to zero !


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## NeptunesNeighborhood (Apr 19, 2012)

Don't worry about missing a meal, I know a lot of packages say feed 3 times daily, but honestly with cichlids they can go more than a week without eating no problem.


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

My tank is always at the top freaking out when I walk by. They're like the Labrador Retrievers of the fish world ... they think they are ALWAYS STARVING because OMG NO ONE EVER FEEDS ME EVER AND I'M GOING TO DIE.  Don't let them fool you. They'll be fine!


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

hahaha kinda like my son when i leave the room for 2 mins he acts like hes dieing haha thanks so much for all your help guys !!!!! ill keep posting with my progress


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## teri-ann (Jul 3, 2012)

so i thought everything was going good than a couple days ago my nitrites and nitrates shot through the roof ! today they are really good though nitrite and ammonia at 0 and nitrate at 5 however one of my fish arent doing so well  i dont know what to do does anyone have any suggestions .. my red spot severum is laying on the bottom of the tank she will slowly swim up when i feed them and then right back down again. nothing looks wrong other than that obviously but no marks color is good fins are good body looks good but she has no strength at all  all the other fish are normal and look good is there anything i can do to help her ? did she get bad nitrite or ammonia poisoning and it took a toll on her? i really hope she can pull through ill be so sad if i hurt her like that.


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