Ordog

I used some metheline blue a few weeks ago, then did a full water change to get it all out. Now its full again (its still slightly blue) i put some tap water safe in and some stress zyme (it improves development of the biological filter) I then put my fish back in. The next day i went out and bought 4 new fish because i only had 2. They have been in there all yesterday and today but they arnt the same.

One stays behind the filter, one just sits at the bottom and every 5-10mins goes to the top for air (hes also very pale). and all the others are just in hiding. Also one died today.

I checked the temperature, ph, NO2 levels and they are all fine although the NH3 and NH4 test didnt detect anything

The only thing i can think could be wrong is the water is a light blue because it has some methylene blue left in it. Can anyone help me please.!!!

nicole

How much Methblue did you add to your tank? and did you do the full water change all at once,because it's best to do partial water changes ,

cam

Methylene Blue is non-toxic...so i really don't know what happened..but if you removed all of it and are now using stresszyme that should improve it but maybe not right away. Stresszyme is supposed to help with the biological filter. If this is a newly set-up tank and your fish continue to die then just wait before adding any more fish so it can completly go through the cycling process then add new fish...

Ordog

I cant remember exactly how much metheline blue i put in but i followed the guidelines on the bottle. Yeah i did a full water change which i now know is wrong. Could that be why there dying then? is it nothing to do with the fact that theres no NH3 or NH4 in the water.?

Jim

having no NH3 or NH4 is a good thing. All i can think of is chlorine from the tap water... did you remember to treat the tap water first?

nicole

I had my fish once do the same because of a sudden shift in the ph levels, have you checked yours?

COBettaCouple

what fish do you have? how big is your tank? what are you using to test the water? i'd recommend the API master freshwater kit if you're using strips (they're too inaccurate).

if there is still methylene blue in the water, none of your test results can be trusted. you need fresh activated carbon in your filter to remove the remaining methylene blue. It could take a day or so.

The way those fish are acting leaves me thinking the possible problem is ammonia or nitrite poisoning. do they have red or purple around the gills? what is the current water temp? and how much aeration do they have from air stones/curtains?

If you can get some Prime, I'd recommend treating the tank with it for the amount of water in your tank. Then use it from now on to treat tap water. Do a 50% water change when you've got the new AC in and the tank treated with Prime, then 25% each day for a week.

susitna-flower

Ordog

i have 2 marble angel fish (they both dead now), a gourmi fish, 2 upside down cat fish, and a leopard skinned type of fish that eats off the bottom and sticks to the side of the glass.

To test my water im using nutrafin test kits (3 in total) it has a test tube and i add a few drops of a soulution, shake, and match it to a colour chart.

My water is still slightly blue and my ornaments are stained too, its not cleared up yet.

A fish a few weeks back had red gills and turned really pale so i think it coould be ammonia or nitrite poisoning, i will go and get some "Prime" later today.

Thankyou so much people for you help so far, im really concerned for my fish.

armadillo

Hi Ordog. If it is nitrite/nitrate/ammonia poisoning, then getting Prime is a great idea. My tank started spiking in nitrites like mad (to from 0.5 to 5 every day for 3 days!) and all my fish made it. I treated the water with Prime. Now I will only use Prime just to safeguard myself against any more nasty surprises like that. During these times, I tested 2x per day and did partial water changes 2x per day, just to get over the hurdle.

Perhaps adding the 4 new fish at once would have been what's caused a spike in nitrites/ates/ammnonia? Strange that it's not detected in your kit, though.

About the methylene. Never used it, but I know that you are supposed to undermedicate if your pH is > 7, as fish becomes extremely more sensitive to the same substance quantities the higher the pH. As you say you've followed exactly the amount on the bottle, could that be it?

I hope your fish get better, and if it's a nitrites/ates/ammonia problem, there's every chance they will with Prime (in my experience). Good luck.

Ordog

Ive been really busy today and didnt get time to get some of that treatment stuff, although i managed to install an undergravel filter which should help alot more. I just done some tests on the toxin levels and my...

PH level is: 8.2
Nitrate levels is : 0 or so small its not detected
Ammonia levels are: 2.4

If im reading correctly my PH level is to high thus making my ammonia levels toxic to the fish. Am i right and what is the way forward now please ??

sgould

That ammonia level is definately a problem. Two suggestions come immediately to mind. First, big water change(s). Do a 50%...give it a day, then do another. Then re-test. Secand, and it sounds like you may be on this already, is to get the water treated with something like Prime. Do you have a nitrite reading?

COBettaCouple

It sounds like you're doing your best for them and the Prime is very important with ammonia levels that high.. the meth. blue might be altering it though so hopefully the activated carbon will clear out the rest of it pretty soon, but the red gills on that fish would pretty much confirm ammonia poisoning in the tank. keep up with the recommended plan, adding the prime as soon as you can, and hopefully the rest of the fish will make it.

armadillo

Hi Ordog. I sounds like your tank has not cycled at all. Could you check your nitrites too when you get a chance?

Indeed, those ammonia levels are sky high, but my fish did survive such high levels with Prime so hopefuly, you'll have the same luck. When taht happened, I did 1 huge (75%) water change (basically, I kept changing the water and measuring. If ammonia or nitrite was > 0.5, I would do another water change). I had to do the measure/change thing 2x a day for a while and they made it. If in the evening when you measure the ammonia and nitites are OK, then don't worry about the 2nd water change every day. If they're really high, then I would do it.

That pH is pretty high which, in itself does not have to be an issue but as your ammonia levels are already very high, it will make it even more toxic. But at these sort of levels, you'd be in trouble with any pH. Ammonia and nitrites are toxic anyway, as can medication be if it stays in the water too long or in certain quantities, and a high pH increases the problem as it makes the same quantities even more potent.

Ordog

I dont have an activated carbon filter in anymore because i replaced it with an undergravel one.

I also dont have a test for nitrates, my kits test for NO2 which is nitrate, NH3 and NH4 which is ammonia and PH.

Im going to go and get some prime later today, should i do a 50% water change before i add it? or should i only do a water change if i dont get any prime?

COBettaCouple

your UGF doesn't have an AC compartment of some kind? unfortunately, without using AC, it's going to take a lot of water changing to really remove the meth blue from the water.

for now, you'll probably have to view the test results as being not too reliable and go with daily 50% water changes until you can't see any blue left.

Go ahead and treat your tank with Prime now and then treat all the water that you add in each day. This should help keep the fish safer from toxins as you work to lower the toxins with water changes.

Ordog

Ive been to the petshop today and they dont have any prime left. What is it that it does so i can find something similar? I got something to lower my ammonia levels today is that ok?

COBettaCouple

Amquel+ is a good product for ammonia help.