Can't Keep Fish Alive

Ok. So I'm new to this forum but been a lurker for ages. I've been off and on in the aquarium world but more off as of late. Well, I got the bright idea to get back into it by getting my son a 10gal for his third birthday.

Fast-forward past tank setup (filter sized for a 20gal, adjustable heater set at 78, separate thermometer and air stone) and full cycle. After a few weeks of healthy fish I had brought a new fish home and hastily added them to the tank. Long story short the new fish had Ick and infected and killed the rest of the fish. Lesson learned and wishing I had a quarantine setup.

I water changed roughly 95% of the water after the deaths. I treat every bit of water I add with water conditioner. From there I turned up the heater as high as it would go (87ish) and left it for 2 weeks. Intermittently I dropped some small flakes in to keep the bacteria fed.

After the two weeks I tested the water and all was well with pH, nitrates, nitrites and ammonia. Went and added a couple tetras. Did the bag method where I floated the bag and slowly added tank water over the course of an hour. Well, those fish lasted about a week. There were no signs of cause. Water quality was perfect. I even went and had it tested at the fish store to make sure my testing wasn't flawed. After which I was becoming impatient and just jumped up to a 20gal.

Fast-forward after tank setup (moved established gravel from 10gal and kept 10gal filter) and waited a few days and tested water. Again, everything was good to go. Added 3 fish and within a couple hours they were all dead. Extremely aggravated I waterchangd roughly 50% and waited a few days again. Tested water and all was good. Added three fish and this time they made it to the next morning but died.

Can someone please help me figure out why I am struggling so hard to keep fish alive? I've done aquariums before and NEVER had this much trouble. My wife is over it and wants me to sell it all. I'm at the point of insanity but I WILL NOT give up till I conquer this mountain. HEEELLP!

 

The most likely thing would be that the fish you’re getting are unhealthy from the start. It could also have something to do with something in your tap water that you can’t test for.

 

I water changed roughly 95% of the water after the deaths. I treat every bit of water I add with . From there I turned up the heater as high as it would go (87ish) and left it for 2 weeks. Intermittently I dropped some small flakes in to keep the bacteria fed.

Generally, 2 weeks isn't sufficient to eradicate a sizeable portion of ich in your aquarium. It's typically recommended to let a tank lie fallow for 72 days in order to allow the life cycle of most ich species to progress and then die without a fish host.

What's the GH and KH of your water? The sudden death of fish leads me to think that your acclimation process mightn't be sufficiently long: if there's a large difference in GH/KH/TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) between your tank and your LFS, insufficient acclimation can result in shock to fish's osmoregulation process, inhibiting their ability to diffuse oxygen across gills.

You might achieve better results using an extended drip acclimation process.

 

The most likely thing would be that the fish you’re getting are unhealthy from the start. It could also have something to do with something in your tap water that you can’t test for.

Thank you so much for your reply. What type of (inexpensive) fish could/should I add that would be super tolerant and hearty to ensure I can go more than a few days without deaths? Goldfish?

Generally, 2 weeks isn't sufficient to eradicate a sizeable portion of ich in your aquarium. It's typically recommended to let a tank lie fallow for 72 days in order to allow the life cycle of most ich species to progress and then die without a fish host.

What's the GH and KH of your water? The sudden death of fish leads me to think that your acclimation process mightn't be sufficiently long: if there's a large difference in GH/KH/TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) between your tank and your LFS, insufficient acclimation can result in shock to fish's osmoregulation process, inhibiting their ability to diffuse oxygen across gills.

You might achieve better results using an extended drip acclimation process.

Thanks for your thoughts. I don't have a test kit for GH and KH. But what's odd is my water supply is from city water and I would like to assume that all the other customers of the pet store don't suffer like I do. I even asked the pet store about our water supply and they claimed it is fine as long as I add conditioner. What's odd is that the first batch of fish survived for almost a month before I ruined it with the Ick-infested fish. That leads me to believe I shouldn't have to worry too much about GH and KH, right?

 

Thank you so much for your reply. What type of (inexpensive) fish could/should I add that would be super tolerant and hearty to ensure I can go more than a few days without deaths? Goldfish?

Goldfish aren't suitable for a 20g. It's far too small for them. As for hardy fish, well, I find Bettas quite hardy. Most people would find a 20 g overkill for a betta, but the fish would love the space. I suppose you could then create a community tank around the betta, with the betta as a showcase. Just my opinion (also they're really pretty fish)

 

Zebra danios at 74 degrees. Fish I used for my first cycle.

Cherry barbs, also very hardy.

Livebearers are hardy if the stock is healthy.

Personally, I would rule out disease as the culprit since they are dying in 12-24 hours.

 

That leads me to believe I shouldn't have to worry too much about GH and KH, right?

It's hard to say: distance from water distribution facility, age and material of your plumbing, the substrate and plants within your aquarium. All of these factors can lead to highly different GH and KH from aquarium to aquarium even if there is a shared water source.

You're right in that it's unlikely, but it's one factor that's easily ruled out. You needn't even purchase a GH/KH test kit, just do a drip acclimation instead.