Guppies Dying In A Freshly Cycled Tank

[Kirahn]

We recently had an earthquake that cracked my 54 gallon corner tank. I was able to save almost all my fish and they lived in a cramped 20 gallon for a few weeks till I could get a replacement 54 gallon tank.

Last week I finally got the new tank setup. I used Tetra safe start, Seachem Stability and Prime.

When I moved my fish over the readings were
.5 ppm ammonia , 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate, pH about 7.4.
Along with the fish I moved a sponge filter from the 20. I dosed prime when I added the fish to help neutralize the ammonia.

The next day fish seemed fine. I tested and these were the readings. (I dosed prime again for the nitrites) 0 ammonia, .5 nitrite, 5-10 nitrate, 7.4 pH

On Saturday one of my guppies started acting off. Hanging out at the top of the tank in one corner and not eating. Readings on the tank were:
0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate.

On Sunday the one guppy was really struggling, I did a 50% water change but he died a few hours Later. Since then I've lost 4 more guppies and the last two are circling the drain. I also have 8 cardinal tetras, 6 Ruby tetras, 7 peppered Corys, a moonlight gourami, and a bristlenose pleco. The tetras are not schooling as much as normal and are hiding more but otherwise seem to be doing ok. The others are acting normally. But I'm at a loss, any help or advice you can give would help me tremendously.

 

[mattgirl]

Did you clean the new tank really well before setting it up? If not it is possible there was some kind of contaminate in it. If that is the case frequent water changes may have to be done to dilute it. Depending on what it is even water changes may not make it safe but my first action to take would be large water changes (50% or more) daily or at least every other day

 

[Kirahn]

I did a 7 day water test then emptied that water but I did not scrub it clean. I didn't even think it was something that I might need to do.

 

[wodesorel]

I once had a vet who worked at a major aquarium tell me that they always saw things crop up two weeks after anything major - new fish, plants, equipment failure, etc. Two weeks was the magic number. Since she said that nearly a decade ago I've been watching my own tanks and they have also followed that timeline almost to the day. Her advice at the time was lots of water changes whenever things got weird, flushing the system was always their first line of defense. It worked for me for unexplained neurologic symptoms.

 

[mattgirl]

I did a 7 day water test then emptied that water but I did not scrub it clean. I didn't even think it was something that I might need to do.

I don't know whether or not it is necessary but without knowing what the tank has come into contact with it is a good idea to clean a new tank really well before trusting it to not leach something into the water.

I really can't see anything you did that I wouldn't have done the same way you did had I been in your shoes so something leaching from the tank is the only thing that came to mind.

I would be doing water changes and lots of them.

 

[Kirahn]

Ok thanks. It's been tearing me up thinking I must have done something and I was killing my fish. But I couldn't figure out what could possibly have gone wrong.

Hopefully I can save some of the guppies otherwise I'm gonna have a hard time figuring out if it is safe to restock them. I'll start with a water change everyday for the next week and see where I sit. Maybe bring my water in to my LFS and see what they say. Just for a second opinion.

 

[mattgirl]

Hopefully I can save some of the guppies otherwise I'm gonna have a hard time figuring out if it is safe to restock them. I'll start with a water change everyday for the next week and see where I sit. Maybe bring my water in to my LFS and see what they say. Just for a second opinion.

I do hope the frequent water changes will save your little guys.

I just though about something else. Is it possible that the earthquake disrupted your water supply and instead of the tank being contaminated with something it is your source water instead. Is there any way to check that out? If it is your water source water changes won't help.

 

[Kirahn]

Unlikely, the water has been tested by the municipality and deemed safe. I did test it though and it comes back the same as before. Trace of nitrates, 7.4 pH and fairly hard (It is glacier water). On top of all that they lived in a 20 gallon for several weeks after using the same water for water changes and it didn't cause this issue.

 

[bgclarke]

Guppies need harder water. How's your GH?

 

[Kirahn]

Guppies need harder water. How's your GH?

I'll have to do another test but it comes out on the hard side on the test strips between 120 and 180. Been a while since I did it with the liquid test kit to get an exact result.

Would lower hardness stress the guppies out enough to kill them so fast?

 

[mattgirl]

Unlikely, the water has been tested by the municipality and deemed safe. I did test it though and it comes back the same as before. Trace of nitrates, 7.4 pH and fairly hard (It is glacier water). On top of all that they lived in a 20 gallon for several weeks after using the same water for water changes and it didn't cause this issue.

I agree. If it was the water you would have started losing them in the 20 so we are back to a possible contamination in the new tank. Hopefully water changes will help.

 

[Kirahn]

Well all my guppies died. I'm continuing to do water changes but all my other fish seem to be happy. Other than the tetras hiding more than usual. I'm also getting eggs on the glass, do those look like Corydora eggs? Or are they snail eggs? I have Nerites and one hitchhiker I've not yet identified but these eggs look different than the snail eggs I've seen in the past. Plus they were never on the glass.

 

[lizcateyes]

It does sound like a possible issue with the tank contaminated your guppies, since they were ok in the 20 gallon. I think having the water tested at your LFS might be a good idea, just to have a second reading.

The eggs do look more like corydoras eggs I’ve seen

 

[Kirahn]

Seems crazy to me to have guppies dying but Corys happy enough to be spawning. But that seems to be what is happening.

 

[H Farnsworth]

Is it ich? My guppies are always the first to die if ich hits my tank.

 

[Kirahn]

I've had ich before, and I didn't see any signs of it on the guppies.

 

[H Farnsworth]

And the tank is definitely cycled?

 

[Kirahn]

It is now, been 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrites since last Saturday. I've tested everyday.

But like I said above, it wasn't quite cycled when I put them in. Not till I got the sponge filter put in there. But I was dosing Prime to neutralize the small amounts of ammonia and Nitrites that were in there.

 

[Kirahn]

So all my guppies died but I kept doing water changes. For a week I had no losses of the rest of my stock, 5 Cardinal Tetras, 5 Ruby Tetras, 7 Corydoras, 1 Moonlight Gourami and 1 BN Pleco. I also have several nerite snails and a mystery snail. Other than the tetras hiding a lot, which I take for stress of low school numbers, everything else is acting normally. So I went out and got some more guppies. I did 30% water change right before and tested my water 0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia, 10-20 Nitrate. 7.2-7.4 PH and GH 120+. And over the past 4 days since, I have lost 5 with 3 left that do not look good.

How could the fish I have in there seem fine but guppies keep dying? I'm thinking I am going to need to tear down the aquarium and clean it. Anything I might be missing, something else I can try?

 

[Momgoose56]

If your other fish are fine, I'd leave the tank alone. Your parameters are fine. Two questions though-How old were the guppys and how long had you had them?