Pretty Sure I Crashed My Tank, Fish Don’t Look Good

so I decided in my 55G to go ahead and RE home my 5 Giant Danios... the stock of fish was:
2 Angel Fish
5 Giant Danios
6 Albino Cory Cats



I didn’t realize how much of a pain catching danios are and how freaking fast they are... I literally had to put my two angelfish in a 2 gallon bucket with aquarium water and drain 90% of the aquarium just to net the danios!!!!!! So I did that then I filled the tank back up and added slightly extra on the prime then put the angelfish back in tank. Now that that is complete, the angelfish are literally just staying in one spot, one at the very top of the tank and one towards the middle of the tank.... the albino cats look ok but I really think the angelfish got so stressed that they are dying or something is going on. I turned the aquarium lights off to let things settle down but not sure what else to do? Is there anything else that I can do at this point or just hope and pray they survive?

 

I don't think they're dying but I think you did the right thing giving them a chance to settle.

 

From what I understand the beneficial bacteria typically inhabit the substrate and filter matrix more so than the water, however, with a 90% water change there is definitely a chance you knocked something out of wack. I'm guessing you didn't save much of the aquarium water when you drained it. A more experienced aquarist might have a recommendation based on first hand accounts but maybe you should test your params to see if anything looks funky as a start and post them for more accurate advice. (Apologies for my technical terminology i.e. wack and funky ).

 

No need to save your old water unless the maintenance had been neglected or certain parameters differed wildly between tap and tank for any other reason. The majority of the bacteria live in the filter so as long as that stayed moist they shouldn't have suffered. How much extra Prime did you add? Was the temperature of the new water about the same?

 

Temperature didn’t fluctuate more than .5 degrees and I added 1 1/2 caps of prime

 

I really wouldn't worry about it then. If the cories seem ok then the angels probably just got extra stressed from being moved to a bucket and they should settle back in soon.

 

I really wouldn't worry about it then. If the cories seem ok then the angels probably just got extra stressed from being moved to a bucket and they should settle back in soon.

So I was at the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game and just got home...... the one angelfish I'm not to concerned about, he is just hanging out at the bottom of the tank but is moving around a little, just really over stressed I feel...... the other angelfish I really think is not going to make it..... he is hanging out at the top of the tank and I stuck my finger in the water to feed them both just slightly and it didn't move at all, in fact it let me accidentally touch it...... and its not dead yet but I really think it is not going to make it...... what should I do? should I pull him out of the tank or let it ride to see what happenes? I don't want him to get sick then cause my other fish to catch it? Also, the Albino Cory Cats are still all looking pretty good......
I did do some water readings when I got home and they were as follows:
PH 7.8
Ammonia - between 0 and .25
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 20

Last question, once my tank settles down, I will have 6 Albino Cory Cats and either 1 Angel Fish or 2 is the one at the top of the tank makes it through......
What would you guys recommend that I add to the tank when that time comes? Maybe more angel fish? If so how many? I would really like to get some Gourami's..... I don't have to have a crazy number of fish, I would prefer some that get to a decent size, the 5 to 6 inch mark.....

 

I would separate it so you can treat. It sounds like it either got sick already from the stress or perhaps injured itself somehow while in the bucket.

 

You're a long way from replacement. I'd focus on getting these guys through.

The only way this could be the water change would be if you didn't do water changes on a regular basis for the weeks leading up to the drastic change. Then, a huge change in water chemistry could happen. It would have nothing to do with the cycle, but rather with mineral levels in the water, and degree of acidity. The first builds with top offs (minerals don't evaporate) and the second with wastes.

Otherwise, the bucket was behind it.

Next time, buy a large net. Use the usual small net to steer the danios into it.