QT tank or murder box?? Help!!

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The tank is 20l, is that 20 gallon long, or 20 litres (5 gallons)?

Hopefully you're not trying to QT 2 angels in a 5 gallon tank

(sorry if its a dumb question)

 

[alabella1]

The tank is 20l, is that 20 gallon long, or 20 litres (5 gallons)?

Hopefully you're not trying to QT 2 angels in a 5 gallon tank

(sorry if its a dumb question)

20 long

 

[JGT]

You say all of the fish are dying with their mouths open. Isnt’ that a typical symptom of Uronema? As you are using DT water, could you have Uronema in the tank which is being tolerated by the existing fish as they are not stressed, but the newcomers are succumbing to it since they are stressed. Just a thought.

 

[alabella1]

You say all of the fish are dying with their mouths open. Isnt’ that a typical symptom of Uronema? As you are using DT water, could you have Uronema in the tank which is being tolerated by the existing fish as they are not stressed, but the newcomers are succumbing to it since they are stressed. Just a thought.

It happened with both DT water and clean rodi saltwater. It just seems like they have suffocated or something with the heavy breathing and the dying mouth open.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It happened with both DT water and clean rodi saltwater. It just seems like they have suffocated or something with the heavy breathing and the dying mouth open.

Uronema does cause fish to die with their mouths fixed open, but so can low dissolved oxygen or other gill issues.
Jay

 

[alabella1]

.

 

[alabella1]

Uronema does cause fish to die with their mouths fixed open, but so can low dissolved oxygen or other gill issues.
Jay

Is there a way to measure and/or monitor the dissolved oxygen to see if that is the issue here?

 

[Cthulukelele]

I think this could be a variety of things. QT environments are naturally very stressful for fish. If they're already struggling they can have issues. Big, free-swimming fish like those angels are going to burn through oxygen so running a powerhead just pointed at the surface might be sufficient. Also even if you're ammonia is reading 0 after the fish die, the ammonia could have spiked with 2 large fish pooping in a 20 gallon tank.

My guess would either be diseased weakened fish from vendors, dissolved oxygen, or ammonia, and it'd be hard to tell you which one without being in the room.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Is there a way to measure and/or monitor the dissolved oxygen to see if that is the issue here?

The easiest option is just to point a powerhead right at the surface of the water. At that point the gas exchange makes it unlikely that's the issue regardless.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Is there a way to measure and/or monitor the dissolved oxygen to see if that is the issue here?

Not without an expensive meter. What I do is just ensure the tank has good aeration - something breaking the water’s surface, not just circulating it.
Jay

 

[alabella1]

The easiest option is just to point a powerhead right at the surface of the water. At that point the gas exchange makes it unlikely that's the issue regardless.

That's what I got. Both a powerhead at the surface and the HOB filter. I have a large airstone in there I can fire up at any time as well.

Not without an expensive meter. What I do is just ensure the tank has good aeration - something breaking the water’s surface, not just circulating it.
Jay

That's what I am doing. Just not sure how to tell if it's too little or too much.

 

[Cthulukelele]

That's what I got. Both a powerhead at the surface and the HOB filter. I have a large airstone in there I can fire up at any time as well.


That's what I am doing. Just not sure how to tell if it's too little or too much.

There is really no such thing as too much unless the water is spilling out of the tank.

 

[Cthulukelele]

If you're doing that already though I think it's unlikely that is the issue. More likely the ammonia spike or weakened fish in a stressful environment.

For catching an immediate ammonia spike I always put one of these in every qt tank I set up

Seachem Ammonia Alert 1 Year Monitor (3 Pack) https://a.co/d/5mwOzyJ

Very handy

 

[alabella1]

If you're doing that already though I think it's unlikely that is the issue. More likely the ammonia spike or weakened fish in a stressful environment.

For catching an immediate ammonia spike I always put one of these in every qt tank I set up

Seachem Ammonia Alert 1 Year Monitor (3 Pack) https://a.co/d/5mwOzyJ

Very handy

I do have one and I always watch it

 

[Cthulukelele]

I do have one and I always watch it

This all leads me to think option A then

 

[MnFish1]

Sorry about your fish. In thinking about it - if there were some toxin, or something like that - it would seem to me that both fish would have shown symptoms at the same time - i.e. the male wouldn't die - with the female acting normal, etcing, etc. - at least that seems odd to me. Did your water have any medications in it? if so, you might have mis-dosed them?

Did you measure ammonia after the male died? After the female died? The badges (for me have been accurate) - but others have had problems with them?

The nearly immediate death of the male to me suggests a problem with delivery, etc - Did you get these fish from an LFS - or were they shipped to you?

 

[alabella1]

Sorry about your fish. In thinking about it - if there were some toxin, or something like that - it would seem to me that both fish would have shown symptoms at the same time - i.e. the male wouldn't die - with the female acting normal, etcing, etc. - at least that seems odd to me. Did your water have any medications in it? if so, you might have mis-dosed them?

Did you measure ammonia after the male died? After the female died? The badges (for me have been accurate) - but others have had problems with them?

The nearly immediate death of the male to me suggests a problem with delivery, etc - Did you get these fish from an LFS - or were they shipped to you?

I went to the LFS and picked them up. Floated them for 30-45 and then moved them right into the tank since salinities matched. I did test the water right after the male died and the ammonia was still not an issue. I did not even get to begin medication. This was during the first 2 days of observation. LFS says fish were healthy for over 3 weeks on their end before I picked them up.

 

[alabella1]

There is really no such thing as too much unless the water is spilling out of the tank.

So you're saying go ahead and run the airstone full blast in addition to the HOB and the powerhead?? I've heard many say don't do airstone unless you are doing something like prazi which is eating up the oxygen.

I cleaned the tank in the sink with just water. Scrubbed it, dried with with paper towels. Painted the bottom. I didn't add water for days, made sure I fully cycled it as well.

The only other thing I can think of is the top of the tank which is one of those aqueon hoods - plastic back with cutouts, glass in middle for light fixture to sit on and flip up plastic front cover. Could the issue be this type of cover? Should I be going with an open top mesh?

 

[Cthulukelele]

So you're saying go ahead and run the airstone full blast in addition to the HOB and the powerhead?? I've heard many say don't do airstone unless you are doing something like prazi which is eating up the oxygen.

I cleaned the tank in the sink with just water. Scrubbed it, dried with with paper towels. Painted the bottom. I didn't add water for days, made sure I fully cycled it as well.

The only other thing I can think of is the top of the tank which is one of those aqueon hoods - plastic back with cutouts, glass in middle for light fixture to sit on and flip up plastic front cover. Could the issue be this type of cover? Should I be going with an open top mesh?

You don't necessarily need it, but it likely won't do harm. The hood could pretty heavily impact gas exchange. Check out the brs video on diy mesh lids

 

[alabella1]

You don't necessarily need it, but it likely won't do harm. The hood could pretty heavily impact gas exchange. Check out the brs video on diy mesh lids

I'll try going the mesh route. I can say though... Fish have made it through a full QT protocol in this tank on multiple occasions. In May when I got hit with velvet I had about 5 fish make it through. In September when ich struck I had probably 12 fish go through it with no issues.