Quarantine Tank Killing Fish

[pulpfiction]

I have a problem with my quarantine tank killing fish. It's a 10 gallon that's been running for about 3 months and was seeded by my main tank. It has a heater and sponge filter. I lost two clowns overnight, that had been in the tank for 5 weeks, when the tank suddenly started cycling with high ammonia and nitrite.

Two weeks after it seemed to be done cycling, I dosed bottled bacteria to be safe and put two more clowns into the tank. One of them died in 48 hours from what looked like ammonia or nitrite poisoning despite more than one type of test kit reading none. Red inflamed gills right before death. I did a 25% water change the day before the death to remove excess poop and make sure ammonia stayed down.

I moved the other clown to the display tank right away and I seemed to have moved it in time. It's doing fine in the main tank. I don't trust the quarantine tank anymore. Something is seriously wrong with it and I don't know what.

Is Aqueon dechlorinator bad to use for water changes? Is there not enough filtration? Would two juvenile clowns overload a ten gallon? I don't leave excess food in the tank. Did all the bacteria die off?

 

[count krunk]

What do you have for filtration?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

A 10 gallon is the smallest QT that I suggest, and then for only a few small fish at a time.
What brand of ammonia test kit are you using?
The dechlor isn’t the issue. It is probable that the fish losses weren’t related.
Jay

 

[arking_mark]

Might I suggest TTM.

Current QT Protocol vs TTM Protocol

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[threebuoys]

Did you have any meds in the tank?

 

[pulpfiction]

Filtration: a sponge filter and a regular sponge that were pre-seeded.

Ammonia testers: API, Salifert, and alert badge

Meds: None

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Filtration: a sponge filter and a regular sponge that were pre-seeded.

Ammonia testers: API, Salifert, and alert badge

Meds: None

I would trust the Salifert test more than the api. I’ve had trouble with badges, but they work well for a lot of folks.
Jay

 

[pulpfiction]

I would trust the Salifert test more than the api. I’ve had trouble with badges, but they work well for a lot of folks.
Jay

I tested all 3 to be sure and I'm not seeing a spike this time. I 100% saw a weeks long high spike of ammonia despite water changes the first time my clowns died. The tank had been previously cycled before adding fish, and those clowns were in that tank for over a month before it started cycling a second time. The symptoms are the same this time despite 0 readings. Looking like an ammonia or nitrite burning.

 

[arking_mark]

I tested all 3 to be sure and I'm not seeing a spike this time. I 100% saw a weeks long high spike of ammonia despite water changes the first time my clowns died. The tank had been previously cycled before adding fish, and those clowns were in that tank for over a month before it started cycling a second time. The symptoms are the same this time despite 0 readings. Looking like an ammonia or nitrite burning.

Highly recommend TTM

 

[Sam816]

if u ever put ur hand in the QT while it had soap or some ointment on it (after maybe washing ur hands) then that would kill 99.9% bacterial population( sorry couldn't resist). it is also possible if u used some cleaning substance/liquid to clean ur QT or equipment it got stuck and killed the bacteria when u moved seeded rock/bio media to ur QT.
neutralise the chems/metals with prime and then do a water change to get them out as much as possible then add some more bio media from your DT. just my 2 cents.

 

[pulpfiction]

if u ever put ur hand in the QT while it had soap or some ointment on it (after maybe washing ur hands) then that would kill 99.9% bacterial population( sorry couldn't resist). it is also possible if u used some cleaning substance/liquid to clean ur QT or equipment it got stuck and killed the bacteria when u moved seeded rock/bio media to ur QT.
neutralise the chems/metals with prime and then do a water change to get them out as much as possible then add some more bio media from your DT. just my 2 cents.

I use gloves that have touched nothing but tank water. I haven't cleaned the quarantine tank equipment. Nothing was moved after the tank was first cycled. I could try adding more media. I think it's weird that dosing bottled bacteria daily still didn't help in a tank that should already be cycled.