Cardinals dropping like flies....

10 posts

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


zambize
 
Posts: 401
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm

Cardinals dropping like flies....

by zambize

I hoped to have a school of 9 or so Cardinals in my 37 gallon community tank, but but mine are dying. NOW someone tells me that my water parameters are not adequate. Wish I'd known that before I started killing a bunch of fish. Sigh....

I want a school of brightly colored fish for this tank and I want to be very, very, very careful this time. Please give me some ideas for an appropriate fish!

I have:
37 gallon, densely planted, heavily filtered, about 75 degrees
Need a small fish, maybe 1.5"-2"
Would like a bright or otherwise colorful fish

Water is changed weekly, about 30%, and switching over to R/O because of our city's high pH. My water parameters are consistently:
pH 8.0-8.2 (but trying to lower to 7.0-7.4 or so)
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5-10ppm

Tank residents:
3 Oto
3 Blue Platy
4 Angel Rams
1 Dwarf Gourami (will add 2 more)
And my dying Cardinals

Thanks for your time in solving my fish problem...

Zambize


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

I know of this big brown fish that will do crazy things to your water and make it safer...possibly. It doesn't move much so you have to be patient with it, cause it...well It never moves. It's a DRIFTWOOD fish. It moves so slow plants can grow on it...I mean how many fish can make that claim? Hmmm?


In seriosity I thought you got the cardinals awhile ago..strange that they'd be dying from PH problems now unless they were real hardy..If I ever get a finky tetra who doesn't like my params he's usually dead as a doornail within 12-48hrs. Of my original school of 6 rummynose tetra I have 7. One died and I went and got two cause I was afraid I might lose another...well. It's been some time now..


Sumthing_Fishy
 
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:47 am

by Sumthing_Fishy

I have 14 cardinal tetras and they survived with high ph of 7.8 or maybe a little higher for a few days until I went to the store and got some ph booster tablets called Correct pH tank buddies. It brought mine down to 7.2 and has been that for about 3 weeks now with no dead fish.


zambize
 
Posts: 401
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm

by zambize

T-83,

I like the driftwood fish, I have two of them! They are currently being boiled in my kitchen. However, they are deteriorating a little around the edges... LOL I may have had the Cardinals for a couple of weeks. The lfs said that they need to live past a month or two to really be a stable school. I don't know, this is my first experience.

I've avoided using any chemical to alter the pH because I understand that maintaining a consistent pH is more important than maintaining a specific pH. I learned on this forum that chemical additives can cause fluctations in the pH as the chemical is initially effective, then loses effectiveness.

Fishy - I don't know how you've kept your pH down. What's your secret? Mine would likely enjoy a drop (hopefully not too significant), and then zing right back up, killing a bunch of fish.

Zambize (I hate pH)


Sumthing_Fishy
 
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:47 am

by Sumthing_Fishy

I haven't tested my water since the beginner tank, and got test strips when I got the 125 set up a month ago. I change the water about twice a month, put the water conditioner treatment in there, and hope for the best. The pH was high when I first set it up after the first water change, but it ended up clearing up after one dose of pH Booster dissolving tablets. I haven't changed the water in about 2 weeks and tested the water yesterday and the pH is still normal, and everything else was normal, but the nitrate was a step up from normal, but due for a water change. I don't have any driftwood in the 125, but I do have some in the 30 gallon with normal pH. After each water change, I'll chunk in a few pH tabs until I get some driftwood for the 125 tank. So far, it has kept a normal pH and has lasted for a few weeks. It'll probably go up again after a water change, but will add some more tablets.

I've had these neons for about a year and had 2 to die on me from doing a tank strip down the first go around with the snails and didn't have adequate oxygen being supplied to them while they were all off in a bucket for about 30 minutes because I didn't have a spare tank. Everyone lived, but 1 platy, 2 neons, and a red tetra. They run out of oxygen.

It shouldn't zing right back up if you put in a tab after a water change. Probably put in less than they say to so that you can make sure you don't harm the fish. I didn't put the full dose in there because 8 tablets came in a pack, and they said 1 tablet per 10 gallons, and I would need about 12 and figured that was way too much to put in there and way too much money to spend on that!!! So, I chose the cheap route, I put 4 tablets in there and hoped for the best. It all worked out so I'll put 4 more after I test the pH after changing the water again.

I added a wooden treasure chest with some gold $1 coins (really brass). Do you reckon that would count for driftwood and lower the pH?


Zambize4899
 
Posts: 499
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:35 am

by Zambize4899

I just remembered that I did try pH Down very early on. I put in one dose and nothing happened. The directions said if nothing happens then try a second dose. I did, and still nothing happened. The directions didn't recommend continuing. We've got really bad water here, maybe the overall water quality of the tap is affecting the pH Down.

I've been boiling driftwood for a week to possibly add to this tank, but I don't know if it's enough wood to affect this size tank.

Z


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

well my driftwood buffers my tank from tap=8.4 and the water in my tank is 6.4 - 6.8
and it is not that big....
its worth a try though


Sumthing_Fishy
 
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:47 am

by Sumthing_Fishy

I have 2 chunks of driftwood about 4 inches long and 4 inches wide that corrects the pH in the 30 gallon. It was a solid long piece that I cut into 2 pieces. I didn't boil it, just soaked it for a few hours and kept rinsing it until the water was clear in the bucket it was sitting in. Thank tank's pH is fine now, and I don't have to use a pH remedy in it.


jorivesud
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:17 pm

by jorivesud

If you can't lower your pH, you could go with Harlequin Rasbora.
My parameters are a clone of yours, and have 5 Harlequin Rasboras, for 3 months now.
The have a nice very bright orange strip, and are very active (nice to watch them play in the current).


Zambize4899
 
Posts: 499
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:35 am

by Zambize4899

I put some driftwood in my tanks today...we'll see.

Thanks

Cardinals dropping like flies....

10 posts

Display posts from previous: Sort by: