| African Cichlids overnight deaths after water change [message #10556] |
Mon, 29 June 2009 15:21 |
 marty6521 
Messages: 1
Registered: June 2009
Location: US |
Junior Member |
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I have a 75 gallon tank with 10 various hap african cichlids. I've been running the tank for almost 3 years now with no issues or deaths until this morning. I did a 50% water change last night around 8pm like I do everyweek. This morning 6 of 10 were lying on the bottom of the tank dead in a pile. Below is a listing of the 10:
1 - frontosa (still alive)
1 - limax "red chest" (still alive)
2 - red empress male and a female (still alive)
1 - venustus (dead)
1 - vc-10 (dead)
1 - blue ahli (dead)
2 - red empress (dead)
1 - rubyred peacock (dead)
My PH is at 8.4, GH is at 300ppm, KH is at 240ppm, nitrate is at 20ppm, nitrite is at 0ppm. the nitrate has always been between 0 and 20ppm. I am running a Rena XP3 canister filter which I alternate each cleaning by adding two nitrazorb pouches to keep the nitrate from going out of control. I also have an aquaclear 110 powerhead running for water movement. I use a python to do my water changes each week. I add a water conditioner to remove chlorine, etc each time as well. The water parameters have always been the same since the tank was set up.
I'm just clueless as to why I had the black plague over a one night period after successfully maintaining the aquarium for almost three years. A friend of mine suggested that there may have been excess iron or copper in the water that I added last night. I live in a town and have/buy the borough's water (no well water in other words).
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
PS: My girlfriend has the same set up in a 25 gallon tank with a pair of jewels and 2 mbuna. We moved the two red empress and red chest to her tank this morning upon discovering the deaths. They came around after 10-15 minutes and have recovered in her tank. I still have the frontosa in the tank since he seemed to be fine at the time. It's now 3pm and he appears to be swimming at the top of my tank. We are getting ready to move him over to her tank so he doesn't kick the bucket as well. I need to find out what to do so I can get them back into mine though since they will be way over crowded in her's.
Please help! Thank you.
[Updated on: Mon, 29 June 2009 17:54]
Marty
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