StephG

Wow you guys are amazing! I only wish I had done this sooner. This is such great info. I didn’t know about old tank syndrome but it sounds a lot like my situation. The filter I use is just a basic filter from the local petco with the charcoal and the cotton filter I pour it in, then I rinse and slide into the holder. I’m going to get some spring water today, bring my water to get tested and look for the acid buffer phosphoric stuff as well. You guys have given me so much insight I can’t thank you enough!! 🙏🏼

Before all of this ph was nice and stable around 7.5. I only had one fish in a 20 gallon tank for many months, maybe that’s why it stayed good? I only did small water change once a month. We are experiencing a severe drought at the moment so I’m sure that could have changed the well water somehow. I bought an ammonia alert thingy and it’s registering safe so it doesn’t appear to be an ammonia issue but I know what you mean. Weird right that I have no nitrates or nitrites?

Ok will do! Thanks so much for both of your input on this. Super frustrating and sad to lose my big fish and the little black moor was so young. Everything was fine just a few weeks ago. Ph was always on the money around 7.5. Introducing the new fish lead to this cascade of chaos. Hopefully I can save this last guy 🤞🏼

We are on a well and have a water softener. I bypassed the softener and tested it straight from the well and it looks a little better, ph still on the higher end but better GH. I may try to draw a few gallons from the bypass and let it sit awhile then change out some tank water to see if that helps. I’m worried my koi is gonna be next to go!

Big guy is now belly up 😞 koi is only one left. Now that I think of it maybe it’s the water softener? It’s never been an issue before but since I had to do so many water changes to treat the ick maybe that’s what through it all off??

Looks like Ph is high from tap close to 9 and kh also very high closer to the 360 end. I’m confused about how to fix these because it says when you add crushed coral it will raise ph but mine is already super high

I’ve had a goldfish for almost a decade with no issues for years and decided to add 2 new fish after my other black moor died a few months back. So I added two new goldfish about 3 weeks ago. Long story short the new black moor developed white spots so I treated for ich with aquarium salt and took filter cartridge out with daily 25% water changes using prime for a week. He died anyway and now then if guy has fin rot and are not eating with labored breathing. The koi is darting around nervously but appears okay just a little split in a fin. The other was white now looks more pink. I can see some veins that I don’t remember seeing before. Water is a bit cloudy. There is some funky looking tiny white algae ? with little hairs on the glass. I’ve put the filter back in, stopped the water changes, tried melafix, added stresszymes and I’m adding ph down because it’s a bit high between 8.2-9. Carbonate is also high in the 200’s, alkalinity is high also appears in the 200’s, no ammonia or nitrates or nitrites and GH is like zero because we have soft water. I don’t know what to throw at this anymore! These poor guys have symptoms of everything so I don’t know what to do next. I’m spending so much on this stuff trying to figure it out. Just ordered Tetra Lifeguard to try next. Please help!!