My tank is crashing...

[Whitecloud09]

Hi folks, today I have a sad topic for you all and I hope some of you can be of assistance. 

Let me lay out what is happening,

I have a 20g long, home to what was 6 panda corys, fast forward to now only 2 with one about to pass as I type 😭. The tank was pretty much cycled, I will link some topics about cycling it and also I will share some info about why I thought it was. 

But back to the topic, My tank is crashing fast, ammonia all the sudden is present and there is BGA BBA and GBA all over the tank, it is out of control, I have lost 4 panda corys in a span of 4 weeks or so, 2 in a span of 3 days. IDK HOW. It is a another mystery of why in the heck my tanks I own always have ammonia after the fact. I am so discouraged.

The aquarium has lots of live plants and driftwood.

Plants: Val, (lots and lots)  anubias hastifolia, Amazon sword, micro sword, water wisteria, water sprite, and something else that is slipping my mind I think....

8 pcs of spider wood. 

Two AC sponge filters on either side. Medium size, 20gs and up sponges. I have yet to clean one that I set up only a week or two back because the other was struggling to keep the aquarium clean on only one side. The tank has a nicrew full spectrum light. (yep not the best light, but the only thing in the budget at the time I bought it sadly. BGA is overwhelming the plants, in the water every where, sponges are struggling. The tank is falling to pieces. Please I need help.

Water parameters.

Ammonia: a lil more than 0...

Nitrite 0.

Ph is 7.5

Idk about nitrates at the moment. will check a little bit later.

I have done less maintenance recently bcs in the later months of the year, I am very very very busy. I was not home yesterday hardly at all. Work, errands, etc. My first cory died of i think was just stress from acclimation, and sometimes you know they just don't make the trip from the online seller, AH. Cannot say name but AH is it. I acclimated right too. Next one died from columnaris, a huge severe infection, and died quickly before I could treat.... after that the fish just died randomly. Not kidding. Just would swim upside down, sideways, etc. My one of two left is now doing this........

I am almost depressed, but hey this is how the hobby can be sometimes.

Links and pics of the tank.

Some of these are random, but all consist to the 20 long. If I forget info, please let me know, I got home at midnight, lol.

wow that took a while lol. TIA guys.

Should I transfer fish to my 10g tank, with 5 WCMMs, and no ammonia nitrite. Very established 72 degree tank? My 20g tanks temp is 75 btw. 

@Tony s, thoughts?

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 10:38 AM, Whitecloud09 said:

Should I transfer fish to my 10g tank, with 5 WCMMs, and no ammonia nitrite

Yes, absolutely you can. When I crashed my tank, every fish went into a different tank. Some way too small for them, some way overstocked. They only stayed there until I was able to stabilize them and the tank. But I crashed mine treating the whole 75g with meds.  You're corys had a disease. I'd be worried about that spreading to your wcmm's. Treatment of the disease may have killed your cycle. I don't really see anything wrong with what you have going on. Most algae is not toxic to fish, so that doesn't bother me. (excess bga can produce toxins) Your parameters were good until now. Maybe pull the corys out and instead of completely redoing the tank hit it with both forms of maracyn simultaneously. No fish. Get rid of whatever's in the tank.  then a thorough cleaning. Then you're going to have to do a soft restart of your bacteria. I only lost the nitrite to nitrate bacteria. and I added used sponges to cycle it quickly again. My mistake was doing both forms maracyn with fish in the tank. Which Fritz says you can do. But that was way too much stress on the fish. 

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 11:57 AM, Tony s said:

Yes, absolutely you can. When I crashed my tank, every fish went into a different tank. Some way too small for them, some way overstocked. They only stayed there until I was able to stabilize them and the tank. But I crashed mine treating the whole 75g with meds.  You're corys had a disease. I'd be worried about that spreading to your wcmm's. Treatment of the disease may have killed your cycle. I don't really see anything wrong with what you have going on. Most algae is not toxic to fish, so that doesn't bother me. (excess bga can produce toxins) Your parameters were good until now. Maybe pull the corys out and instead of completely redoing the tank hit it with both forms of maracyn simultaneously. No fish. Get rid of whatever's in the tank.  then a thorough cleaning. Then you're going to have to do a soft restart of your bacteria. I only lost the nitrite to nitrate bacteria. and I added used sponges to cycle it quickly again. My mistake was doing both forms maracyn with fish in the tank. Which Fritz says you can do. But that was way too much stress on the fish. 

Thanks. But where do I put the fish if I do not want them to be in my 10g? Put em in the empty five with one of the sponges from the 20g and no bottom, a few hides too? Is that safe? @Tony s

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 11:57 AM, Tony s said:

Get rid of whatever's in the tank

Let me rephrase that. Get rid of whatever bacteria is in the tank. Keep your tank intact. By no means did I mean throw out your hardscape and plants

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 12:35 PM, Tony s said:

Let me rephrase that. Get rid of whatever bacteria is in the tank. Keep your tank intact. By no means did I mean throw out your hardscape and plants

So clean everything?

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 12:34 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Put em in the empty five with one of the sponges from the 20g and no bottom, a few hides too? Is that safe?

For a few days to a week or more they'd be fine. We do what we can, with what we have. Just keep them warm and fed and happy for a bit

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 12:36 PM, Tony s said:

For a few days to a week or more they'd be fine. We do what we can, with what we have. Just keep them warm and fed and happy for a bit

K, idk if the sponge is small enough to fit though.... so what should I do?

[mynameisnobody]

Storage totes are cheap and can be friendly. 

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 12:38 PM, mynameisnobody said:

Storage totes are cheap and can be friendly. 

Yes. Need to buy one, I will try the 5g. Add the sponge filter if possible. and get right temp.

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 12:35 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

So clean everything?

Deep substrate cleaning. Lots of gravel vac.  just to remove excess organics. Plants and wood should be fine. Maybe just an in-tank scrub with a toothbrush before water change. I think one of the problems we have is we look at parameters. You can build up a ton of organics that don't register on parameters. But they can cause fish health problems. So, we go back to regular clean water changes.

If it makes you feel better, you can use hydrogen peroxide on any hardscape. But that would eliminate any beneficial bacteria as well. The goal here is to re-establish your tank safely and quickly. without completely dismantling it.

I believe that's what happened to mine. It eliminated any form of extraneous bacteria inhabiting the tank. With that kind of bacterial die off, the tank turned milky white with little to no oxygen left. 

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 12:50 PM, Tony s said:

Deep substrate cleaning. Lots of gravel vac.  just to remove excess organics. Plants and wood should be fine. Maybe just an in-tank scrub with a toothbrush before water change. I think one of the problems we have is we look at parameters. You can build up a ton of organics that don't register on parameters. But they can cause fish health problems. So, we go back to regular clean water changes.

If it makes you feel better, you can use hydrogen peroxide on any hardscape. But that would eliminate any beneficial bacteria as well. The goal here is to re-establish your tank safely and quickly. without completely dismantling it.

I believe that's what happened to mine. It eliminated any form of extraneous bacteria inhabiting the tank. With that kind of bacterial die off, the tank turned milky white with little to no oxygen left. 

Thank you. I just added some artificial plants and decor to the 5. Have not filled it yet. So add the sponge if it fits? If not, get the catridge from the 10g since the crushed coral has tons of BB so I can replace that? How do I acclimate it? Oh yes forgot, the one panda died, 😭. Down to 1.

acclimation, how should I do it? Please help @Tony s thx

i just cleaned tank out. The 5g

 

[mynameisnobody]

Be careful not to crash your other cycle trying to fix this one. 

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 1:00 PM, mynameisnobody said:

Be careful not to crash your other cycle trying to fix this one. 

True. I am out of ideas, ik i can put the one remaining in the 5g. But what is the benefit? I am so discouraged....

@Tony s, I am clueless......

Did the ich X do this? Why and how... i just do not know. 

 

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 12:57 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Oh yes forgot, the one panda died, 😭

Yeah, you got something in with your corys. They haven't been with you that long. For your 5g I'd do it as simply as possible. No need to overthink it. It's just a quarantine tank. Bare bottom is fine, minimal decor. Small sponge if you got it. a heater for sure. The goal here is less than a couple weeks. And don't disturb your wcmm's if at all possible. That tank is working. Don't touch 😁.

I'd do a water mix acclimation. take water from the 20 into a bowl. over 15-minute period, add water a cup at a time to the bowl. 15 minutes up, put him in the new tank. When mine were gasping for air, I didn't acclimate. They had to move. I had already lost a few juveniles by then. so, no choice

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 1:12 PM, Tony s said:

Yeah, you got something in with your corys. They haven't been with you that long. For your 5g I'd do it as simply as possible. No need to overthink it. It's just a quarantine tank. Bare bottom is fine, minimal decor. Small sponge if you got it. a heater for sure. The goal here is less than a couple weeks. And don't disturb your wcmm's if at all possible. That tank is working. Don't touch 😁.

I'd do a water mix acclimation. take water from the 20 into a bowl. over 15-minute period, add water a cup at a time to the bowl. 15 minutes up, put him in the new tank. When mine were gasping for air, I didn't acclimate. They had to move. I had already lost a few juveniles by then. so, no choice

OK. thank you!

so add water only once to tank? @Tony s

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 1:05 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Did the ich X do this? Why and how... i just do not know. 

I do not know either. I only ever had ich once. When i was very new. I believe I lost all of those because I didn't have a clue how to fix it. When I started, I basically learned everything the hard way. By myself. One of the reasons I like to help as much as possible. 

On 9/14/2024 at 1:14 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

so add water only once to tank

Clarify that a bit. That reads like something I would write 😄

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 1:15 PM, Tony s said:

I do not know either. I only ever had ich once. When i was very new. I believe I lost all of those because I didn't have a clue how to fix it. When I started, I basically learned everything the hard way. By myself. One of the reasons I like to help as much as possible. 

Yes and respond fast! Thanks for quick replies!!!

[Tony s]

@mynameisnobody What is your thoughts on the matter. what do you do under a crash situation.

On 9/14/2024 at 1:16 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Thanks for quick replies!!!

I'm working, waiting on machinery to finish. So, I'm at the computer at the moment

[Whitecloud09]

Gtg. I will be back in an hour or so to set up 5g. Thanks for quick replies

leaving to go somewhere

great timing lol

[Whitecloud09]

Ok. So first Q. I need to clean sponge filter but would that be a problem if I am planning on putting that in 5g? Random Q but looking at all possibilities and options, @Tony s.

So is this right for acclimation? 

1. net out cory and put him in bowl. Wait 15 mins and then add a cup of water from five gallon? Or add water then wait 15 mins and put in tank? Thanks!!

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 2:46 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

1. net out cory and put him in bowl. Wait 15 mins and then add a cup of water from five gallon? Or add water then wait 15 mins and put in tank

net out cory. put in a 1/2 bowl of tank water. Add a cup of new tank water every couple of minutes. so 15 minutes, add new water 3-4 times. then put him in new tank. basically a very fast drip acclimation.

[Whitecloud09]

And also should I add the heater from my 20g? I do not have one besides that tank since the WCMM tank is unheated. Does not matter if no heater in 20g?

On 9/14/2024 at 2:51 PM, Tony s said:

net out cory. put in a 1/2 bowl of tank water. Add a cup of new tank water every couple of minutes. so 15 minutes, add new water 3-4 times. then put him in new tank. basically a very fast drip acclimation.

Ok, so fifteen mins in between each cup of added water? SO sorry that I am a very specific and exact person LOL. That is just my personality.

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 2:51 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Does not matter if no heater in 20g?

I would add the heater to new tank, making sure it's fully submerged. With no fish, just plants, the 20g doesn't need one

[Whitecloud09]

On 9/14/2024 at 2:53 PM, Tony s said:

I would add the heater to new tank, making sure it's fully submerged. With no fish, just plants, the 20g doesn't need one

Thank you! Going to add water to tank now!

And heater filter etc.

@Tony s

[Tony s]

On 9/14/2024 at 2:51 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

SO sorry that I am a very specific and exact person LOL

Not a problem. and I find myself being a vague and ambiguous answerer a bunch. I read what I wrote, and then I have to go back and clarify things. because often it could say what I did not intend