First of all, I am new to this and try my best.
About my tank:
- established a 30 gallon tank with three different types of live plants, total amount 16 plants.
- heater with constant temp of 78
- gravel
-water change one week 10%, the other week 20%, and so on.
-fluorescent light 14 hrs.
-AquaTech filter system
Water chemistry:
-Ammonia: 0, always zero
-Nitrate:20, always at 20
-Nitrit: 1, first time, always zero before
-Hardness: 75, always 75
-Alkalinity: 300, always 300
ph: 7 always stable, never a change
At every water change: water conditioner from TopFin
Plant food: Aequon as directed, two portions over a week periode, always after a water change
Aquarium Salt started on July 17, since read about it that it reduces stress on my type of fish. Amount used 5 tablespoons, didn't want to overdose.
Food:
-Tropical Flakes, TopFin, amount, per fish, not the fry three pieces size of my little fingernail in the morning and evening, fish eat everything, nothing is left on the bottom.
Tank history:
-Started the tank on July 1st, with live plants, no fish.
-4 Red Wag (one male and three female) added on 3rd July to cycle the tank as recommended by pet store.
-8 July 10% water change done.
-15 July carbon filter changed, the other filter not even touched, and 20% water change done.
-17July, as recommended by my pet store, 4 Cory Cats added, also one artificial piece of wood, to provide shelter and space to hide. At the same day first time Aquarium Salt added, recommended again by the pet store.
Fish behavior:
The four Red Wags, were always in a group, one gave birth after one week, one fry, still alive, always hiding in the plants, is getting bigger and already orange, I want to let the nature its way and didn't use any nets or breeding devices.
They were swimming in the entire tank. No sign of stress, came to the top at feeding times starting day three. The day the one female gave birth the all of the Platies were swimming in the tank like they were searching for the fry. The next two days, the male was chasing after one of the females at all times.
17July I added 4 Cory Cats (green) into the tank and also placed the fake wood, I had to rearrange some of the plants. Instantly all the Platies were swimming on the top, and looking at the Cory Cats while in the bag, after them getting adapted to the water temp, I drained the bag into another container and caught the Cories in a net, transferring them into the new tank. Immediately after I noticed a strange/different pattern in my Platies, they were all on top, next to the heater, which is almost never running. Two hours later I started feeding them with the same amount of food, not even more for the Cories. They didn't eat well and the new Cory Cats had a lot to eat. I turned the light of while introducing the new fish and didn't turn it on for the feeding.
Later that evening, everything seemed normal, the Platies were swimming in the middle region and also on the bottom and one looked like hiding behind the new fake wood. The new Cories became more active and explored the tank.
Morning, 18July, 0700, I noted that only three Red Wags were swimming on top, looked like one was still hiding, I didn't notice any movement at his fins, used a net to see what's going on and planned on putting him into a water container. My thought that the fish is dead are confirmed! The other three Platies are acting strange, the Cories - I don't know them - are swimming around searching for food and are exploring the tank. I feed them with the same amount, since I noticed that they dind't eat that well last evening, but the food was accepted very well. The entire morning all Platies are swimming on top, at around noon, the first two females are exploring the fish tank, then about two hours later, the male starts to hide himself in a little cave next to the fake wood and is there the entire time. All the Cory Cats are swimming in the entire tank, as well as the two females, I also saw the fry, still alive hiding in a life plant.
I have no idea what killed my fish. I know, that the Nitrite reading this morning was 1, Nitrate 20, Ammonia 0, Hardness 75, Alkalinity 300, ph 7. Think, that the tank is still in its cycle process.
The dead fish did look healty, eyes as always, no discoloration, no spots, fins looked normal. I couldn't see any abnormality.
Does anybody has a n idea what might have killed my fish? Was it stress from the new fish? The added salt? the new/rearranged environment?
Thanks for ideas and your input.
About my tank:
- established a 30 gallon tank with three different types of live plants, total amount 16 plants.
- heater with constant temp of 78
- gravel
-water change one week 10%, the other week 20%, and so on.
-fluorescent light 14 hrs.
-AquaTech filter system
Water chemistry:
-Ammonia: 0, always zero
-Nitrate:20, always at 20
-Nitrit: 1, first time, always zero before
-Hardness: 75, always 75
-Alkalinity: 300, always 300
ph: 7 always stable, never a change
At every water change: water conditioner from TopFin
Plant food: Aequon as directed, two portions over a week periode, always after a water change
Aquarium Salt started on July 17, since read about it that it reduces stress on my type of fish. Amount used 5 tablespoons, didn't want to overdose.
Food:
-Tropical Flakes, TopFin, amount, per fish, not the fry three pieces size of my little fingernail in the morning and evening, fish eat everything, nothing is left on the bottom.
Tank history:
-Started the tank on July 1st, with live plants, no fish.
-4 Red Wag (one male and three female) added on 3rd July to cycle the tank as recommended by pet store.
-8 July 10% water change done.
-15 July carbon filter changed, the other filter not even touched, and 20% water change done.
-17July, as recommended by my pet store, 4 Cory Cats added, also one artificial piece of wood, to provide shelter and space to hide. At the same day first time Aquarium Salt added, recommended again by the pet store.
Fish behavior:
The four Red Wags, were always in a group, one gave birth after one week, one fry, still alive, always hiding in the plants, is getting bigger and already orange, I want to let the nature its way and didn't use any nets or breeding devices.
They were swimming in the entire tank. No sign of stress, came to the top at feeding times starting day three. The day the one female gave birth the all of the Platies were swimming in the tank like they were searching for the fry. The next two days, the male was chasing after one of the females at all times.
17July I added 4 Cory Cats (green) into the tank and also placed the fake wood, I had to rearrange some of the plants. Instantly all the Platies were swimming on the top, and looking at the Cory Cats while in the bag, after them getting adapted to the water temp, I drained the bag into another container and caught the Cories in a net, transferring them into the new tank. Immediately after I noticed a strange/different pattern in my Platies, they were all on top, next to the heater, which is almost never running. Two hours later I started feeding them with the same amount of food, not even more for the Cories. They didn't eat well and the new Cory Cats had a lot to eat. I turned the light of while introducing the new fish and didn't turn it on for the feeding.
Later that evening, everything seemed normal, the Platies were swimming in the middle region and also on the bottom and one looked like hiding behind the new fake wood. The new Cories became more active and explored the tank.
Morning, 18July, 0700, I noted that only three Red Wags were swimming on top, looked like one was still hiding, I didn't notice any movement at his fins, used a net to see what's going on and planned on putting him into a water container. My thought that the fish is dead are confirmed! The other three Platies are acting strange, the Cories - I don't know them - are swimming around searching for food and are exploring the tank. I feed them with the same amount, since I noticed that they dind't eat that well last evening, but the food was accepted very well. The entire morning all Platies are swimming on top, at around noon, the first two females are exploring the fish tank, then about two hours later, the male starts to hide himself in a little cave next to the fake wood and is there the entire time. All the Cory Cats are swimming in the entire tank, as well as the two females, I also saw the fry, still alive hiding in a life plant.
I have no idea what killed my fish. I know, that the Nitrite reading this morning was 1, Nitrate 20, Ammonia 0, Hardness 75, Alkalinity 300, ph 7. Think, that the tank is still in its cycle process.
The dead fish did look healty, eyes as always, no discoloration, no spots, fins looked normal. I couldn't see any abnormality.
Does anybody has a n idea what might have killed my fish? Was it stress from the new fish? The added salt? the new/rearranged environment?
Thanks for ideas and your input.