Thinking of scratching and restarting.

[MiyuMikaelson]

I know, that sounds terrible. But I got my shipment of RCS's yesterday, and I was oh so excited drip-acclimating them for the tank. Which went fine. It all went horribly wrong when there was an issue and I had to do a 100% water change just an hour or two after they got put in. (An issue with my husband not knowing if he could put something that had been washed in the washer in the tank... He's not the Betta Keeper of the house. I've banned him from the aquarium.)

But I did the water change and reintroduced them to the tank. I looked this morning, and they are all in fact not living anymore. I had done a test yesterday before I put them in:
Nitrate: 0-15
Nitrite: 0-.5
Total Hardness: 10-20
Alkalinity: 100???
pH: 5.5-6.5

I don't know if it was for worse or for "betta" (Sorry for fish-stick in a serious thread.. Oooh I'm on fire. ) But Niklaus' shipment was postponed until the 21st, so I wont see him probably until the 23-24th.

Please let me know what I'm doing wrong, and how to fix it. I feel so terrible that they didn't make it. My tank:


Inside:
-Black gravel sand
-Treated rocks
-Java Moss on Junglevine
-Bacopa
-Wisteria
-Anacharis
-Marimo Moss
-Filter (covered for Shrimp, will probably now be uncovered)
-Heater
-Betta Hammock

[shellieca]

I'd be concerned with the nitrIte being .5? Did you test for ammonia? Your Ph seems too low & that can cause problems with keeping a tank properly cycled or completing a new cycle. Have you tested your tap water straight from the tap & then after its sat out (stirring occasionally) for 24 hrs? Based on your post it appears you have had an empty tank, so have you been doing a fish LESS cycle by adding ammonia? What exactly did your husband add to the tank that he shouldn't have?

[MiyuMikaelson]

Originally Posted by shellieca

I'd be concerned with the nitrIte being .5? Did you test for ammonia? Your Ph seems too low & that can cause problems with keeping a tank properly cycled or completing a new cycle. Have you tested your tap water straight from the tap & then after its sat out (stirring occasionally) for 24 hrs? Based on your post it appears you have had an empty tank, so have you been doing a fish LESS cycle by adding ammonia? What exactly did your husband add to the tank that he shouldn't have?

I'm so sorry, I forgot the Ammonia. It's /always/ been sitting between 0-1. I did initially test my tap, and it seemed alright. But my complex recently let us all know that they've been going through water changes/differences in my area lately so maybe that's playing in? Yes, it's been cycling for a while now, fishless. Fish food serving as an ammonia builder. (Although not doing well apparently?) I had asked him to help me with a very small water change, and he pulled a glass out of the cabinet and started to use that to pull water out. I didn't even realize it, and when I panicked.

[shellieca]

Ahhh, personally I wouldn't worry about that, I use washed glasses all of the time & have had no problems, especially if its been sitting in the cabinet. I'm suspecting your shrimp were sensitive to your nitrites & possible ammonia level. I wouldn't add anything until those are under control. I'd also retest your tap to see where its at at the moment. In order to properly Fish LESS cycle your tank your ammonia level should be kept at 4, Ph should be upper 6's or higher, temp 80F or so. Knowing your taps Ph will to determine if you need to do anything to keep the Ph at an acceptable level or if you need to add some crushed coral or something to bring it up.

[waterdog]

Sounds to me like shock. A 100% water change an hour after introduction will do that sometimes. I'm sure there was a little more to the story, but from what I read you acclimated them to one water condition, them immediately changed those conditions.
Hindsight is always easy. I'm sorry this happened to you. You obviously are very caring. I think what happened here was a little over-reaction to hubby simply dipping out water with a glass.
Now your tank is trying to cycle again.
Also, check that ph. 5.5 is WAY too low. If it's dipping that much you may need a stabilizer.

[MiyuMikaelson]

I've gotten a glass out and I'll do the 24 hour test. I thought that the Nitrate/Ammonia levels would be held under control, by my 25% water changes and all the plants living in my tank.

I feel very silly that I overreacted the way I did. I heard soap can be toxic, so I got them out as soon as possible. It was my bad. (I'm sorry Shrimpies. D; )

[mld02004]

I'd say the pH is a big part of the problem.

I lost some fish due to that in the past.

[AyalaCookiejar]

If the pH is less than 6, the BB can't colonize. Ammonia and nitrite should be 0, always. Shrimp will be more sensitive to the parameters than bettas although any amount of ammonia or nitrites will harm both. I'd make sure the tank is cycled before adding shrimp. A Betta can survive a fish in cycle but it will be stressful. I don't think shrimp really ever do well in an uncycled tank..

[tekkguy]

If your ammonia was close to 1 and your nitrites at 5, that may have contributed to the shrimp. They are hardy, but picky about water cleanliness!