# Major die off after 40% water change + flourish excel double dose



## nesopheus (May 30, 2011)

120gal low tech planted 2month old
PH 6.8
Ammonia 1 or less
Nitrite 1.2 mg/l
Nitrate 20 mg/l
GH 40
KH 40 mg/l

Dead11 glass catfish, 4 pepper cory, 2 simensis flying fox
Survivors 3 gold gouramis, 4 dwarf gouramis, 2 powder blue gouramis, 1 pepper cory(last legs), 1 green cory, 4 kuhli loaches(some may be dead), 2 rope fish(1 confirmed), 1 large Plec, 2 oto cats.

I've kept fish for 20 years and I've never killed so many fish, uterly devastated. All levels read the same as usual except Nitrate and Nitrite. They were never so high. Doing a 30% water change now.
I appretiate any thing you might have to tell me, I will now curl up into a ball and cry.


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## activesize (Jun 26, 2011)

For a 120 gallon tank with a low stocking level as yours, why did you have any ammonia or nitrite at all to begin with? What sort of plants do you have and how big are they? How is your filtration, if any?


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## activesize (Jun 26, 2011)

I'm sorry for your loss. Ok, I saw your tank pictures in your ropefish thread. Your tank has that sparse vegetation look that is appealing in a way but in combination with your filtration was not sufficient to get the job done. If you like that look to your tank then I think you'll have to go back to more classical aquarium principles. 

I for one don't particularly like the extremely dense vegetative look that doesn't leave much room to observe your fish. There's a balance in there somewhere that, with your experience, I'm sure you will not have much problem achieving.


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## hornedtoad1 (Jun 24, 2011)

what a dreadful thing to walk in and find; i am sorry to hear about that.
if you want to continue with a natural planted tank, you might try some fast-growing plants. a floater like amazon frogbit would quickly spread and remove ammonia etc; it's easy to remove at a later time if you don't like the look of it, and it doesn't hide the fish like rooted plants do. meanwhile w/c's and dosing with amquel would relieve the stress until the fast-growers kick in.
good luck!


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## nesopheus (May 30, 2011)

Just got my Java ferns and another moss, I'm stocking as fast as I can.


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## nesopheus (May 30, 2011)

Does excel posibly kill off biological filtrations microorganisms? should have eased into the excel a little slower.

"Of course the plants don't die anymore, but I cannot count the number of times I mistook the amount of water to add, or put in to much CO2 and awoke the next morning to find all the fishes floating dead at the surface. But my intuition grew."
Takashi Amano, Nature Aquarium World book one


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