why did all my fish die when i changed the water? i let the water sit out for 2 days and put stress zyme in.?

Question

they all died within an hour.even the pycasamus.

Answer 1

have you checked the levels in your water? chlorine, ph, ammonia?

Answer 2

the old thing to do was to let the water sit out to get rid of the chlorine in the water. but these days, tap water has alot more in it than just chlorine. and if left out, the bacteria can multiply into an enviroment that's unsafe for fish. get some of the chlor-out, or start up, or anything that says "for starting an aquarium, or water changes..." and put that in the water. the stress coating was a good idea, IF you put it in after you put the fish in. fish also don't respond well to major temperature changes. try to keep the water as close to the water they're in now as possible.
if they all died within the hour, it was definitely the water, not the fish or for any other reason. if you try changing the water again and the same thing happens, visit your local pet store for an exact step-by-step description of how to change the water. hope this helps!

Answer 3

never never never change 100% of the water! it can not only put the fish into shock, but get rid off good bacteria in the water.

figure out how large your tank is, and plan to change about 1/4 of the water every week / every other week, depending on how dirty your tank gets (or how many fish you have). here's the idiot proof way to keep your tank water good for your fish:

get an empty milk-gallon-bottle-thing. now, get one of the "cleaning hose" (about $5 at any pet store), and start sucking out the water right above the rocks. don't get too deep into the rocks, because that's where the good stuff is.

now, once the first gallon is out, you can dump it down the drain. keep taking out the water a gallon at a time, until you've taken out 1/4 of the water.

now, let's say you've removed two gallons. fill up the milk cartoon twice and pour the fresh water in. now, you may want to add some more stress coat, but ONLY treat those two gallons. by that, i mean the stress coating you put into the tank is still in the old water (so is any salt). it doesn't filter out or evaporate. so, put in however much o the coat you'd need for the two new gallons.

another nice tip: have you tried salting your fishtank? i know this sounds strange to do for a freshwater tank, but the salt can help the fish relax by adding electrolites. also, if they get sick, it'll help them respond to any meds you put in the tank. you'll need a little under 1tsp per gallon (NEVER over!), and treat it the same way you treat the stress coat--only add it in once you add some new water, because it won't filter out, and you'll end up over-salting and killing your fish.

good luck though!

Answer 4

Did you change ALL the water?

There are many reasons this could have happened. If you changed all the water and cleaned the filters, that will kill the fish.

I change 2/3 of my water about once a month, I also change the filter media, clean the algae off the plants and sides of the tank and about every other time I clean the gunk out of the filter tubes.

I never change out all the water or clean the rocks. I replace most of the water I take out with bottled water. It only cost .25 cents a gallon so it is not too expensive.

Answer 5

Sometimes if your water is heavily chlorinated or flouridated, letting it sit out will not help. Some cities add extra chlorine in the summer to neutralize heat related bacteria blooms, which could explain why your method worked in the past, but not this time. Stress Zyme adds beneficial bacteria to the water, but isn't a chlorine neutralizer. Look for a conditioner like Chlor Out, and put that in the water in addition to the Stress Zyme. A temp difference would not have kiiled them all that fast, especially the Pleco. One of my friends kids put their pleco in a cooler with ice & water in it to freak people out (and it did!), and it was stunned, but it was fine once it was back in the tank.

Answer 6

i'm sorry about that, probably u didn't add enough electrolytes, u can conduct an analysis of the water u put in to check for toxicity, acidity or alkaline levels to avoid future occurence. u'll be amazed at what the test will reveal, if u live around Texas or Los Angeles u;ll be shocked to find out that the pH level of our domestic water is too low, meaning is quite acidic due to acidic rain as a result of pollutants from our exhaust fumes and factories, humans can tolerate a lot of acidity but unfortunately fish is very sensitive, u might have to try neutralising ur water next time

Answer 7

I heard you werent supposed to change the water a lot, or maybe the zyme had some kind of chemical in it that was harmful.

Answer 8

Tap water contains chlorine which is a bleaching agent hence harmful to the fish.If the water you changed contains lot of chlorine you should de- chlorine it and let the water settle for 3to4 days and then add pebbles gravel and then add fishes to water.

Answer 9

Never make more than a 25% water change.

Answer 10

Tap water is very harmfull for fish..

you need to add prime or Nov-aqua

or use Reverse osmosis water alsong with R/O right (by kent)

Answer 11

the temp might have been wrong, or there might have been too much amonia in your water, Something could have gotten in the water in those two days, the possibilities are endless.