# I think our caribe is dying!



## Ji-Hoon (Sep 8, 2006)

I am posting on my boyfriends account. He's at work and cannot help me. We changed the water this morning and now our caribe is floating with its head up.







I just got in and he looked lifeless for a minute and it scared me. He is moving around a tiny bit and acting STRANGE. I think he might even be trying to jump out of the tank. Is there anything that we can do to help the poor thing? My boyfriend said to put salt in the tank? I am sorry if this is posted in the wrong section but I am scared we are going to lose our baby.

Thanks in advance.


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## bigboi (May 3, 2006)

Test your water and post params was your tank cycled?


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## Ji-Hoon (Sep 8, 2006)

bigboi said:


> Test your water and post params was your tank cycled?


It's too late





















I had literally a minute to try to save him. He tried to jump out in the last minute of his life. RIP, tips.

We were doing so good with tips too. He was eating a lot, moving around, he even grew in the 2 weeks we had him. Just today after the water change he started to act weird and gasping for air. I just got in contact with my Boyfriend at work and he said there must be something in the water here in D.C. so next piranha we get we're not going to use tap water. Thanks for your response. I knew it had to been the water.


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## thebluyak (Apr 14, 2006)

did you use a conditioner?

Also your tank is wayyyyyy to small

(seems I have to say this atleast 8 times a day







)


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## jmax611 (Aug 6, 2006)

sorry fir your loss next time get a bigger tank that might help


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## Ji-Hoon (Sep 8, 2006)

jmax611 said:


> sorry fir your loss next time get a bigger tank that might help


I agree, I know I wouldnt like to be in a small tank either if I were a fish, and I wouldnt like it either if i were the ONLY fish in the tank.

I'm buying one of those acrylic tanks for Ji and a black piranha tomorrow and I know they need BIG tanks. Which gallon tank should I get for a black one?


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## TFMBIGDOG99 (Mar 19, 2006)

75...When it and if it hits the 10 mark go for a 6 feet tank. Enjoy the Rhom!


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

sorry for your loss.......sounds like too much water was replaced / 
PH spike and chlorine as well........

i did that once with some tinfoil barbs....turned out to be high PH








sorry guys........may want to test your PH out of the water 
faucet when you get up and running again


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## Ji-Hoon (Sep 8, 2006)

TFMBIGDOG99 said:


> sorry for your loss.......sounds like too much water was replaced /
> PH spike and chlorine as well........
> 
> i did that once with some tinfoil barbs....turned out to be high PH
> ...


Good idea about testing the PH!

Thank you all for giving such good advice and helping us out.


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## soon2breed (Aug 30, 2006)

sorry for the loss. Definately get a big tank and test water


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## Malok (Mar 26, 2006)

sorry for the loss

but honestly did you use water conditioner or check the params id like to know the reason why it died


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## bigboi (May 3, 2006)

Make sure you get the new tank cycled as well :nod:


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.









_*Topic Moved to Disease, Parasite, and Injury Forum*_ for any further discussion on the possible reasonings for the death of your fish.


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## thebluyak (Apr 14, 2006)

Ji-Hoon said:


> sorry for your loss.......sounds like too much water was replaced /
> PH spike and chlorine as well........
> 
> i did that once with some tinfoil barbs....turned out to be high PH
> ...


Good idea about testing the PH!

Thank you all for giving such good advice and helping us out.
[/quote]

PH swings do not kill fish! My pH fluctuates from 6.2 during the day to below 6.0 at night (low as my chart goes). CO2 will change PH drastically during the plant absorbtion period. its the KH (carbonate hardness) that kill fish which is related to PH. So when KH kills fish people just say oh its a PH swing. As long as you KH stays the same the PH can very drastically and not hurt the fish.

Think about it, My PH is super low from so much CO2 being added, when I replace 30% water I do not alter the PH. MY kh stays the same from the old water (6.0 ph) to the new water (7.6 ph) I have never lost a fish from anything other than attacks.


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## redrum781 (Apr 10, 2006)

make sure u cycle the new tank before buying another piranha


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

thebluyak said:


> sorry for your loss.......sounds like too much water was replaced /
> PH spike and chlorine as well........
> 
> i did that once with some tinfoil barbs....turned out to be high PH
> ...


Good idea about testing the PH!

Thank you all for giving such good advice and helping us out.
[/quote]

PH swings do not kill fish! My pH fluctuates from 6.2 during the day to below 6.0 at night (low as my chart goes). CO2 will change PH drastically during the plant absorbtion period. its the KH (carbonate hardness) that kill fish which is related to PH. So when KH kills fish people just say oh its a PH swing. As long as you KH stays the same the PH can very drastically and not hurt the fish.

Think about it, My PH is super low from so much CO2 being added, when I replace 30% water I do not alter the PH. MY kh stays the same from the old water (6.0 ph) to the new water (7.6 ph) I have never lost a fish from anything other than attacks.
[/quote]

i begg to differ this one sir.......i tested everything till i found my ph was thru the roof.
i used prime, always do and did a 50% water change. the only thing that was wrong was
in fact the PH.......not to argue this point, but the whole KH / PH go hand in hand.
i settled the PH down and added fish after that ( i almost gave up aquariums that day)
however, i obsesed till i found the problem, no chlorine / cloramine and i wish
i could find the article that does in fact prove PH swings do kill fish.......are you kidding?
if you have high PH it can in fact act like acid and kill the fish........


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## Ji-Hoon (Sep 8, 2006)

Well I just got home from work and my girl friend showed me it laying down on the tank floor dead for sure. I did a 50% water change cause the water was really cloudy like you couldnt see the back of the tank from the front. I did a 50% change a week earlier and he was fine. I added PH lowering powder as well as de-chlorinator like I did the first time but about 30 mins after i did the water change he was acting strange ie: up on top gasping for air when the tank is well aerated. I'm not sure exactly what it is but i am gonna run some tests on the water and keep you guys posted. ive been keeping fish for a very long time and this has never happened to me but i just moved to the area so i have to test the water again and again.


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## thebluyak (Apr 14, 2006)

assclown said:


> sorry for your loss.......sounds like too much water was replaced /
> PH spike and chlorine as well........
> 
> i did that once with some tinfoil barbs....turned out to be high PH
> ...


Good idea about testing the PH!

Thank you all for giving such good advice and helping us out.
[/quote]

PH swings do not kill fish! My pH fluctuates from 6.2 during the day to below 6.0 at night (low as my chart goes). CO2 will change PH drastically during the plant absorbtion period. its the KH (carbonate hardness) that kill fish which is related to PH. So when KH kills fish people just say oh its a PH swing. As long as you KH stays the same the PH can very drastically and not hurt the fish.

Think about it, My PH is super low from so much CO2 being added, when I replace 30% water I do not alter the PH. MY kh stays the same from the old water (6.0 ph) to the new water (7.6 ph) I have never lost a fish from anything other than attacks.
[/quote]

i begg to differ this one sir.......i tested everything till i found my ph was thru the roof.
i used prime, always do and did a 50% water change. the only thing that was wrong was
in fact the PH.......not to argue this point, but the whole KH / PH go hand in hand.
i settled the PH down and added fish after that ( i almost gave up aquariums that day)
however, i obsesed till i found the problem, no chlorine / cloramine and i wish
i could find the article that does in fact prove PH swings do kill fish.......are you kidding?
if you have high PH it can in fact act like acid and kill the fish........








[/quote]

Yes a HIGH Ph can kill fish if that PH is not suited for the fish, but a PH swing from tank to tap can not kill fish. I gurantee it, anyone who has a planted tank can vouch for this. The PH drops drastically at night because of the excess CO2. If you can find the article about it show me, cause I can find the conversation on Aquariumadvice.com that it doesnt kill fish. KH is what kills them, now if you have a KH of 9 in ur tank and a KH 3 in ur tank because of buffering then yeah the "ph" will kill fish but its the Kh that does it

Ji-hoon- dont buffer your water unless you have very very basic water (ph of like 8 and 9) Constant Ph/KH is better than trying to buffer it every time you do a water change.


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