# Very Very Sad Day Need Help!



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Came home last night to my lil piraya havin really bad cloudy eyes...out of nowhere! So I thought maybe it was a mark from fighting...(on both eyes) so I decide to take him out of the shoal into his own 40 gallon till he heals...wake up this morning, he's worse. White streaks throughout his body. He looks TERRIBLE. First off, wtf is wrong? 2nd how would u guys fix? I hope I can save him...my water quality is fine..all my other ps are gr8. This is out the blue! I put 10 gallons of fresh water in the 40, and added salt n stress coat....but I think imma need some meds. This guy was beautiful yesterday mornin! Now he looks blind and dying. Wtf!


----------



## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

did you do a large water change? also post the actual ammonia nitrite and nitrate numbers. saying its fine is ok but knowing the basics is really the first step for us to help you.


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

AS fan said:


> did you do a large water change? also post the actual ammonia nitrite and nitrate numbers. saying its fine is ok but knowing the basics is really the first step for us to help you.


Not while he was in my 180 no, but I was a few days late on a waterchange. I do them often but not more then like 25%. But I figured the water was fine bc every1 else is mint. So I took him out with 40 gallons of the 180 water, and this morning he got worse....he has white film on his body. And his eyes are bogus. I've seen bad ammonia burn b4, this don't seem like that...and I have an ammonia tester thing in the 180 at all times...good for a yr. Its on yellow. That means safe <.02. But when I come home from school ill test my 180 and 40 hospital tank. Any help is much appreciated, this is the 1st for me...my ps r usually A OK.


----------



## PirAnhA$p3ciAlisT (Oct 21, 2005)

I had this exact same problem with my pirayas. Don't know what it is. My water was fine too.


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Well, I'm kinda pissed...here's my water params.

Mind u, all my ps are in perfect condition tho,

Ammonia- looks like 2.0
Nitrate-0
Nitrite-0
Ph-6.0

My ammonia alert stick on in tank, says yellow safe <.02
So do I throw that out? My master kit says different...I'm pissed. Lemme kno wut u guys would do.


----------



## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

skylute3 said:


> Well, I'm kinda pissed...here's my water params.
> 
> Mind u, all my ps are in perfect condition tho,
> 
> ...


I was going to say it sounds like ammonia burn.............


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Wut u guys think? Is he doomed? I def learned my lesson, I will not depend on that ammonia sensor...bc its bullshit. When I first started the p hobby, I had a bad ammonia burn with all of them, but seemed worse then this one....and they are healed up fine. I put in 40 gallons of the bad water in the hospital tank, and woke up this morning and put 10 gallons of new water....should I do that again when I get home? What would you experienced keepers do if u were me step by step? I just don't get why only 1 p has this, and is 1 day???


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

for some reason your tank is starting the cycle all over again... you need to get your hands on some established bio media to get things squared away quickly. just perform small volume water changes to keep your ammonia levels in check. when you see a spike in nitrite, add salt to help with nitrite poisoning and keep doing small water changes to keep the nitrite levels in check... once you get back down to 0 ammo and nitrite and you're showing nitrates again, you should be good to go.

that might be the only fish that was showing signs of ammo burn because it was stressed out from something else beforehand... just be thankful you caught this before you came home to a bunch of belly-up fish. i would never trust one of those testers that sits in the tank like that, hopefully this lesson won't cost you a fish...


----------



## roccov12345 (Sep 26, 2008)

joedizzlempls said:


> for some reason your tank is starting the cycle all over again... you need to get your hands on some established bio media to get things squared away quickly. just perform small volume water changes to keep your ammonia levels in check. when you see a spike in nitrite, add salt to help with nitrite poisoning and keep doing small water changes to keep the nitrite levels in check... once you get back down to 0 ammo and nitrite and you're showing nitrates again, you should be good to go.
> 
> that might be the only fish that was showing signs of ammo burn because it was stressed out from something else beforehand... just be thankful you caught this before you came home to a bunch of belly-up fish. i would never trust one of those testers that sits in the tank like that, hopefully this lesson won't cost you a fish...










This is good advice.......


----------



## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

What filters do you have on your tank and how many?
Was there food left in the tank or did you stir the gravel up ?


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Eheim 2260
2 piraya 9" 12"
2 reds 8-9"
2 caribe 11" 11"

I know wut happened....first off, id like to say I kno people will say I need more filtration, but its fine with my routine...I do weekly water changes at about 30% or so. And I do syphon the poop off the top of the sane...usually a lot due to feeding everyday. But the day prior to the drama, 2 things happen out of the normal. 1, I left a half of shrimp in the tank figuring it would be eaten, and it was trapped in my plant (right next to my injuryed piraya) but it wasn't by the next day and I took it out.....the second thing was all the poop that I normally syphon, got chopped to bits in my powerhead, and mixed in with the water. those have to be the problem imo bc I haven't had these problems in yrs.


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Eheim 2260
2 piraya 9" 12"
2 reds 8-9"
2 caribe 11" 11"

I know wut happened....first off, id like to say I kno people will say I need more filtration, but its fine with my routine...I do weekly water changes at about 30% or so. And I do syphon the poop off the top of the sane...usually a lot due to feeding everyday. But the day prior to the drama, 2 things happen out of the normal. 1, I left a half of shrimp in the tank figuring it would be eaten, and it was trapped in my plant (right next to my injuryed piraya) but it wasn't by the next day and I took it out.....the second thing was all the poop that I normally syphon, got chopped to bits in my powerhead, and mixed in with the water. those have to be the problem imo bc I haven't had these problems in yrs.


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Eheim 2260
2 piraya 9" 12"
2 reds 8-9"
2 caribe 11" 11"

I know wut happened....first off, id like to say I kno people will say I need more filtration, but its fine with my routine...I do weekly water changes at about 30% or so. And I do syphon the poop off the top of the sane...usually a lot due to feeding everyday. But the day prior to the drama, 2 things happen out of the normal. 1, I left a half of shrimp in the tank figuring it would be eaten, and it was trapped in my plant (right next to my injuryed piraya) but it wasn't by the next day and I took it out.....the second thing was all the poop that I normally syphon, got chopped to bits in my powerhead, and mixed in with the water. those have to be the problem imo bc I haven't had these problems in yrs.


----------



## Soul Assassin (Nov 21, 2006)

Like Joe said get some established media fast
I dont think your hypothesis is correct, your nitrate would not be 0 if your established BB were doing their job, even with the extra overload of the piece of shrimp, something killed your BB. JMO
I would do 40% water changes daily to keep the ammo in check and pray...

GL


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Well my piraya is in a 40 gallon with an established emp 280 from my brandti tank. It just has the blue carbon cartridge, and the grey tray is filled with matrix biofilter support media. As for the 180 gallon, should I rinse out the eheim 2260? Perhaps the daily feeding has caught up with me and it needs a rinse? Wut u guys think, and if I do, how do I go about it?


----------



## Rugged Child (Oct 3, 2006)

Maybe rinse it out using water from the aquarium. I wouldn't rinse it with water straight from the tap though


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Ya i never use tap water for cleaning....but imma wait to rinse out my 2260. Till then 25% water changes everyday till I get back in order....as for the 9" piraya, he looks great! All is healing, I think I caught it b4 damage could set it....id predict hell b back to normal is less than a week. Thanks guys for the opinions...I must test my water with the damn master kit I bought instead of letting it collect dust. Lesson learned.


----------



## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

I got my 180 back to 0 ammonia. But my hospital 40 gallon housing the piraya has a ammonia readin of .50 or 1.0 should I just put him back in the 180? He has healed greatly, but eyes still cloudy....id like to heal him up 100% b4 I put him back, but wonder if I'm doin him bogus by keepin him in the 40 with traces of ammonia...I'm doin water changes daily...about 10 15 gallons.


----------



## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

skylute3 said:


> I got my 180 back to 0 ammonia. But my hospital 40 gallon housing the piraya has a ammonia readin of .50 or 1.0 should I just put him back in the 180? He has healed greatly, but eyes still cloudy....id like to heal him up 100% b4 I put him back, but wonder if I'm doin him bogus by keepin him in the 40 with traces of ammonia...I'm doin water changes daily...about 10 15 gallons.


Since you cant get the ammo in the small tank under control then I would def throw it back in with the others.


----------

