# My biggest died and now it looks like my other 2..



## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

Well in short, I noticed my biggest piranha almost resting on the sand on his tummy for a day and then the next day he was doing things like almost acting brain dead. ie: he would swim around a bit but he'd more or less just go until he ran into the glass or he'd like the current just kind of toss him around. eventually he started hiding himself in weird tight spots in the tank and then I found him dead.

Now 2 days later it seems like my other two are less active and kind of resting at the bottom of the tank. One of the last two even some how squeezed himself inside the fake jaguar skulls mouth that I bought from the fish store.

I haven't been doing anything different than I have been doing for the last year that I have had them.

Suggestions?


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## anthongy817 (May 3, 2005)

have you checked water parameters?

ammonia:
nitrite:
nitrate:

turn up the heater to about 83, use salt (predissolved), and put a towel over the tank.


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## mashunter18 (Jan 2, 2004)

Also check your ph, and see if something happend.

With no visable injuries, could be a ph change, hard to say. TEST the perimiters..


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

how do i fix thi problem. i don't have a test kit and don't have the extra cash to buy one. my second is on his way out, he's on his side almost, breathing hard.

it breaks my heart to watch him die.

wtf is the problem. i haven't been doing anything different than usual?!!?!?!!

what can i do to save him?


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## timmy (Mar 29, 2004)

ShaneN. said:


> how do i fix thi problem. i don't have a test kit and don't have the extra cash to buy one. my second is on his way out, he's on his side almost, breathing hard.
> 
> it breaks my heart to watch him die.
> 
> ...


Dude, i feel for you but you should have gotten a test kit. Borrow the 18 bucks and go gt one. I would do a water change and add some salt.....


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

Oh crap, I hope he makes it.







Is he still hanging in there? I understand money might be tight right now, but if you could just squeeze a few bucks to get a test kit, it may save your piranhas life.

For now I suggest doing a 50% water change. Make sure when you fill the tank back up, it is VERY close to the tank water, so you don't shock your piranha.

Good luck reviving him, and I really do hope he makes it.








~Taylor~


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

well second is dead and third looks to be on his way out too. this really sucks, it was my first attempt at P's and i had them over a year.

i'm going to do a water change today. I assume by adding salt you don't mean regular table salt, or do you? how much salt is needed?

and if this doesn't work out for me what do i ahve to do to make my tank sound for new fish?


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## evo8ny (Jun 11, 2005)

sorry about the loss. PetsMart and Petco both do free water testing.


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

My last guy is left









I just put in about 10 teaspoons of iodized free table salt mixed with tank water into my tank and later today i'm going to do a large water change but before that i'm going to petsmart when it opens in an hour to get my water tested.

what should i do after the test. large water change and add more salt???


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

by salt they mean aquarium salt, i forget but im pretty sure its different the table salt


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

I'm pretty sure the FAQ's said non-iodized table salt was fine. That's what I put in, so I hope so!

Keep the comments coming guys.


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

Verdicts in, ph was WAY too low apparently. I bought some stuff to bring it up. I'm gonna do a big water change, top the water up and add 1 drop of this ph up stuff per gallon.

wish my last little guy luck!


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## evo8ny (Jun 11, 2005)

ShaneN. said:


> Verdicts in, ph was WAY too low apparently. I bought some stuff to bring it up. I'm gonna do a big water change, top the water up and add 1 drop of this ph up stuff per gallon.
> 
> wish my last little guy luck!
> [snapback]1123230[/snapback]​


so exactly how low was it, and was that the only thing wrong? Good Luck


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

I don't know enough to remember what the numbers were but I had a bad ammonia problem in my tank for like a year, and I asked about that but she said everything wasn't PERFECT but was not bad at all and then she said the ph was "off the charts on the low side".

i just did a water change. topped it back up. added a bit mroe salt and added that PH PLUS stuff.


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

ShaneN. said:


> I don't know enough to remember what the numbers were but I had a bad ammonia problem in my tank for like a year, and I asked about that but she said everything wasn't PERFECT but was not bad at all and then she said the ph was "off the charts on the low side".
> 
> i just did a water change. topped it back up. added a bit mroe salt and added that PH PLUS stuff.
> [snapback]1123357[/snapback]​


That is sorta good news, but it would be even better to hear that he is back to normal. Is he acting any different? Hopefully he is in a good way...

Table salt is fine, and the iodine will not hurt them a bit. You can read more about it in the pinned topic here. Be sure to always dissolve it with water before adding it to your tank.









I hope your last guy hangs in there!








~Taylor~


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## timmy (Mar 29, 2004)

Since you have a hist of ammonis, you should realllllllllllly get a test kit!


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

okay, i'm gonna break down and buy one. what am i lookin for in a kit?

i want something simple and easy.

i noticed that the kit she had, had three different patches on the stick. is it possible to get just one jar of strips that'll test all the nessesities?


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

ShaneN. said:


> okay, i'm gonna break down and buy one. what am i lookin for in a kit?
> 
> i want something simple and easy.
> 
> ...


Liquid test kits are a lot more accurate than the dippers. Some aquarists own both, reasoning be you can just take a dipper and dip it in the water real fast. If something looks wrong on the dipper, you use the liquid test kit to get a more accurate reading, and then fix whatever is wrong.








~Taylor~


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

What a PITA.

maybe i'll just test my water everytime i go to the pet store cause it's free.


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

ShaneN. said:


> *What a PITA.*
> 
> maybe i'll just test my water everytime i go to the pet store cause it's free.
> [snapback]1124263[/snapback]​


Come again?


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

The last guy is swimming around a bit now, better than yesterday but both of his eyes are covered in white.


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

ShaneN. said:


> The last guy is swimming around a bit now, better than yesterday but both of his eyes are covered in white.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That probably means that your tank has high ammonia levels. A fishes eye is the softest exposed tissue of it's body, so high ammonia levels will only show the eye being harmed, such in your case. Are you still doing waterchanges often?
~Taylor~


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

ShaneN. said:


> What a PITA.
> 
> maybe i'll just test my water everytime i go to the pet store cause it's free.
> [snapback]1124263[/snapback]​


No offense, but if it's that much of a PITA for you, maybe you should pick a new hobby. Fishkeeping does take some dedication to be sucessful.


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

What is PITA? Will somebody fill me in here?









EDIT: Nevermind, I got it: Pain In The A**

That is definately not a pain. It is almost the easiest it gets. Dip a strip in, if you see some weird, abnormal colors put some water in a vile put some drops of solution in the vile with water, shake and let set. Compare the color to the chart. What is so hard about that!?!? Maybe the docta is right, get a different hobby, because it sounds like you aren't doing your water changes as necessarily needed either.
~Taylor~


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## ShaneN. (Mar 8, 2004)

Well good news, the last guy went from huffing and puffing in the corner near dead to almost back to normal. i ended up using a whole bottle of that raising ph stuff and he's swimming around pretty normal again. looks to be about 90%.


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

ShaneN. said:


> Well good news, the last guy went from huffing and puffing in the corner near dead to almost back to normal. i ended up using a whole bottle of that raising ph stuff and he's swimming around pretty normal again. looks to be about 90%.
> [snapback]1131657[/snapback]​


You need test kits., If your pH is that low, and you are using additives, you NEED to monitor your pH frequently. With those additives, it is very hard to keep pH stable.

You never said, what was your pH to begin with?


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