Please Help ASAP TDS is shooting sky high

[JOSNNGUYEN]

Hi Guys. I'm having problem with my TDS level now. TDS level been stable around 90ppm but It's sky high right after WC this morning and I saw bubbles on my side of my fish tank walls.Discus is acting weird. They are almost flat on the bottom, look like they are about to die. Please help me.
ph: 7.2 and high ph:7.4
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 10-20
KH: 3
GH:4
TDS >300ppm but normally is below 100
I add some freshwater API salt to the tank but it does not seem to help. what should I do now?

[Second Hand Pat]

Do you age your water with aeration? Sounds like part of the problem could be micro bubbles. Also salt will raise the TDS by quite a bit.

[nc0gnet0]

If you added aquarium salt to your tank that will make your TDS elevate. Did you age your water prior to changing water or straight from the tap?

Rick

[blueluv]

Hi Pat
I've read some other posts were you mention micro bubbles. Sometimes I get small bubbles that stick to the aquarium wall and on my heaters. How can these bubbles affect my discus.
Thank you

[JOSNNGUYEN]

uh oh I did add salt to the tank. Should I do another water change? I never age my water. I been doing WC straight from my tap and never experiencing anything like this.
plus when I aged my water with aeration (before added the discus) my ph level is about the same. That is why I am using tap water without aging it.

[Second Hand Pat]

uh oh I did add salt to the tank. Should I do another water change? I never age my water. I been doing WC straight from my tap and never experiencing anything like this.
plus when I aged my water with aeration (before added the discus) my ph level is about the same. That is why I am using tap water without aging it.

Try adding an extra airstone to the tank and see if that brings some relief.

[JOSNNGUYEN]

Thanks guys for your help . I will add more air stone to the tank. Hope the fish will be fine. Thanks guys

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Pat
I've read some other posts were you mention micro bubbles. Sometimes I get small bubbles that stick to the aquarium wall and on my heaters. How can these bubbles affect my discus.
Thank you

Hi Chris,

I personally have only had one experience with micro bubbles and that is when I took one of my wild blues to the NADA 2012 Discus show in Atlanta. When I arrived in Atlanta and after checking into the hotel I took my fish down to the show floor to place it in the show tank. The tanks had been filled a bit earlier that day and were full of small bubbles sticking to the sides of the tank, heater and sponge filter.

After I added the fish to the tank it was not happy, all clamped finned and sticking to the corner. After a while it even had bubbles sticking to its sides. The fish remained that way for about 48 hours and b Saturday finally looked good, fins erect and was a more happier camper.

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks guys for your help . I will add more air stone to the tank. Hope the fish will be fine. Thanks guys

Please keep us posted on how they are doing.

[blueluv]

Good to know, I'm learning so much from sd. Thank you Pat

[rdiscus]

Don't think discus will die because TDS change from low to high ... Yes they're not happy when you do WC with hard water, but after 30mins t0 1 hour, they will act normal

[strawberryblonde]

If it was me, I'd think that your water supplier added a heavier dose of Chlorine or Chloramines to the water. They do that a lot of the time in the spring. It will cause a lot of stress on discus. I had it happen 2 weeks ago. When I saw the distress I just added a second dose of Safe (Prime, or whatever you use as dechlor). Problem solved...they were right back to normal within 5 minutes.

[DerekFF]

I agree that there may be an issue with the tap water. Chloramines are higher from a dose they did or maybe pipe repairs leaked something nasty. You should be able to call public works and see if anything happened to the water recently


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JOSNNGUYEN]

I did WC and discus are doing better but I know they are still stress. They are not eating and always stay in the corner. Just check my TDS and it's above 400ppm now. It seem like it's continue elevate. Just added another dose of prime (thanks Strawberryblonde) hopefully everything will be back to normal. I know there is something different in the water because my discus never acting like this when I do WC. If thing is not resolve. I probably will install the R/O unit. what do you guys think? It is difficult to install one?

[rdiscus]

It's easy to install, but it take time to get RO water. I only get 5 gallons in a hour, and to get 5G RO water, you have to waste lot of water too, maybe more than 10G