A true story

[Charlyc11]

A true story but we will not mention any names.

I go on Facebook and this guy posts “Is there a local place that test fish tank water ”.

Now on the post I asked him and I quote:

What are you looking to test? Don't you have an API test kit?

Reply: No never thought to test water. I assumed just fill and move on but with my fish dying I guess this wasn’t the best option


So he gets the typical replies, Petco has testing and others suggest different places.
Now this is my local town FB group where I live and he is been a member since 2008 so it can hurt to help the guy. So I tell him why you don’t come over the house and I can check your water, I am not an expert but the some of the basics we can go over. He lives very close to me and he doesn’t need to travel half an hour to Petco.
So he come over with what asked him to bring, some tap and tank water.
So I ask him how often do you do water changes?

Reply: Never

Do you use water from a water softener?

Reply: Yes

Did you cycle the tank before you put fish in?

Reply: What is a cycle? No I filled the tank and setup the filter and put fish in.

After testing his tap water PH 4.9, KH barely 2, and GH 6 (softener water so mostly sodium)
Tank water PH 3.2, KH 0 and GH 6
The strange thing his tank water, ammonia was only .5, nitrites 0 and nitrate was less than 20. I would have expected high ammonia at least. But then again I think he only had one fish left. Low nitrate could be that all the algae he said he has must have consumed it. Then again at a PH of 3.2 if he ever had a cycle it’s dead now. We tested with air stone and the PH started to rise so I know if he ages with air he could be closer to 7
Send him home with with some pointers but we did cover more than I wrote.

• Get an API Master Fresh water kit.
• Don’t use softener water for your fish.
• Age some water check PH make sure it’s at least close to 7 and do a large water change.
• Monitor the PH you might need to buffer.
• Fix PH at your tap you killing you appliances and faucets.
• Read up on aquarium cycle.


I think he is going to give up after all the information that I gave him but all I want him to do is stop killing fish. He thought that he can set up the tank and enjoy the show.


The End

[LizStreithorst]

I thought that once, too. Luckily it was way before Discus.

[Charlyc11]

Me to 45 years ago when I got my first tank.

I thought that once, too. Luckily it was way before Discus.

[brewmaster15]

Wow. To think that guy had the perfect Heckel water and didn't know it Obviously this is a case of just keeping the wrong species of fish for you water. Just kidding Lol.. but it doesn't surprise me. I went to petco the other day to buy a tank, it was on Fish kill day. Fish Kill day is Sat....its the day everyone goes to the petshops to buy fish that they don't have a clue how to keep. One of the staff while I was there was lecturing someone that its not the size of the tank that influences how big your fish grow (correct to a degree) but that it was the ammonia that your fish made..thats why you can't put too many fish in tank and to prevent that you need to use Prime, then the fish will get big I kid you not. I try not to make a scene but couldn't help myself that time.


al

[Charlyc11]

Al
I know sometimes getting involved it's the wrong move. After 2 hrs. of face to face lessons he said maybe I should quit. I almost lost my Good Samaritan face and send him home. Your correct I should have told him to pick up some Heckels and move on.

[LizStreithorst]

The pet store had a sale for a bunch of adult Discus I no longer wanted but should have kept. I happened to be at the store when the guy picked up my fish. All I said was, "Give them pleanty of clean water and keep the temp up and they will do fine" Inocent enough...

I didn't know that he was planning on keeping them in a 72 degree room with no heater in the tank. He bought the fish and a heater, but the owner of the store was annoyed at me. He was trying his best to sell my fish for me, and there I was throwing a wrench in the works. He was doing his job! I was screwing him up by trying to educate.

I didn't get it then, but I do now. We come at things from our own points of view.