I have lost, no joke, 20 neon tetras over a week, and a molly and a crown betta just today. I am completely devastated. Throughout the last two weeks no one that I called or spoke to could tell me what was wrong. The tank was pristine - 5 gallons, filtered, aerated and heated to 25C. Most neons and the molly couldn't last 24 hours. I checked my water around day 4 and it was fine for all categories.
My betta started developing fin rot 2 days ago, so I treated it with Wardley Fungal-Ade, but there wasn't enough time and the betta passed today. I tested my water again and it was extremely soft and so alkaline it was off the colour chart - my guess it would have been around 7.8. I have no idea what caused this change and can only assume it is something in my tank. I have a live plant (anubias?), aquarium gravel, 2 "decorations" from an aquarium store, a heater and a filter, and nothing else. I haven't sprayed anything in my room, no deodorant or bug spray. I quickly put some pH-down in the tank to gradually lower the pH, but within a matter of hours it was back around 7.6!! I put some more pH-down in and it happened again!!
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Please help, I only have a blue platy (who i think is sick anyway) and a baby bristlenose pleco (who isn't eating) in there now, and I really don't want to lose them too.
If your water is very soft, the pH value is almost impossible to control. I'd raise the hardness a bit (for instance by adding some crushed corals to the gravel in the tank). If you do this, your pH should become more stable and your fish should stand a lot better chance of surviving.
You can also add texas holey rock to raise your ph.
stress from living in such a small space. maybe invest in a 20 or 29 gallon
Your tank is small and overstocked. It will not be able to support the level of beneficial bacteria needed to properly cycle the tank for that level of stocking. As a result, no matter what you do, your water chemistry will never balance and you will have constant pH and other problems. Ammonia and nitrate will alter your pH and the underlying problem is the overstocking of the tank.
Do not use the pH up or down stuff, they rarely work and just cause more havoc. Stop messing with the pH. You will only cost yourself money and headaches and have nothing positive result from it. You need to properly cycle the tank-do a fishless cycle - and ignore pH during the cycle and focus on ammonia and nitrate. Once you add ammonia but get a reading of 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, and some nitrate, do a water change to remove the nitrate (only change the water, leave the filter and gravel alone) and then conservatively stock the tank.
Do you have crushed coral or shells in your tank. They will raise the ph to around 8. If you have them, then change the gravel immediately to something neutral , like river stones or play sand.
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I also want to add that you tank is seriously overstocked. The neon tetras themselves need 15 gallons all to themselves. The bristlenose catfish also need 15. The water condition is perfect for hard-water fish like platies and mollies. But the neon tetras, catfish and betta will need a much acidic ph. Why did you keep a bunch of fish that need very different conditions together? Research in the future.
Did you cycle the tank? I find that the ph rises during the cycling process. But if you didn't cycle the tank, why did you add the fish!?
