RE: More dead fish (was NO2 spike)

[Gerry Skau <gerry at ans_net>]

>Okay, I posted earlier about an NO2 spike and a bunch of dead shrimp in
>my 29G. Today when I got home from work, I had 4 dead SAEs and 1 dead
>neon in my main 60G tank...  The only link between the tanks is that I
>added new plants to each on Monday... Some Tonina spec., Rotala
>nanjenshan, Blyxa and Phyllanthus fluitans....
>
>In the 60G tank, the fish showed the same stress -- heavy breathing and
>staying near the top. NO2 was ZERO in this tank, which is different than
>theother tank...
>
>The only thing I can think of is that the plants came wrapped in
>newspaper... Anyone know if either Pittsburgh PA or Berkley CA use some
>weird toxin in their newspapers?  Seriously, I cannot for the life of me
>figure out what happened.  Did I have some weird toxin on my hands/arms
>when I planted the plants?  I've never seen anything like this in all the
>years I have kept aquariums.  Obviously I am very frustrated.
>
>So, I ask the gurus on this list -- is it possible that some toxin(s)
>were on the plants?  Will enough water changes remove what ever it is?  I
>did 2 more water changes on each of the tanks, and the fish perked right
>up...
>
>Any advice appreciated!
>- -Tony


I don't know if anyone answered this, 2 suggestions.....

Whe I first started trying to grow plants in the 70s, I was trying to grow
a dwarf water lilly in a 29 gallon and kept getting nitogen spikes that
killed my fish. Because I didn't have a resource like this, I had to
guess, and finally figured out the the fertializer they were sending me
was urea based and causing the problem, I was burying a small amount of it
under the lilly when I planted it. Are you adding any kind of fertilizer?

I've also had plant leaves and rhizomes die and add to the nitrogen load
when they deteriurate, I once lost a tank of Yucatan Mollies in marginal
water conditions wnen the plants I added died and pushed the water over
the edge...

Anyway- a couple of thoughts....


       Gerry Skau

       He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.
       -Oscar Wilde