Loaches Online Forum

Help please. We have 3 tanks, one is a 125ltr hjwel rio. We have had it for nearly a year with no problems at all. The levels are all spot on (checked again just now). Suddenly there seems a white powdery substance dotted on the plants and rocks which wipes off. 2 danio zebras have died . Others look OK at present. I have taken out the worst plants. Did a water change 30% yesterday with Prime and today have started a course of eSHa2000 to help with possible bacteria. Any ideas? The other tanks look fine at the moment but have treated just incase (half strength for the loaches). Cannot decide if a problem or coincidence that this white powdery stuff is showing at the same time as fish dieing. would really appreciate another opinion.

i suspect the powdery stuff on your plants is because the plants are dying when you do your WC's do you stir the gravel as that could be where your problem is.

mick

Do you add any chemical buffering agents to your water? Sometimes when these chemicals, or similar, are used in a tank with hard water then the calcium carbonate can precipitate out of solution and appear like a white dust. If this is the case then the cause of death could still be down to water quality whereby the parameters are not suited to the fish.

You state your levels as fine, but what were the actual figures, there may be a clue in there still

thank you Buffy. the only additive I have put into the water recently is Prime. I normally use Aqua+ but have temporarily run out of it. I use the Api testing kit and the colours were all correct for 0 readings. This evening there have been no more fatalities and the remaining fish look healthy although I wil finish the medication course.

thank you mickthefish. The plants don't look very healthy so removed some. Yes each week I vacuum the gravel and can never catch all of the sediment stirred up so could well be. Tomorrow plan to go shopping and replace the plants with new healthy ones.

Bully's point about the 'white powder' may be spot on. You get your water in Colchester from Anglian and they report that practically all the water that they supply is hard or very hard.

Hi The Kapenta Kid. Yes I am sure you are both correct.