Aquarium, I NEED HELP FAST!

[Tea1337]

I fed my fish as usual then headed out to Walmart. I came back home, looked at my aquarium as I walked into my room to find all of my fish at the surface of the water! They are all gasping for fresh water and I have no clue what to do! I took out my Ph test strips at the Acidity is at 3.44, WHAT!? I have no container to put them in! Idk how a sharp decrease in Ph could have happened, if you are a fish keeper please help.!

 

 

UPDATE Frantically putting fish in bathtub and emptying 190 gallons of water on to the street, total looses: 10/34 Aquarium has to be filled when i get home, then the fish can be re added after 5-8 hours.

[Excon]

I think they are as good as dead.... Sorry for your loss. You're best bet is to get them out of there fast I guess.

[Imabigmac]

Put water from the tap into a bowl and transfer the fish temporarily into the bowl with a net. 

[Birdman]

Put them in a bowl for now, then I would clean the tank as good as you can, and replace the filter (if you can) then test again before putting the fish back in. 

[JAKEBAB]

Put water from the tap into a bowl and transfer the fish temporarily into the bowl with a net. 

clearly these arnt fresh water fish if he is checking ph levels.

 

op what type of fish do u have?

 

maybe try this forum they looked pretty helpfull when i was getting seahorses they also help with aquariums in general http://forum.seahorse.org/index.php?

[Luckris]

I had fish for years, nothing like this happens to me. I got a shark for over 20 or so years now... Just try normal tap water, maybe get a bubble filter, add some oxygen into the tank. They need that sometimes.. Sounds odd. I even had a fish have babies.. And nothing like that...  

[Tea1337]

clearly these arnt fresh water fish if he is checking ph levels.

 

op what type of fish do u have?

 

maybe try this forum they looked pretty helpfull when i was getting seahorses they also help with aquariums in general http://forum.seahorse.org/index.php?

they're fresh water, and the problem is the aquarium is 190 gallons and it's hard to remove all the fish, i've gotten 30 of them out and in some fresh water

[Tea1337]

I had fish for years, nothing like this happens to me. I got a shark for over 20 or so years now... Just try normal tap water, maybe get a bubble filter, add some oxygen into the tank. They need that sometimes.. Sounds odd. I even had a fish have babies.. And nothing like that...  

I've been fishkeep since i was 10, 6 years and the ph has never changed this drmatically

[Birdman]

they're fresh water, and the problem is the aquarium is 190 gallons and it's hard to remove all the fish, i've gotten 30 of them out and in some fresh water

Looks like you'll need to put them in a bathtub. 

[thirdworldking]

clearly these arnt fresh water fish if he is checking ph levels.

 

op what type of fish do u have?

 

maybe try this forum they looked pretty helpfull when i was getting seahorses they also help with aquariums in general http://forum.seahorse.org/index.php?

um u can test ph levels in fresh water and they are just as important as saltwater ph tests

 

source:my dad was an aquatic biologist so i know these things from him

[thirdworldking]

go to your kitchen get as many pots bowels anything and put each fish into them and then clean your tank out and fill it with fresh water and take appropriate ph readings and possibly check to see if there is a contamination in the filter and if so clean it out and change the filter medium. if you have proper spare tanks then don't use the pots and pans but i'm assuming you don't.

[JAKEBAB]

um u can test ph levels in fresh water and they are just as important as saltwater ph tests

source:my dad was an aquatic biologist so i know these things from him

Oright never thought it was important because I don't think my sister would know how to check it or ever has with her gold fish

[brob]

I fed my fish as usual then headed out to Walmart. I came back home, looked at my aquarium as I walked into my room to find all of my fish at the surface of the water! They are all gasping for fresh water and I have no clue what to do! I took out my Ph test strips at the Acidity is at 3.44, WHAT!? I have no container to put them in! Idk how a sharp decrease in Ph could have happened, if you are a fish keeper please help.!

 

 

UPDATE Frantically putting fish in bathtub and emptying 190 gallons of water on to the street, total looses: 3.

 

Glad you got most of them out safely.

[thirdworldking]

Oright never thought it was important because I don't think my sister would know how to check it or ever has with her gold fish

yeah i wouldnt bother doing it for a goldfish either those fish are tough as fuck

[JAKEBAB]

yeah i wouldnt bother doing it for a goldfish either those fish are tough as fuck

He said aquarium so i just assumed he had some exotics also because your dad was an aquatic biologist does that mean he can have sea dragons? and do u have many tanks in your house? u should take pics and show i would love to see your setups.

[MzCatieB]

fish bowls need waterflow to add oxygen, also putting a Ph reader in the tank/bowl will help avoid the problem in the future.

[FlakeyBanana]

At least you saved most of them

[thirdworldking]

He said aquarium so i just assumed he had some exotics also because your dad was an aquatic biologist does that mean he can have sea dragons? and do u have many tanks in your house? u should take pics and show i would love to see your setups.

i would to but sadly my dad lives in another country (divorced) but when he still was here he had so mnay tanks he had probably about 30 20litre tanks and a couple 100 litre tanks and they were all tropical fish it was really awesome but things change i wish i had a photo of it all. as for the sea dragons i am not sure as when he was around i was quite young so i didnt know all the species of freshwater fish he kept. he mostly kept freshwater fish as saltwater was a lot of maintenance. i myself had a few fish tanks before i moved houses but since we are renting the owner wont let us have any pets i rember having a lot gouramis neon tetras and a few african chyclids off the top of my head we had more but those were the ones i liked best.

[Tea1337]

fish bowls need waterflow to add oxygen, also putting a Ph reader in the tank/bowl will help avoid the problem in the future.

The aquarium is 190 gallons and has 400 gallons of filtration. I also have a Ph test kit that's always nearby. Thanks for the advice though!