Please help with sick fish - can't take this anymore

[Stan M.]

Drift wood will lower your Ph. Take it out

[four_by_ken]

Drift wood will lower your Ph. Take it out

But, it doesnt test low.  It is a little lower than other tank, but not LOW.

[Ron]

What water softener salt do you use?

[four_by_ken]

What water softener salt do you use?

Culligan.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Are you using the solar salt only 99.6 % pure, or are you using some of the iron out version salt?

[four_by_ken]

Are you using the solar salt only 99.6 % pure, or are you using some of the iron out version salt?

Normal stuff.  No iron issues with the water.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

I would remove the driftwood as suggested above by Stanrocks..  Are the fish breathing hard ?

[four_by_ken]

I would remove the driftwood as suggested above by Stanrocks..  Are the fish breathing hard ?

Only the "sick" ones.  It is not every fish in the tank.  The fish can live for a month or more... then boom... dead.

First they stop eating... then they tend to bloat a little bit, but not always... then they get sluggish and start breathing harder.... then they die.

Some fish have are fine in the tank since it was set up in October... others last a week.  Others a month or two.

[four_by_ken]

I dont really understand taking the drift wood out. 

The only thing I have read that is a drift wood issue is that it lowers ph.  But, my tests fine.  And I am also having this issue with the 180 gallon that has no drift wood in it.

[four_by_ken]

Wish I could get holy rock cheaper... if I do reset up the tank... thats going to be expensive.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

By the fact the the fish are breathing hard suggests that their gills are getting burned somehow.  There are allot of situations that would cause this: frequent ammonia spikes, frequent spikes up or down in the PH levels. 

Are you adding any dechlorinators to the water ?

[four_by_ken]

By the fact the the fish are breathing hard suggests that their gills are getting burned somehow.  There are allot of situations that would cause this: frequent ammonia spikes, frequent spikes up or down in the PH levels. 

Are you adding any dechlorinators to the water ?

I have well water, which is why I have the softener... no city water... no chlorine... no additives.

Burned gills...  never heard this before.

[NorthernAquatic]

Salt, salt, salt, salt. Check that salinity. Get a hydrometer, or take a sample back to the LFS, and have them test for salinity. I bet it is way too high.

If you can somehow get water from before your water softener, I would use that water, and start doing water changes now.

Also, check your softener unit and see if it has a bypass, or call culligan, and tell them that you need a bypass put on, for your FRESHWATER aquarium.

Reading this thread from the beginning, I am almost positive that this could be the root problem.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

For the time being just use some smaller landscaping rock until you can get the Holey rock. If you do not have any,  I have a ton of it in my backyard, you are welcome to come get some if you wish...

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

If your water heater has been running from the softened water and you have a by-pass.  How do you get the pre-softened water into the water heater prior to doing a water change ?