Lost my baby Multies

I brought these babies from Oregon the first of September. They were doing so well. I brought them 450 miles with no losses. I set up the new 20 a week ago with old water, new sand and many shells. I checked the water perimeters daily and Yesterday everything was a go. So I moved them, in their shells, to the new tank, Yesterday morning. They seemed fine. They came right out, checked out their new digs. Everything looked ok. The light went off at 1pm as per schedule and back on at 5pm. They were either dead already or on their last breath. I really don't know what happened. I just feel sick and stupid. What could I have done? ph8.4 ammunia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 0. and the water was de-chlorinated with Amguell. I have a sponge filter and a penguin 150 on the tank. It was still a little cloudy,but that's never been a problem before.

Sorry for your loss. All my shellies committed suicide.

maybe that's what happened! There was 5. I've only found 3. They must be in shells. Any body know a trick to getting them out? I really don't want to dispose of all those shells.

I threw all of mine out because there were dead babies in there as well.

If you pick the shell off the substrate and rest it on something so it will float above the substrate they will end up coming out sooner or later to the floor. How many days did you let the tank cycle with all the old water and media? I normally let the tank run with no fish in it for a week then do a water change before I add the fish, generally even with all old stuff with new substrate you still end up getting an amonia spike around the 3rd day.

Sorry to hear about your losses I really like shellies myself I have 8 ocellatus in a 20 right now and need to move them to my 40 breeder before they start to breed in the next month or two.

I steal nearly all of my sand, decor, filter from a fully cycled tank when I set up a new one.

Ruth, were the filters brand new or had they been running on another tank? If they were "used", were they on the tank for the week your tank ran without fish?

I've used new sand, new decor and new water many times and just added an established filter when the fish went into the tank. If it runs for a week before the fish are added, chances are the bacteria would die off with nothing to feed it.

Even if the filters were new or the bacteria had died off, that wouldn't be the reason the fish died so quickly, just a few hours after they went in.

Sorry for your loss.

do you think the de-chlorinater was added to much and that wahat coased it to be cloudy and then they died from some chemicals... if they can die from de-chlorinater
just a thought

I use prime for my dechlor, you can not overdose on the stuff and thats why I prefer it over any of the others. Not sure if you can OD on what you are using......

Sounds like your tank wasn't cycled. (0 Nitrates, "cloudy")

How old is your testing equipment? Is it the Liquid or Strips ? If liquid, it's only good for 2-3 years MAX.
My brother had water issues and his 5 yr old liquid tests were saying 0 ammonia when it was actually 5 ppm ammonia (used my 6 month old test kit as a control)

Do a water change ASAP (30-->50%)

Thank You all for your sincere concern. Sad to say, most of the things you have suggested could be the cause. The test kit (liquid) was about 2yrs old. Both the filters were new. I did add stresszyme when I first set it up. I was given that advise when I first set up my 75, and it worked like a charm. I thinking I really got ahead of myself. The tank is crystal clear today. I still have 2 babys unaccounted for. I plan to do another water change today. Did one when I discovered they were dieing. Unfortunately it was too late. I use both strips and liquid tests. Strips every other day. liquid weekly, or sooner if a strip looks wrong. Guess it took 2 dead tiny fish to get the tank to clear. SORRY, very sick joke This has been a very painful event for me. Betty, the only filter (used) like the one I have on it , is on a tank with much lower PH. Would that be a problem to use that. I'm thinking I have a used sponge filter in the 75, I will put that in the next time I try to introduce fish. (which wont be for a little while)Thanks again, EVERYONE!!!!!

I think any established filter should work fine.

I really have a hard time believing that five little shellies in 20 gallons of water would die in a matter of hours from the tank not being cycled though.

I agree, and I really didn't think about the bacteria starving. When I used the stresszime before I actually used some small African Cichlids from a lfs in my area. Some of them are still in the 75. I put them in 3 days after I set it up. Beginners luck, I guess. anyway, I'm really gun shy now. So I will wait a few days, put in some test fish and see what happens. BTW I plan to log every thing I do from now on. I did that when I started keeping fish this time, just got lazy, I guess.

I always have extra everything in established tanks from the sand to the filters. That way when I need a tank fast I just steal everything from established tanks add 50-50 new and old tank water to the new tank and toss in the fish.
Its always a good idea to keep extra sponge filters running in tanks so that you will always have them cycled and ready to go for when you need them.

Those are all great ideas, but do you all think that these fish died because the tank wasn't cycled?

Five baby multies went into 20 gallons of water in the morning and by 5 PM they were dead or dying. It doesn't make sense to me.

Ruth, is there any chance that the tank came into contact with any sort of toxin?

I used 100% Silicone sealant on the bottom of the tank a week ago last Saturday. allowed it to cure until Wednesday. Then I filled the tank half full, allowed it to set for 24 hrs. then tested it again. It was exactually the same. On saturday last , I filled the tank with sand (Washed pool filter sand), shells, filters, heater and light. and some rocks. I know they say it completely safe,once it is cured, but now I wonder. But probably more accurately, I may have added an additive twice.I don't know that for sure, but I just cant come up with anything else. I've always been a little forgetful. and at my age it is even worse. That is why I have vowed to write everything down at the time I do it so I can remember. Now all I have to do now is remember to do that. The tank is now crystal clear. I changed about 30% of the water. Removed all the shells, stirred the gravel AND BY EVENING IT WAS CRYSTAL CLEAR AGAIN. . So that is where I am at now.