My tanks were poisened......

[fishkid6692]

My mother poisened my tanks with something yesterday and I can't figure out what she put in. 2 separate systems were cloudy white after I went out for 30 minutes and all fish were gasping on the bottom. Every test was fine except whatever she dumped in caused my PH to drop so low it's unreadable. I did massive water changes and am running carbon but I lost one of my angels this morning and the remaining angel and my breeding pair of picassos aren't looking good at all. What can I do to save them? I suspect she put bleach in but I can't be sure. I know this is foul play because only the tanks that had fish in them were cloudy white and the one empty tank that's cycling was untouched. I really don't know what to do. She's done stuff like this before but never this bad. This is an all time low. This was all because I didn't re make the ice tea in the fridge. I'm not a child either, I'm 22 and we both live with my grandfather for those of you who might say I'm lucky she lets me live in her house or something like that. I can't believe she's be so spiteful over something so petty.

[bertoni]

If she added bleach, some Prime or Amquel would help. I'd add one or the other just out of general caution. Other than that, lots of large water changes and fresh carbon might help.

[CStrickland]

Im so sorry for your loss, and that you are stuck in this situation.

Bertonis got you covered for the immediate advice, I just wanted to say that I'm a little worried about your longterm prospects. I hate to say it but maybe rethink the hobby until you can get someplace safer? Replacing the losses will be expensive, you could pump the brakes and save up for a future tank, or just moving expenses. I obvi don't know your life, but people who hurt animals like that don't usually change on their own, and you mention she's escalating. That's troubling to me, for you and your pets.

Good luck! I really hope things turn around for you.

[fishkid6692]

I already added amquel. I guess all I can do is keep doing water changes. I moved the fish into a new tank with fresh saltwater and they still look bad, I guess the damage was already done once they came in contact with whatever she put in.

[bertoni]

I suspect that you are correct, and the damage is done. I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I hope the fish recover.

[fishkid6692]

Im so sorry for your loss, and that you are stuck in this situation.

Bertonis got you covered for the immediate advice, I just wanted to say that I'm a little worried about your longterm prospects. I hate to say it but maybe rethink the hobby until you can get someplace safer? Replacing the losses will be expensive, you could pump the brakes and save up for a future tank, or just moving expenses. I obvi don't know your life, but people who hurt animals like that don't usually change on their own, and you mention she's escalating. That's troubling to me, for you and your pets.

Good luck! I really hope things turn around for you.

Thank you. Yes it's really disturbing that she did this knowing how much I slave over the tanks and how it all I ever talk about. I can't imagine if she did this when I had a full blown SPS tank with colonies and everything, it would of all been wiped out. I'm thinking of moving everything into my room even though it will be cluttered and putting a few dead bolts on the door so she couldn't get into it. I just never expected her to stoop so low. Killing my fish as Revenge? I almost ordered a pair of lipo. Klayis last week and I'm glad I decided to hold off. That would of been $1500 down the drain. The fish are still gasping at the bottom even in a new tank with new water. On the tanks that were poisened there is a hard white residual crust all over the glass. I needed to use a razor to scrape it off, anyone know what it could be?

[jimbow]

SO I need to ask, if she would do something like this why would you let her into your house? Or is it her house?

[dkeller_nc]

If the pH in the tank was indeed very low, then it wasn't bleach that was added. Grocery store bleach is a mixture of two chemicals - sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide. The pH of a tank that bleach was added to would be very high, not low.

That's true of most cleaning solutions, as well (high pH). Vinegar and/or lemon juice is the only common household item I can think of that would have a low pH.

I can't guess what the hard white crust is if something very acidic was dumped in the tank. But if bleach or drain opener was added, then most of the calcium and magnesium would precipitate as carbonates.

I don't know your household situation, but I'd check to make sure that this wasn't an equipment failure. A "white out" condition is very common with a dosing pump failure that dumps in way too much 2-part solution, or an ATO failure that dumps in way too much kalkwasser.

[fishkid6692]

No Dosers or kalkwasser, and this happened in 2 different systems that weren't connected. Before I left everything was fine and they just ate and I went to the gas station and came back and then disaster. Unfortunately it's my grandfathers house and he feels bad for her so he lets her stay no matter the destruction she causes to my things or his. It's sad but she has him wrapped around her finger.

[fishkid6692]

This is horrible. I almost feel like I should euthanize the remaining fish if they don't improve soon

[Jeff4777]

I'd say move out if possible.

[CuzzA]

Yeah. Time to move out. Put the brakes on putting any more money into this hobby and get your own place.

[fishkid6692]

I wish that was an option but I don't even have solid work. I couldn't afford to move out, a one bedroom around here is $1000 and that's no including utilities.

[albano]

Sorry to hear... I think that you really should consider moving everything into your locked room

[Rebeccaben]

What a sin, sorry for your loss. I worry about your mothers mental state, is it possible she could be suffering from a mental disorder like bipolar or something? Seems strange for a mother to do unless she is sick and unwell.

[Rebeccaben]

Could you get assistance from the government to help you get on your feet, they can help you with employment and education assistance. Any family members or siblings you could live with instead of your mom?

[mfaso24]

Wow this is the most messed up thing I've heard of. So sorry for the losses.
Just to reiterate what someone else said, bleach has a high ph so it wasn't bleach what she put it. Not that it matters I'm at this point I'm sure.

[DaveRaz]

Shut down the tanks and get your own place. If you can afford this hobby you can afford to live independently. Not both. I was 40 years old before I could do both. Such is life. Good luck.

[sde1500]

Shut down the tanks and get your own place. If you can afford this hobby you can afford to live independently. Not both. I was 40 years old before I could do both. Such is life. Good luck.

This. Probably the best advice. Sure having your hobbies is great and all, but it doesn't sound like you are in a good living situation. Living with someone that would purposefully ruin her own child's hobby by killing living animals is toxic, and you should 100% focus on getting out. Get out, be independent, then get a new fish tank.

[MidwesternTexan]

Did you ask her what she may have done to your tanks?

Like, what was dumped in?

[Sk8r]

SUggest get a storage unit for the hobby stuff and relocate entirely to somewhere you can both get a job and a place. Then go back after the stuff.

[A1t2o]

You must confront her on the issue. I would also consider taking legal action against her. That is destruction of property and you can press charges for that. Not that you would really want to press charges against your mom, but the threat of legal action might prevent her from trying something else. If she is the type to be more stupid when threatened with consequences then you will want to be cautious about your approach and make it seem like you would really not want to go to the cops, but the LFS is saying they will submit a complaint about animal cruelty or something along those lines where its not your revenge driving your actions as she sees it.

Also you must move out. If you have no job then how can you have a tank? And didn't you say you were about to spend $1500 on fish!? If you have no job then you have nothing tying you down and you should be able to relocate somewhere cheaper and where you can get a job. Having a stable income 100% out-weighs everything else except health issues.

Check out manufacturing facilities in your area. They usually pay a decent wage and don't require too much for qualifications and experience. If that wont work then go to an employment agency and they should get you placed pretty quickly. If you do well then usually you will get hired on in 90 days.

[zchauvin]

No offense but stop putting money into a hobby, get a second job if need be and get your own place. This way things like this don't happen. Sorry for the loss... My tanks stay in my room, and it's my apartment. I don't like people anywhere around my tanks for reasons just as this.

[pfan151]

And didn't you say you were about to spend $1500 on fish!? .

This part was odd to me as well.

[CStrickland]

I don't think any of us know op's situation well enough to insist that one solution or another is best. There's lots of good ideas in here, hopefully one of these options can help. But there's just way too many variables to say they must do this or that. For example, we don't know what condition the grandpa is in, it could be that op has to decide for themself whether to leave someone fragile behind; if any old body could just get a job the world would look different than it does; we also don't know the moms status, domestic abuse (assuming that's what's going on here) is fraught and complicated. In my work we see women whose husbands went from knocking them around a little to a gun to her head when she started packing. All this to say "just leave" isn't always an option.

Just saying, if it were as easy as we'd like, OP would probably be out by now. It's hard to see someone struggle in a situation like this, but I don't think armchair quarterbacking their life over a few paragraphs in a fish forum is helpful. OP is grown, they know this is messed up. IMO it's better to offer lots of suggestions than to tell them what they must do with so little info.

[albano]

I don't think any of us know op's situation well enough to insist that one solution or another is best. There's lots of good ideas in here, hopefully one of these options can help. But there's just way too many variables to say they must do this or that. For example, we don't know what condition the grandpa is in, it could be that op has to decide for themself whether to leave someone fragile behind; if any old body could just get a job the world would look different than it does; we also don't know the moms status, domestic abuse (assuming that's what's going on here) is fraught and complicated. In my work we see women whose husbands went from knocking them around a little to a gun to her head when she started packing. All this to say "just leave" isn't always an option.

Just saying, if it were as easy as we'd like, OP would probably be out by now. It's hard to see someone struggle in a situation like this, but I don't think armchair quarterbacking their life over a few paragraphs in a fish forum is helpful. OP is grown, they know this is messed up. IMO it's better to offer lots of suggestions than to tell them what they must do with so little info.

+1... Absolutely ... I wouldn't be surprised if Fishkid regrets posting this, hope everything works out for him.

[A1t2o]

I don't think any of us know op's situation well enough to insist that one solution or another is best. There's lots of good ideas in here, hopefully one of these options can help. But there's just way too many variables to say they must do this or that. For example, we don't know what condition the grandpa is in, it could be that op has to decide for themself whether to leave someone fragile behind; if any old body could just get a job the world would look different than it does; we also don't know the moms status, domestic abuse (assuming that's what's going on here) is fraught and complicated. In my work we see women whose husbands went from knocking them around a little to a gun to her head when she started packing. All this to say "just leave" isn't always an option.

Just saying, if it were as easy as we'd like, OP would probably be out by now. It's hard to see someone struggle in a situation like this, but I don't think armchair quarterbacking their life over a few paragraphs in a fish forum is helpful. OP is grown, they know this is messed up. IMO it's better to offer lots of suggestions than to tell them what they must do with so little info.

I don't disagree with you, but sometimes people are too close to the issue to be able to see it clearly. OP is a grown up and can make their own decisions, and getting some advice from a 3rd party is a good idea. Obviously, I would take every suggestion with a grain of salt, mine included, since we do not know all the details. But sometimes you need to take a step back and stop trying to fix the symptoms and start fixing the cause of the problem. Pretty much what people are saying here is "your problem isn't that the tank was poisoned, its that you are in a situation where a person you live with would do something like that."

Really, all we can offer is a different perspective and share our experiences. I hope they do help though.

[Shaummy]

I'll throw one little angle in here folks...anyone else think it's possible that the OP mom didn't do anything to the tank directly/maliciously? Maybe she sprayed the room with air freshener, or lysol, etc... without really thinking about the effects on the tank?

We are quick to think something was dumped into the tank, but it could be something in the air. Just saying....

[zchauvin]

I'll throw one little angle in here folks...anyone else think it's possible that the OP mom didn't do anything to the tank directly/maliciously? Maybe she sprayed the room with air freshener, or lysol, etc... without really thinking about the effects on the tank?



We are quick to think something was dumped into the tank, but it could be something in the air. Just saying....


We as in the OP?

[fishkid6692]

I have an associates in liberal arts, I did 2 years at Naugatuck community college and also went to UTI to get certified as an auto technician. I live with my grandfather, not my mother, and without me he would have an extremely hard time around the house. The house is also being left to me so leaving isn't really an option. I had a great job straight out of college thanks to family friends but I was let go because of something my mother did almost 2 years ago. She called the police and said I did a bunch of stuff to her in another one of her episodesz even though I was with my grandparents the entire time when she told them the story, the cops took her word for it and I was arrested, resulting in me losing my job. After 2 years in court I proved it was all lies and they're wiping my record on the 2nd of March but it's been an uphill battle. I always thought the justice system and police were there to help and I feel the opposite now, I've never had so much disgust for a group of people in my life. I lived in Orlando for a while and my grandfather asked me to move back after his heart surgery and im thinking I should of never came back. For those asking how I have money for tanks and fish, Ive worked since I was 15 years old and have saved and saved, I have money but getting into an apartment without a job to cover expenses will make that money disapear fast and also what would my grandpa do? It's a really fragile situation with my mother because we don't want to put her on the streets. I didn't really want this to get so personal, I just wanted to provide a backstory for what had happened. I know it was her because my tanks are in the basement where no one goes except me, it's like my living room. The tanks were fine, I left and came back, all fish were barely holding on. It's not a coincidence that the only tank without fish in it is fine but the other two right next to it were poisened. She's done stuff like this before but never to my animals. She's threatened it but never followed through. I'll be moving the tanks into my room and putting a few dead bolts on the door. God has a plan and I just have to keep my head up and have faith that these things happen to make us stronger and eventually his path will lead me where I need to be. Thank you for all the advice and kind words everyone.

[A1t2o]

I have an associates in liberal arts, I did 2 years at Naugatuck community college and also went to UTI to get certified as an auto technician. I live with my grandfather, not my mother, and without me he would have an extremely hard time around the house. The house is also being left to me so leaving isn't really an option. I had a great job straight out of college thanks to family friends but I was let go because of something my mother did almost 2 years ago. She called the police and said I did a bunch of stuff to her in another one of her episodesz even though I was with my grandparents the entire time when she told them the story, the cops took her word for it and I was arrested, resulting in me losing my job. After 2 years in court I proved it was all lies and they're wiping my record on the 2nd of March but it's been an uphill battle. I always thought the justice system and police were there to help and I feel the opposite now, I've never had so much disgust for a group of people in my life. I lived in Orlando for a while and my grandfather asked me to move back after his heart surgery and im thinking I should of never came back. For those asking how I have money for tanks and fish, Ive worked since I was 15 years old and have saved and saved, I have money but getting into an apartment without a job to cover expenses will make that money disapear fast and also what would my grandpa do? It's a really fragile situation with my mother because we don't want to put her on the streets. I didn't really want this to get so personal, I just wanted to provide a backstory for what had happened. I know it was her because my tanks are in the basement where no one goes except me, it's like my living room. The tanks were fine, I left and came back, all fish were barely holding on. It's not a coincidence that the only tank without fish in it is fine but the other two right next to it were poisened. She's done stuff like this before but never to my animals. She's threatened it but never followed through. I'll be moving the tanks into my room and putting a few dead bolts on the door. God has a plan and I just have to keep my head up and have faith that these things happen to make us stronger and eventually his path will lead me where I need to be. Thank you for all the advice and kind words everyone.

Wow, that's a complex situation. I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck. Maybe it would be easier to put a door on the stairs to the basement with the deadbolt if no one else goes down there. Moving tanks is no simple matter, plus the weight is a concern. If she admits to it, then you may want to at least file a report with the police. You don't have to press charges, but then you will have it documented and can show a history of hostility towards you and your property. That way, if she tried to make up stuff about you again then you have proof of her history of being imbalanced and should have the benefit of the doubt. Doesn't help with your current situation, but it would be a step towards protecting yourself. What ever happens, I wish you luck. Hope your fish make it too.

[toothybugs]

^^^ Agreed. Short of doing something really hard like a psych eval, you need to document this kind of vandalism with the police. There was a long thread from a couple years ago where one of our bigger names here had his 480gal bleached by his son. The cops were called and charges filed. If you have some more exotic stuff or a larger collection, it's actually felony vandalism. Hard truth but it is.

[fishkid6692]

^^^ Agreed. Short of doing something really hard like a psych eval, you need to document this kind of vandalism with the police. There was a long thread from a couple years ago where one of our bigger names here had his 480gal bleached by his son. The cops were called and charges filed. If you have some more exotic stuff or a larger collection, it's actually felony vandalism. Hard truth but it is.

Do you have a link? Id like to see what he did in this situation. Or a name to search for?

[Fitz19d]

Grumble

[tmz]

This thread is way out of the scope of this forum. Empathy and sympathy are fine to a point but social policy arguments and clinical advice are beyond my comfort zone here.