lowes quikrete play sand toxic?

[pescado209]

I finished rinsing lowes quickrete play sand in the 40g. added in my 5 roseline sharks and 9 clown loaches from my quarantine tank, they have been in there for 3 weeks

20 minutes later I go check up on them and the 2 roselines are floating . I quickly remove them all and put them into my guppy colony in the tank above them, another 40 g. a few minutes after that my cories in the colony all start to float. and act erratic.

I do a quickly do a 90% WC and I still lost all 5 roselines . 2 out of 6 cories (the others don't look good) and all my loaches are laying on there sides pretty sure just about dead. I think my guppies are ok no obvious death just caos. red cherry shrimp seems completely unaffected .

I don't know wtf happened!!!!??????

I'm completely lost on what just happened especially how moving roselines/loaches into the other tank killed all my cories.

i had just done a 50% WC on the colony before all this. always use seachem safe on all my tanks (20s 40s 75s and 150).

I hope someone has some advice or similar experience because I'm am seriously lost am what just happened right now. don't have time to rest water from bottom tank right .

 

[pescado209]

ps. iv always used the homedepot play sand with our any problems before. first time using lowes sand

 

[Fat Homer]

We will need readings from your tank as well unless someone has had experience with this before quikcrete ???

But without knowing your filtration / Ammonia / Nitrite / nitrate levels in the tanks it could be the sand or could be something else entirely...

 

[RD.]

It certainly sounds like the Lowes sand had something very toxic in it, especially if the fish and/or nets introduced enough of the toxin from the play sand tank, to kill fish in another tank.

 

[Rocksor]

how long did you spend on rinsing the sand? Did you separate the sand in multiple parts when rinsing?

When I used play sand, I divide it into about 5-6 equal parts and had to rinse it with continually flowing water ~15-20 minutes until the water no longer had an oily sheen to it.

 

[RD.]

I've used Target brand play sand from Home Depot over the years, and never gave it more than a quick rinse in a pail, then scooped into the tank. I never separated anything? Never once had any issues. I've even done this a few times with fish in the tanks, again, no issues.

 

[krichardson]

Yep,as RD pointed out,the sand had some kind of harmful chemical or substance added to it.I wonder if the two stores carry the same brands of play sand?

 

[pescado209]

well . woke up this morning and my whole guppie colony is dead, 100 dead guppies is a sad sight to wake up too.
lost a couple shrimo, looked like 3 cories are still kicking . didn't have time to do a parameter check gonna have to wait till I get home .

I guess if I have to put a "good" spin is that I bought 6 sacks of sand for my 210g oscar tank project, easier to lose these little guys than my large oscars and polys. still sucks thou since I watch my guppie colony grow from a few dozen to a tons of babies swimming around over the last couple months .

will update with parameters tonight.

 

[krichardson]

If the problem is due to some additive in the sand I doubt that the parameter readings will reveal much if anything.

 

[Rocksor]

well . woke up this morning and my whole guppie colony is dead, 100 dead guppies is a sad sight to wake up too.
lost a couple shrimo, looked like 3 cories are still kicking . didn't have time to do a parameter check gonna have to wait till I get home .

I guess if I have to put a "good" spin is that I bought 6 sacks of sand for my 210g oscar tank project, easier to lose these little guys than my large oscars and polys. still sucks thou since I watch my guppie colony grow from a few dozen to a tons of babies swimming around over the last couple months .

will update with parameters tonight.

How long did you rinse the sand for?