Introduction and urgent help please

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andrew1642

New Fish
#1
Aug 1, 2013
4
0
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#1
Hi everybody, my name is Andrew and I just joined today because I have a serious problem with high nitrate levels in my 400 litre (about 90 gal I think) tank. I've had the tank for about 4 years and never experienced any problems until last week when I lost 15 fish (mainly small neons etc but also 3 clown loaches). The staff at my local garden centre tested the water and it was high in nitrates. I guess over the last 4 days I've changed out over 250litres. I keep testing the nitrate level and although it's coming down slowly I lost a silver shark tonight. The tank has plenty of bogwood (been in since the beginning so don't think that's the problem) and plenty of live plants and 2 air streams (one each side of the tank). Water temperature is 20 deg. SO all I have left now is 4 kissing gourami's, 3 golden gourami's, 1 sliver shark and a couple of small fish. The Garden Centre also sold me a bottle of Denitrol

Any suggestions welcome because I'm frightened I'm going to loose them all

Thanks

Andrew
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#2
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#2
Welcome to the forum, Andrew!

What are you readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? I don't think that high nitrates would cause a sudden loss of 15 fish.

Not all agree that the 'bacteria in a bottle' items actually work. Also, IF your only problem was high nitrates, no bacteria will help those readings. Bacteria does not change nitrates to something else to help lower those readings. Water changes will lower them, also plants can consume them (although they prefer ammonia first, then nitrite, and as a last resort will take in nitrate, all as a source of nitrogen).
 

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andrew1642

New Fish
#4
Aug 1, 2013
4
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#4
Thank you for your replies. Amonia, pH and nitrites are all fine - it's just the nitrate that is causing me concern. I am thinking of doing a 75% water change over the weekend - do you think that would lower the readings?

My only other thought is that I have been feeding them twice a day (morning and evening). Is that likely to have contributed to the problem?
 

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Thyra

Superstar Fish
#7
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
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Yelm, WA
#7
Your readings sound fine and as OC says, its doubtful if the nitrates would be the cause of so many sudden deaths. Were any of the fish new or recently added? Any chemicals? or anything else you did differently in the last couple of week?
 

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andrew1642

New Fish
#8
Aug 1, 2013
4
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#8
Hi, thank you for that. The only thing I've added in the last couple of weeks is a curtain air source that is located on the side of the aquarium. Cleaning wise, everything is kept well away from chemicals and such like - separate bowl and jug etc.

I noticed last night one of the golden gourami's has what is best described as blood red marks all over it's body - I wonder whether it's diseased and it spread to the other fish?

Tomorrow I'm going to do a 75% water change and sadly if that doesn't work I'll have to wait until they all die and then completely strip everything out, clean it and start again

Andrew
 

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