gumshoetortis
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
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Greetings,
For some time now, I have been dealing with a nitrate problem in my 125 gallon cichlid tank. I have read as much information available on the subject, discussed the matter with fish store owners and sought the council of other avid fish enthusiasts, without much sucess. In the process of lowering the levels, I have followed all advice, sparing no expense on the tank to rid myself of this headache. New filters, water changes, absorbers and the like, still, I cannot get the nitrates below 200-250 ppm.
Now, there are those who would say that the nitrates are not that big of a deal, and initially, I would agree. I have worked on other tanks the same size with more fish in it with slightly lower nitrates (180 ppm) and observed no obvious effects on the fish. Some sources site that when nitrates remain toxic of a period of time, it can adversely effect the health of the fish...
It is my desire to lower them, not just to have them low, but because there are rising problems in the tank: my jack has slowly stopped eating, my green terror swimming behaviour is odd (he doesn't stay afloat anymore) and two of my jewels have very erradict behaviour, and are losing color. Everything else is in balance (save for the ph, which I cannot get above 7.3, probably because of the nitrates)
I am now at a loss, and any help would be wonderful.
125 gallon tank initially with a eheiem 2256 wet/dry filter.
Added an undergravel plate with three beefy powerheads (aquaclear 80s)
HOB filter for mechanical filtration.
As for the fish, it is an odd mix, but it works (they were raised from babies)
A Large Albino Oscar
A large Jack Dempsey
A large Texas
A large Green Terror
A large Red Terror
A medium Green Terror (male)
2 large coupled Red Forest Jewels (lifallili)
2 meium jewels
2 small jewels
2 small convicts (recently added)
A large pleco
A large chinese algea eater
a fat chocolate catfish
a red tailed shark
Too many fish for the tank? Could it be another problem like hexamite or some other parisitical infection? Is it food I am feeding them?
I negelcted to mention that I clean the water at least two times a week, with a large change (50 to 60%) on the weekend. The day of the water change the fish seem happy, but the next day, up goes the nitrates to off the chart, and zee fish are sluggish...
Thanks.
For some time now, I have been dealing with a nitrate problem in my 125 gallon cichlid tank. I have read as much information available on the subject, discussed the matter with fish store owners and sought the council of other avid fish enthusiasts, without much sucess. In the process of lowering the levels, I have followed all advice, sparing no expense on the tank to rid myself of this headache. New filters, water changes, absorbers and the like, still, I cannot get the nitrates below 200-250 ppm.
Now, there are those who would say that the nitrates are not that big of a deal, and initially, I would agree. I have worked on other tanks the same size with more fish in it with slightly lower nitrates (180 ppm) and observed no obvious effects on the fish. Some sources site that when nitrates remain toxic of a period of time, it can adversely effect the health of the fish...
It is my desire to lower them, not just to have them low, but because there are rising problems in the tank: my jack has slowly stopped eating, my green terror swimming behaviour is odd (he doesn't stay afloat anymore) and two of my jewels have very erradict behaviour, and are losing color. Everything else is in balance (save for the ph, which I cannot get above 7.3, probably because of the nitrates)
I am now at a loss, and any help would be wonderful.
125 gallon tank initially with a eheiem 2256 wet/dry filter.
Added an undergravel plate with three beefy powerheads (aquaclear 80s)
HOB filter for mechanical filtration.
As for the fish, it is an odd mix, but it works (they were raised from babies)
A Large Albino Oscar
A large Jack Dempsey
A large Texas
A large Green Terror
A large Red Terror
A medium Green Terror (male)
2 large coupled Red Forest Jewels (lifallili)
2 meium jewels
2 small jewels
2 small convicts (recently added)
A large pleco
A large chinese algea eater
a fat chocolate catfish
a red tailed shark
Too many fish for the tank? Could it be another problem like hexamite or some other parisitical infection? Is it food I am feeding them?
I negelcted to mention that I clean the water at least two times a week, with a large change (50 to 60%) on the weekend. The day of the water change the fish seem happy, but the next day, up goes the nitrates to off the chart, and zee fish are sluggish...
Thanks.