Paraguard question

[Bpervell]

Hello Guys & Gals

I have a 55 gal freshwater tank - cycled - all parameters are good except the nitrates - 80+ (I change water about 150 gals per month); It is heavily stocked & I have filtration of approx. 600 gallons per hour per filter boxes - 1 HOB; 2 powerheads for undergravel filter. Temp is 78 degrees

Here is my question - since I do not have room for a hospital or quarantine tank - can I use Paraguard as monthly preventative for possible bad stuff?

I have noticed one of tetras has what looks like pop eye and is swimming "weird" - I have had him/her and 2 others for about a year.

Will Paraguard hurt weather loaches?

Thanking you in advance

Brad

 

[Byron]

It is never advisable to treat an aquarium containing live fish with any medication/substance unless there is a fair degree of certainty that there is an issue requiring treatment and then that the product used is the most effective and safest under the circumstances.

All substances added to the water get inside the fish, naturally. The fish may not die, but the physiology is still being affected and this can usually weaken the fish, which only causes stress and the risk of further problems otherwise avoidable.

Clean water, meaning regular substantial partial water changes, are the best "treatment" in any aquarium. Water changes achieve what no number of filters can. You have an issue already with high nitrates (nitrates over 20 ppm are now known to be harmful to fish long-term) that should be resolved, as this is weakening the fish and adding further stress. Stress weakens the immune system, so fish will be more susceptible to parasites, bacterial issues, etc. If the nitrates are occurring within the aquarium, meaning the source water is zero nitrate, you should be able to resolve this; overstocking, overfeeding, insufficient water changes, allowing the substrate and filter to be clogged all contribute to nitrate and are preventable. Nitrate in the source water is another matter that requires different action.

With the above as background...there is no benefit to treating an aquarium regularly as some form of prevention. This just does not work. The "treatment" stresses out the fish and stress is the initiating factor in 95% of all fish disease so "preventions" only increase the risk. The best prevention is clean waster within the parameters required by the species.

As for Paraguard, I cannot find out what is in it, as Seachem says the ingredients are "trade secrets." I want to know what is going inside my fish before I use any product.

 

[Bpervell]

Thank you great reply. Makes sense
I just cant get those darn nitrates down. I am adding more live plants - I do 50% change twice a month and 25% twice a month
Vaccuum gravel and clean out the floss - I reuse to keep good bacteria.
Again thanks

 

[Byron]

Thank you great reply. Makes sense
I just cant get those darn nitrates down. I am adding more live plants - I do 50% change twice a month and 25% twice a month
Vaccuum gravel and clean out the floss - I reuse to keep good bacteria.
Again thanks

Your water changes are less than half what you should be doing, so that is a major factor here. I change 60-70% of each of my tanks once every week. Nitrates in over 10 years have been in the 0 to 5 ppm range (using the API liquid test), and never fluctuate which is what you want.

Live plants will help minimally, but they cannot deal with excess nitrates. When nitrate occurs from the aquarium (not the source water) there is no reason it cannot remain below 20 ppm, so this is an achievable goal. Water changes are key.

 

[Bpervell]

Thanks
But funny thing when I would do 5 5 gallon buckets every week I would lose fish. Thinking the change was too severe that is why I go every other week 50% and 25%

 

[Byron]

Thanks
But funny thing when I would do 5 5 gallon buckets every week I would lose fish. Thinking the change was too severe that is why I go every other week 50% and 25%

There is no reason why fish should die from water changes unless there is a very serious issue. The idea behind water changes is to keep the water chemistry stable. If the parameters (GH, KH and pH, also temperature) are basically the same between tank water and source (tap) water, a large water change will not hurt fish. Assuming you use a conditioner to deal with chlorine/chloramine.

You said initially the tank is overstocked...no mention was made of the fish species and numbers, parameters, additives...all this factors in.