Fish Dead

[TammyLiz]

Well, I may stand corrected on the nitrate issue. However, to add to this information I have had fish "flash" on the substrate because of a nitrate level of 20, though, and I have to tell you that some fish are much more sensitive to it than others. I believe that numbers like that for "problematic" and "fatal" are really generalizations. Some fish come from much cleaner waters than others and this has to be kept in mind when talking about "facts" like that. IMO those nitrate levels would be affecting tetras at least a little and are not "fine" long term. I didn't say they were directly causing these problems, I was adding it as a side note.

As I said, it could be bacterial and was not disagreeing on that issue. I do think there is a chance that it could be a fast moving parasite as well, as stated, but that tetras are less likely to be carrying something like that than other species, also as stated. They could have picked up something like that at the store, though, from something that was wild caught and recently imported.

In short, I stand by what I said and I don't really think its that different from what you were saying.

 

[rabbut]

Nitrate of 20 shouldn't caure flashing...... I'd advise you to look for different problems. Most test kits are inaccurate at testing for nitrate below arround 30, so that reading may be off. I am always sceptcal about the accuracy of nitrate test kits, as this compound is hard to test for accurately without spending serious money on test gear. Though they are generalisations, the only fish that woulden't be happy with high nitrate, are scaleless fish, such as loaches from the Botia genous, and Discus. No others strike me ATM, though it may not be a limited as these two types. I've known tetras to be fine very close to 100 before with no obvious ill effects.

Though fast moving parasites are a possibility, I'd wouldn't have thought them likely, as you would usualy see "wasting time" due to internal parasites, and flashing and de-colouration with exturnal parasites.

All the best
Rabbut