Mega High Nitrate And 1 Sick Tetra

[lol]

Hi

I've just tested the water in my aquarium (3' x 1'x 1.5') (had this for about 8 weeks now) and the levels are as follows:
PH - 8.0
Nitrite - 0.1mg/l
Nitrate - 75mg/l
Ammonia - 0.8mg/l

The test kit is by interpret and is called 'easy test'. Basically I have to compare the colour of the test tube to a broad range on the lid of the box and the above readings are as accurate as they can be...

Around 2 weeks ago I did a big water change because the nitrate level was the same, i.e. way too high... The filter was clogged so I rinsed it, and a lot of brown sludge came out. The gravel was very dirty when I did the water change initially, as the previous owner of this tank obviously didn't clean it like he should. I didn't realise how mucky it was, so cleaned it, did the water change. About a week ago I had to rinse the filter media again as it began to be sluggish. It has been fine since, i.e. working powerfully. However, when I tested the water again today the nitrate level was really high again.

Can anyone help? I need advice as to what I should do, and what may be causing this. I've tested the water I'm putting into the tank - it's absolutely fine. So the cause of the problem is in the tank...

I don't overfeed the fish - I only have 2 angels (10cm ish each), 3 x ray tetras, 1 chinese algae eater and a goldfish (!) so I guess they can't produce that much waste? These all came with the tank and the guy who owned them before had them all for 2 years. I don't think he really looked after them that well but he said they've never had problems...

Another thing - one of the x rays is sick - I think it's dropsy - he is swollen, his scales are poking out on his belly and he looks like he's gasping for air. I've put him in a smaller tank with some medicine called esha2000 fungus, finrot and bacteria treatment. I put this in the main tank about a week and a half ago because one of the angels had a problem with it's fin (bit ragged, think it was from mating as they are spawning all the time) and the guy in the LFS recommended this medicine. I did a 3 day treatment and it says it won't harm the fish or the water... The angel is fine now.

Does the tetra have dropsy? Is there anything else I can do? And how do I fix the water?

Please help!

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Sadly that tetra not going to make it.
How many gallons is the tank.
What filter are you using.

 

[lol]

Sadly that tetra not going to make it.
How many gallons is the tank.
What filter are you using.

Tank is 120ish litres... About 27 gallons?

The filter is internal, an eheim aquaball...

 

[WILDER]

Your answer is that the tank overstocked and your filter which I use it not coping with the fish.
Add another filter for now and rehome the goldfish.

 

[Puffdaddy]

Try adding 3-4 live plants if you don't already have any they will help by consuming some of the nitrate.
Question, did you wash the filter and media out in tap water (in the sink) or did you use tank water. Tap water can kill off your "good" bacteria colonies and send your tank into a cycle.

 

[lol]

Your answer is that the tank overstocked and your filter which I use it not coping with the fish.
Add another filter for now and rehome the goldfish.

I though I could have 10cm of fish per litre? I've forgotten exactly what it is but I don't plan on adding more... When I worked it out I though the tank was understocked?

Are these filters any good? If they're not, can you recommend soemthing better? I don't know how powerful this filter is but am guessing I need something more powerful? And if so, how powerful?

Sorry for all the questions, just desperate to save them! Shame about the tetra... I was planning on re homing the goldfish to my parents garden pond (it's massive) but thought I should wait till the water warms up - he'd die from shck if I did it now I think

 

[WILDER]

That aqua ball filter will not keep up with a goldfish, which one is it.

There good filters but not for goldifsh they are massive waste producers, the first goldfish alone needs a 20 gallon tank.
Should be able to add the fish to the pond in the next week or two usually march, ask in the coldwater section of the forum.
If you remove the goldfish then the stats should improve as your stocking not bad then.
Look into your chinese algae eater think they are aggressive and need larger tanks.

 

[lol]

couple of replies... i had 8 buches of live plants but the fish (algae eater mostly I think) has destroyed all but 2 bunches... They were uprooted and eaten! The filter was rinsed in tank water, not tap.

Think the aquaball is an 1112? My boyfriend text me the model number a while ago (needed a new mounting clip) but I couldn't find a number on it. I think the guy had it for a few years.

Do goldfish produce loads of waste then? I think I'll put him in the small tank when the tetra is gone (one way or another ) and slowly turn the temperature down to get him back to normal...

 

[WILDER]

Is it one of these.
http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/listsecti...p=8&rets=18

 

[lol]

I posted about the algae eater a few weeks back asking for advice because he was agressive towards the other fish... We got him a cave (ship wreck) and gave him algae flakes which he'd never been given before. Now he's very happy, never bothers the other fish, just spends time happily suckering around the tank! He's about the right size to be aggressive, 10cm ish, but I think he's ok for now. If anything changes I'll get a bigger tank as I really like him and would be gutted to lose him

It is one of those, the 4 basket one

 

[WILDER]

Check the site on the filter I left as you can add more baskets to them I did.
Ok add some more baskets

 

[lol]

Thanks, that's brilliant! I will add another basket section if you think that will help. DO you think adding some more plants would help too?

Would it be better to add a basket, or change to a different filter?

I don't know what's out there and if anything is better than anything else?

Thanks so much for all of your help so far

 

[Don Trinko]

I had the sludge problem also when my nitrates were high. Consistant water changes lowered the nitrates and also the amount of sludge on the filter. Don T.

 

[WILDER]

Once the goldfish goes that filter should cope.
I run two filters in all my tank, could always add another aqua ball very good had no problems with them.
Sorry needed an hours break.

 

[lol]

No worries, I had to get some sleep! I will do a couple of water changes in the next few days and remove the goldfish. I'm going to get some more plants today also, on top of the water changes, in case that will help.

The tetra is still in the hospital tank, looks just the same despite the medicine... My mum said that peas might help with his bloating? I dropped 2 squashed up ones in in the hope that it might... She used them before at home.

I originally had the small tank the tetra is now in for angel eggs... They kept being eaten so I tried removing the 3rd batch but had no luck and felt so guilty at how distressed the female looked that I will let nature do it's thing next time (looks imminent - she's fat again). I'm wondering if it would be ok to put the goldfish in this tank when the tetra is gone (for good, or back to the 3' tank...)? It has an interpret internal air filter in it at the moment as this is what was recommended to me for the angel fry. Will this cope with 1. the tetra on his own for now and 2. the goldfish when tetra is gone?

I'm thinking I might need to upgrade for goldie?

Also, do I need to start all over again with the water in the small tank before I put the goldfish in? I have absolutely no idea if dropsy will contaminate the water or not? I just think the sooner I get him out of the big tank and in the small one to cool down before going to the pond, the better. The angels are pretty protective over a third of the tank when they're about to spawn so he doesn't have as much swimming room as he should have either...

Thanks so much again for all of your help, especially wilder - somebody else has said you're a massive asset to the site and I definitely agree!