Ouch - fish died

[KerriPaul]

got some nitrate/nitrite tester

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 40

 

[WILDER]

That's good, but you could fetch nitrate down with a few daily water changes.

 

[KerriPaul]

Well a 50% water change and filter clean along with interpet anti internal bacteria seems to have stopped the dying. I also lowered the temp to 80F from 82.

Decided to test my endler tank as I had bought the test kit: Nitrates 160+ Nitrites 5+ both right off the scale.

Strange thing is the endlers and some sword and danio fry along with my plec are all quite fit and well and I havent lost any fish in that tank in ages..

(Still changed the water though!)

 

[bogusmove]

CO2 does not push oxygen out of the water - so the O2 levels should remain constant overnight (if the surface is moving).

Is this so? I've seen contradictory posts before on this topic, it always seems to be a little contoversial.

See this topic for example.

 

[sylvia]

Decided to test my endler tank as I had bought the test kit: Nitrates 160+ Nitrites 5+ both right off the scale.

Strange thing is the endlers and some sword and danio fry along with my plec are all quite fit and well and I havent lost any fish in that tank in ages..

I'd do a google search on 'old tank syndrome'

 

[WILDER]

how big is the tank, how often do you do water changes and a vac on the tank, never seen such a high nitrate reading, i'm surprised the fish are still breathing.

 

[sylvia]

BTW, have you tested your tap water for nitates?

 

[KerriPaul]

how big is the tank, how often do you do water changes and a vac on the tank, never seen such a high nitrate reading, i'm surprised the fish are still breathing

It is quite a small tank, I think the readings are so high because a couple of months ago I turned off the filter to stop the baby endlers going in, and added a large plec which I took out of my main tank to stop him eating the plants.

 

[Angry_Platy]

Dropsy is caused by internal bacteria - how could this be passed on (unless it is a livebearer and the mother had it or the egg was somehow infected)?

Good water quality and not over-stocking are always the best methods of prevention...

Not necessarily. I lost many fish to dropsy from overfeeding then subsequent organ failure leading to dropsy. They may get organ failure from internal parasites which may then lead to dropsy but it isn't the only cause.

It cannot be passed on.

 

[KerriPaul]

I've been told the only way Dropsy can be passed on is by cannibalism of dead fish

 

[sylvia]

Someone mentioned it can be inherited, that's what I was asking about... I can't see how that would be possible.

 

[KerriPaul]

I suspect that it's the vulnerabilty to catching it that is inherited.

The good news is that nitrates are down to 10 ppm and with the interpet anti internal bacteria no further losses since Friday and all seem fit and well.

 

[blue_ram]

CO2 does not push oxygen out of the water - so the O2 levels should remain constant overnight (if the surface is moving).

Is this so? I've seen contradictory posts before on this topic, it always seems to be a little contoversial.

See this topic for example.

Additon of CO2 should not displace oxygen. Generally O2 shouldn't be displaced by CO2, even if it has reached a point where no more gases can be dissolved in water. Because once you reach that point, the partial pressure of the gases in the atmosphere should be the driving force. But it's pointless, since most fish would have died from CO2 poisoning long before you reach that point anyway.

May be it's my inefficient CO2 reactor, but I've never had pH fall more than 0.4 over ~24 hour period with or without constant CO2.