the_lock_man said:
How often do you do water changes, and what proportion do you change? Certainly the tank is mega-planted enough to absorb all the nitrate, but your stocking is enough to produce a viable figure. However, if you do 2 sensible changes a week, that would keep the nitrate to a minimum.
Whatever, it's certainly not the cause of death for the shark.
Well, I went to work and used the test kit there.
The results actually came back 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and 10/20 Nitrate.
Makes sense?!
Basically saying my API test kit is faulty (which I have heard of before).
But that wouldn't explain why it's been 0,0,0 before on previous tests at other various places with other various kits.
Regardless - getting a full exchange at work tomorrow for a new test kit and regardless of the results of the water test, that seems perfectly normal for a tank.
I normally do water changes every 10 days or so. And it's normally about 40% I take out with a good gravel clean at the same time (used to be more frequent but hard when 6 months preggo!)
Spoke to a gentleman in a fish shop I went snooping in today, he said it sounds like something bacterial in the gut. He said it's sods law really - spending their time eating off the bottom of the tank, can pick up these things more easily? (He said it a lot more 'technical' than that ha ha). Bloat which then affected the swim bladder or some sorts. Sound reasonable? He came across as a really knowledgeable guy. Spent about 2 and a half hours chatting fish.
I cried, but he's been put into deep freeze at my work ready to be cremated
I'm such a softy when it comes to pets!
9 months with dodgy results from an API test kit - I've been too lucky!
