Fish Still Dying

[Priscilla]

I'm still having nitrate problems in my 20 gal tanks.
I lost my oldest rosy barb in the bottom tank & another one in the tank above last weekend.
I see 2 more in the upper tank which appear to be struggling....they're near the top some of the time but stay in one place wherever they are...like they're swimming but going no where & they aren't eating.

I've been trying to do water changes in both tanks every other day but can only do a max of 5 gallons in one tank or 2.5 in both at a time.....
I also found fry when I syphoned the top tank about a month ago.....there were 4 but now only 2 left in the 10 gal. tank in the other room....possibly victims of the filter...I really don't know.

I know my tanks aren't overstocked...there's only 7 in the top tank including 2 babies.

The bottom tank has only 6 fish...that's the tank I took down when I started losing fish....those fish seem to be doing fine except for the oldest that just died....at least they're always looking for food, unlike the ones in the top tank. I cannot seem get the nitrates down . Both tanks..no ammonia, nitrites are fine but nitrates are at about 10.
At this point I'm beginning to think it's more than just a water quality issue as I never had this problem before.... Heck, after I had my neck surgery I couldn't do water changes for months & never lost a fish...not to mention we leave home once or twice a year for 2 weeks at a time.
How long do rosy barbs normally live?
Priscilla

 

[thefishykid]

nitrates is a good posability if you cant doregular water changes there is medication you can get from your lfs to break down the nitrates. do your fish have any other symtoms visable or do they look healthy. also make sure that your fillter is working properly and not choked. remember to clean your filter with water from your tank and not under tap water. tap water has chemichals to kill benifisial bacteria that you need for your tank hope you solve this problem

 

[tttnjfttt]

FIrst of all, a nitrate level of 10 is perfectly acceptable. Anything less than 40 is ideal. Ammonia and nitrIte are what you want to keep at zero.

As for the life span of a rosy barb, i'm seeing all sorts of stuff, the average i found was probably between 3-5 years.

Specifically, how big are both your tanks, and what is in them. Also, can you clarify what problems you are having in each tank? I'm getting confused with the jumping back and forth.

 

[Arfie]

Nitrates of 10 isn't gonna kill your fish, my tapwater is at about 25.

I would be tempted to get your lfs to check your water in case your tests are off, the hanging around near the surface could be a lack of oxygen, so try adding an airstone. Are there any other signs? like reddened gills, any other discolouration to skin/fins/eyes etc any odd swimming motions, spinning, headstands, tail stands, leaning etc?

Arfie

 

[Priscilla]

FIrst of all, a nitrate level of 10 is perfectly acceptable. Anything less than 40 is ideal. Ammonia and nitrIte are what you want to keep at zero.

As for the life span of a rosy barb, i'm seeing all sorts of stuff, the average i found was probably between 3-5 years.

Specifically, how big are both your tanks, and what is in them. Also, can you clarify what problems you are having in each tank? I'm getting confused with the jumping back and forth.

Stated in my post: I'm still having nitrate problems in my 20 gal tanks.

I don't understand what you mean by jumping back & forth.
I've made several posts over the past couple of months....I lost most of my fish in my bottom tank. I took it down & cleaned it.
Since that time I've lost most of my fish.....but....from what you're saying 3-5yrs lifespan...With 1 exception all the fish that died were older than that.
Thanks. Priscilla

 

[tttnjfttt]

Ok, i re-read it, and it made more sense. At first i had a hard time figuring out what tank you were refering to. I did state that I found several different ranges for average life span, i just used the most common one. There were pages saying the average lifespan was older.

In the top tank, are there any other signs of illness besides hanging around the top of the tank? Are they breathing fast? are the gills red and inflamed? Are they scratching on any items in the tank?

 

[steelhealr]

I can't believe that your nitrates are the problem either. Although 40 is posted as the 'higher optimum', many freshwater fish survive higher levels. My tank runs stocked at the limit and I have to do frequent water changes to keep my nitrates at 20-40. I've hit 80 nitrates, not the best, but have not lost a fish except to a blue lobster.

To me..your nitrate level is nearly a pristine tank. I would look for other causes..perhaps a contaminant in the water or some other issue. SH

 

[reg2k2]

I've read thru your previous threads. Some thoughts:

Water conditioner. I know you say you're on well water, but water conditioners also protect against metals. This may not be the problem, but sometimes source waters can change...Might help, can't hurt?

Zeolite and salt should not be used together. Zeolite is re-charged by rinsing in salt solution...which releases the ammonia.

At one point you mention the algae is brownish...if it's like a thin coating, could be 'brown algae' (diatoms)...usually due to lack of lighting.

The unplugged filter (that was replaced) in the lower tank...this filter was then removed, yes?

As mentioned, a level of 10 in nitrate...is not usu. considered a problem. What reading is normal for your tanks?

Lastly, I don't believe a pH level was mentioned....got one?
Also, if you could run tests on your source water and tanks....and note if there's any differences?