Help With Nitrates Too High Please.

[tricia73au]

Tank size: 4ft x 2ft x 1.8ft
pH: 7
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0 ppm
nitrate: 80 ppm
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 27 oC

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): one oscar is quiet and hasent eaten in 2 days, just hiding under his log all day.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: approx 20% each week

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: no chemicals, just water declorinator when I change the water.

Tank inhabitants: 2 x oscars 3 1/2 inches long, 1 pleco 8 inches long

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): live plants last week.

Exposure to chemicals: none that I know of.


My main concern is today when I got home the water is having a bit of algue bloom, so I tested the watewr, to find everything ok except the nitrate levels through the roof. They are usually around the 5ppm.

I have just added live plants for the first time last week. could these be the reasoning why? My oscar is a big sook anyway and I've had oscars do this before. But now worried it was an early sign of something else. I tested the water 3 days ago and everything was OK.


Oh, I vacummed the gravell for the first time in months last water change.

thanks in advance.

 

[tricia73au]

Main thing right now, should I do another water change, or race off ( I have 30 mins) to a pet store and buy something? I'm googling furuiosly right now and really have no idea what to do.

 

[shelaghfishface]

you can quite easily bring your nitrates down with water changes..dont add any chemicals, well not untill youve really tried with just water changes anyway, tetra make a product called nitrate minus.. tho beware its almost a life long commitment with that stuff water changes would be the best road to go down, considering your stock levels .

re oscars
sounds like one is being bullied to be honest,tank is is only just big enough for one, never mind 2, i would rehome the quite one and fast ( i wont go into it too much, as i often have and often felt like i have wasted my time typing replies) if you want more advice you can by all means ask and i`ll be happy to give it,as will others

i imagine you have a huge filter on the tank? what with 2 oscars and a plec-common i assume by the size?

like i said if you need anything else,just ask
shelagh xxx

 

[ZebraDanioFan]

i think you need to gravel vacuum more often with the water changes...i gravel vacuum lightly with my weekly water changes