Why Am I Losing Fish ?

[JohnBull]

2 years ago I set up my first ever tropical tank. It's the Jewel trigon type holding around
45 gallons after displacement for various items. The probLem I have is over the last 18 months I have slowly but surely been losing fish and the pattern is always the same. First of all it's always one fish at a time,the fishe one question start to remain motionless,usually either mid tank or upper levels. The fish then start to move irrationally or sometimes swims as if it does not know how to right itself. Death usually follows these symptoms after 3/5 days. So far I have lost 4 Tigers,3 swordtails,Guppys and tetras,but never more than one at a time. My water readings are good part from the fact that my tap water is always high in N2 Nitrate. I have tried large 90% water changes!but usually o one WT a week of around 25%. My substrate is grave, I do try and keep plants which should decrease m N2 but they seem to die and won't root in the gavel. At a loss what do now,something is obviously wrong but don't know what it is.

Today readings with my API test kit.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate 40/60 ( usually is around 60/80ppm )
PH. 6.5


Thoughts ?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

If your tap water comes with high nitrates like the ~40ppm down on the UK south coast, it becomes a lot more important to do frequent large (50% or more) to keep nitrates in check, even more so if you feed high protein content food.
 
http/linuxhost.matsp.co.uk/calculator/nitrate-plants.php
 
What are the gH and kH water hardness values of your tap/tank water? Many livebearers need hard water, some like Mollies do better in brackish or even marine conditions.
 
What temp do you typically keep the tank at? Keeping fish in too warm conditions will raise their metabolic rate and consequently shorten their expected lifespan.

 

[JohnBull]

Thanks for reply.

Not sure how to check tap water stats,would the API test kit do this for what you suggest ?

Temp is a constant ant 25 * (Middle of green area of thermo)

I feed Once a day at 7-00am with fine flake. Food takes between 2 or 3 mins to disappear. Sometimes feed small amount of mini pellett or bloodworm plus a piece of cucumber for Pleccy at night.

 

[JohnBull]

Definitely hard water in these parts.

Anything else ?

 

[Meeresstille]

Is there something you've added just before the trouble started 18 months ago? Any fish, plants....that may have brought something with them?

 

[JohnBull]

Is there something you've added just before the trouble started 18 months ago? Any fish, plants....that may have brought something with them?

Not really no. I just have a couple of plastic plants and the original rock features. I did a calculation last night and my fish loss over 26 months is around 15%. I'm sure my tank is under stocked if my thing,but this Nitrate thing sounds like it well be the real reason so many have been lost. Strangely my original 3 pearl Gouramis have survived though as have 2 Swordtails ?

At a loss ?

 

[Meeresstille]

If Nitrate is the problem I would heavily plant the tank, you may need to get better lighting and maybe even do CO2 to keep the plants from dying. If you just have low level lighting, you need to stick to low level lighting plants. Crypts, Java Fern, Java Moss, Vallisneria, Anubia are good choices! 
 
To be honest though, I'm not convinced that this is the problem. People have had much worse Nitrate conditions (old tank syndrome) where their fish seem to be perfectly fine, only new additions can't handle the high levels and die! 

 

[JohnBull]

Looks like live plants are the answer then. Come to think of it it's the new additions who seem to not cope very long. I will go to my local fish stockist and ask about plants as you suggest,and also increase my Water changes to 50% and twice a week.

Watch this space..