[Gettycent684]

Hi everyone looking some advice as my tank is 1000liters with 3 fx6s I put a kg of crushed coral in the other day and my rostratus seems to be gulping all water tested all ok after 4 days I do 50% water change as nitrates are 60_80 ppm during water changes fish flash and twitch no tap ph is 7.2 cold and 6.8 hot I use mixer tap to fill tank to right temp 26c

 

[DJRansome]

Post your test results for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If you change 50% of the water when nitrates get to 40ppm then you will be at 20ppm afterwards. Get a test kit with regeants and test tubes for this if you don't already have one.

I like to change 50% of water when nitrates get to 20ppm so that the nitrates never get higher than 20ppm.

If you normally do 50% water changes I would do one right now to gradually get the nitrates lower. However gasping for air at the surface may not be related to high nitrates.

 

[Gettycent684]

This is the test I done before water change

 

[Gettycent684]

This is the test I done before water change

 

[DJRansome]

I can't read the card and your's is different than mine. What is the test item on the right? Is the nitrite test missing?

Definitely change 50% of the water, if you have been doing 50% all along. Change less if you have not been changing 50% every week for a while. Too abrupt a change, even though the water is cleaner, can kill your fish.

 

[Gettycent684]

The red one is nitrates and fish not gulping at surface just when swimming around

 

[DJRansome]

All the test results are important, not just nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite are also toxins...and more dangerous than nitrates. Too many toxins for all tests. Change 50% of the water as soon as possible, if your fish are used to 50% changes every week.

How did you cycle your tank?

 

[Gettycent684]

Ave had it going for years now 3 fx6s with biohome

 

[DJRansome]

Something has caused toxins to overwhelm the beneficial organisms. It seems you are in a mini cycle.

**All of the 50% recommendations are dependent on whether you have been doing 50% regularly in the past.

So, please post the numbers for ammonia and nitrite and nitrates after your 50% water change to see where we are.

Plan on doing 50% again tomorrow morning and probably 50% again tomorrow night.

 

[Gettycent684]

Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrates 10 ppm this is after 50% water change at 4 o'clock fish are still flashing and rubbing of substrate and rostratus is still breathing heavy???

 

[Deeda]

It wasn't mentioned in your posts but are you using or do you need to use a dechlorinator for your new tap water? If so, what product are you using and how much are you adding to the tank?

Is the only thing that changed was the addition of the crushed coral? Why did you add it in the first place?

Are you adding anything else to the tank such as buffers, plant fertilizers or anything else?

 

[Gettycent684]

Yes I use seachem safe I use 1/8 of teaspoon before I put water in the another when full the only buffer is my substrate added crushed coral just to help with buffering as my tap water is 7.2 ph tank sitting 7.8 atm

 

[DJRansome]

Whatever is causing the problem (and we are still figuring that out together) the fish will take a couple of days or more to heal and show improvement. If your nitrates went from 80ppm (in picture) to 10ppm) in your report of test results after the water change, that drastic of a change can harm your fish.

How much did the pH change when you added the crushed coral, if any? pH is a parameter you also want to change slowly...less than 0.02 per day. A drastic change in pH can also cause fish distress, which is why it is so important to monitor.

 

[Gettycent684]

Didn't change I just put in to give more buffer in water changes ph still 7.8 could it be gill flukes or ich not seeing any white spot ??

 

[DJRansome]

Even if you had gill flukes or ich or another disease, first you need to remove the toxins in your water. Are you saying you put in more water? How will that help, by diluting the toxins?

You probably have no disease at all, just the poor water quality.

 

[Gettycent684]

No I put crushed coral in so when I do water changes it buffers up to ph and no swings nothing wrong with water as I change 59% twice a week

 

[Gettycent684]

No I put crushed coral in to help buffer water when doing big water changes I change 50% twice a week now as my nitrates after 4 days are 40/60 ppm not water quality

 

[Gettycent684]

Also tested kh is 5 and Gh is 9

 

[DJRansome]

Nitrates of 40ppm are marginally safe. I still think it is water quality.

Also if the nitrates were over 40ppm for any length of time, from the point when your nitrates are 20ppm or less, it will take days for your fish to recover and for symptoms to stop.

 

[Gettycent684]

I done tank with fluke slove last night and this morning no gulping or flashing but flashing was always worse at night could of been nitrates mabe imeed to keep up 50% water changes twice a week I have 36 fish peacocks and predator haps