jpostit
New member
Hello,
This is my first time posting to a forum for help (yay!).
Background: I have a 60 gallon tank which is the upgrade from my 46 gallon I had set up for 1 year. I set up my 60 gallon and was able to use the same canister filter and decor I had on my smaller established tank, so the cycle process was pretty easy. I had 8 fish (7 Mbuna African cichlids and a pleco). I set this tank up in April (4 months ago). I hadn't lost any fish in the transfer and one of my fish actually started holding and a few weeks later I found several fry swimming around. I do a 15 gallon water change every week and I clean the canister every third water change. I rinse all the media in aquarium or treated water. I test the water weekly using both API strips and the API master test kit. I have a digital thermometer and a floating one to ensure the temperature remains constant. I feed the fish a small amount 2x day and nothing is left over or even makes it to the bottom. In the canister I have a mechanical filter (black sponge) --> Purigen--> carbon --> bio media. My water tests have been consistently the following:
PH-7.5-8
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 40ppm
Issue: I went on vacation for 1 week and did a water change right before I left. I had a house sitter that fed the fish 1x per day and I rationed all the food out before I left so they wouldn't get over fed. When I returned there was noticeably more brown diatom algae on the rocks and decor and the pleco was nowhere to be found. Upon further inspection, I found the pleco dead in a plant. Its body had not turned white yet and there were no signs of injury so it was definitely very recent. I did a water test and everything looked normal. The next day I did a 15 gallon water change and scrubbed all the decor in aquarium/treated water. My female demansoni looked like she was holding again and was refusing to eat and hiding more (normal behavior when holding). 5-6 days later she was in a strange spot in the aquarium and not quite acting like herself. The next day she was dead and had clearly been picked on by the others. I promptly, did a water change and cleaned the canister filter. I started using Purigen about 6 months ago and had just replaced the packet about 4 weeks ago. However, it was more brown or discolored than normal. When I was cleaning the tank the day after the demansoni's death, I found a fry- so she was holding when she died.
Without any visible signs of injury or disease and my ammonia & nitrite levels being ideal, I am not sure what caused the death of these fish. The diatom bloom and discoloration of the Purigen packet make me think Nitrate poisoning or shock might be to blame. I read that plecos can be sensitive to that but people also say they are very hardy fish, so I don't know! I tested my tap water that I put into the tank and the Nitrate level in the tap is 5ppm. I don't understand why with consistent 25% water changes and Purigen that I can't get the Nitrate below 40ppm. Does anyone have any recommendation for how to lower my nitrate levels or what else I can do to prevent more fish from mysteriously dying? I have thought about using medicated food to treat for invisible parasites but again, I haven't seen any white poop, sunken bellies, or noticeable signs of disease. I even tested the phosphate and silicate levels which were 1mg/L and 4mg/L respectively.
Thanks in advance for your help!
This is my first time posting to a forum for help (yay!).
Background: I have a 60 gallon tank which is the upgrade from my 46 gallon I had set up for 1 year. I set up my 60 gallon and was able to use the same canister filter and decor I had on my smaller established tank, so the cycle process was pretty easy. I had 8 fish (7 Mbuna African cichlids and a pleco). I set this tank up in April (4 months ago). I hadn't lost any fish in the transfer and one of my fish actually started holding and a few weeks later I found several fry swimming around. I do a 15 gallon water change every week and I clean the canister every third water change. I rinse all the media in aquarium or treated water. I test the water weekly using both API strips and the API master test kit. I have a digital thermometer and a floating one to ensure the temperature remains constant. I feed the fish a small amount 2x day and nothing is left over or even makes it to the bottom. In the canister I have a mechanical filter (black sponge) --> Purigen--> carbon --> bio media. My water tests have been consistently the following:
PH-7.5-8
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 40ppm
Issue: I went on vacation for 1 week and did a water change right before I left. I had a house sitter that fed the fish 1x per day and I rationed all the food out before I left so they wouldn't get over fed. When I returned there was noticeably more brown diatom algae on the rocks and decor and the pleco was nowhere to be found. Upon further inspection, I found the pleco dead in a plant. Its body had not turned white yet and there were no signs of injury so it was definitely very recent. I did a water test and everything looked normal. The next day I did a 15 gallon water change and scrubbed all the decor in aquarium/treated water. My female demansoni looked like she was holding again and was refusing to eat and hiding more (normal behavior when holding). 5-6 days later she was in a strange spot in the aquarium and not quite acting like herself. The next day she was dead and had clearly been picked on by the others. I promptly, did a water change and cleaned the canister filter. I started using Purigen about 6 months ago and had just replaced the packet about 4 weeks ago. However, it was more brown or discolored than normal. When I was cleaning the tank the day after the demansoni's death, I found a fry- so she was holding when she died.
Without any visible signs of injury or disease and my ammonia & nitrite levels being ideal, I am not sure what caused the death of these fish. The diatom bloom and discoloration of the Purigen packet make me think Nitrate poisoning or shock might be to blame. I read that plecos can be sensitive to that but people also say they are very hardy fish, so I don't know! I tested my tap water that I put into the tank and the Nitrate level in the tap is 5ppm. I don't understand why with consistent 25% water changes and Purigen that I can't get the Nitrate below 40ppm. Does anyone have any recommendation for how to lower my nitrate levels or what else I can do to prevent more fish from mysteriously dying? I have thought about using medicated food to treat for invisible parasites but again, I haven't seen any white poop, sunken bellies, or noticeable signs of disease. I even tested the phosphate and silicate levels which were 1mg/L and 4mg/L respectively.
Thanks in advance for your help!
