I bought 3 zebra loaches a few weeks ago. I actually watched the same 3 for 3 weeks in this little LFS. I am positive its the same three as they put new ones in another tank at my asking and I was there daily. Finally I decided to take these guys home. Quaranteened for about 10 days and released into my tank when I did a waterchange last Thursday.
Parameters were as always Ammonia 0, nitrite O nitrate 5 ph 6.8 temp 76 degrees.
I test my water ever 3 days as I have lots of plants to absorb nitrate but I also have growing silver dollars making waste and eating plants and Im always concerned of nitrate levels for my german rams.
On Monday my parameters were the same as above as expected. Wedneday night when I came home I noticed that the silver dollars had decided to wipe out the moneywort plants that day, fine, no biggie I was going to get out any floating pieces and check the water params after dinner.
However, when I came back by the tank an hour later I noticed right in the middle was the larger zebra loach on his side. At first I thouhght he was resting. But as I started removing plant pieces it became apparent he was dead. Everyone else is acting normal. Water params showed nitrates had risen to 20 ppm. Yikes for my rams I always keep it under 10. I did the typical water change of 20% and nitrates only dropped to 10 (usually the drop almost to 0, and definately below 5) Everyone else seems fine and Im doing another water change tonite.
But what happened to the loach? DId the eaten money worts, since destroyed so quickly cause the faster nitrate raise? Is that what killed the loach?
It also seems like the silver dollars hit a growth spurt. Theyve always had hearty appetites, but all of a sudden its increased 10 fold and they grew a bit over night. Getting fiesty too, about jumped out of the water this morning when I sprinkled in a pinch of spirinula flakes.
Parameters were as always Ammonia 0, nitrite O nitrate 5 ph 6.8 temp 76 degrees.
I test my water ever 3 days as I have lots of plants to absorb nitrate but I also have growing silver dollars making waste and eating plants and Im always concerned of nitrate levels for my german rams.
On Monday my parameters were the same as above as expected. Wedneday night when I came home I noticed that the silver dollars had decided to wipe out the moneywort plants that day, fine, no biggie I was going to get out any floating pieces and check the water params after dinner.
However, when I came back by the tank an hour later I noticed right in the middle was the larger zebra loach on his side. At first I thouhght he was resting. But as I started removing plant pieces it became apparent he was dead. Everyone else is acting normal. Water params showed nitrates had risen to 20 ppm. Yikes for my rams I always keep it under 10. I did the typical water change of 20% and nitrates only dropped to 10 (usually the drop almost to 0, and definately below 5) Everyone else seems fine and Im doing another water change tonite.
But what happened to the loach? DId the eaten money worts, since destroyed so quickly cause the faster nitrate raise? Is that what killed the loach?
It also seems like the silver dollars hit a growth spurt. Theyve always had hearty appetites, but all of a sudden its increased 10 fold and they grew a bit over night. Getting fiesty too, about jumped out of the water this morning when I sprinkled in a pinch of spirinula flakes.
