Hi everyone,
I've introduced myself in the newbie area and described all my tanks but I'm having a serious Nitrate problem in my Goldie's tank that I've been battling on and off for about a year.
I just don't know what to do anymore. I must be doing something wrong but have no idea what that might be.
Lenny - Fortunately, your nitrate issue isn't "serious" but it is a concern. Nitrates consistently over 100ppm or even over 300ppm would be "serious", IMO. Here's a long blog about Nitrates to alleviate some of your concerns. http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/nitrates-long-explanation-thanks-to.html
My tank set up is as follows:
(tank set up for 1.5 years)
Approx 1 inch of riverstone type gravel
2-3 plastic plants (depending on how I switch them around)
2 large bubbler stones, one at each end
1 Eheim Cannister filter, rated 90 gallon
1 Eheim Cannister filter, rated 125 gallon
Lenny - It would be nice if you could add some live plants. Have you ever considered them? I have a list of goldfish survivable plants here on this blog... http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2008/10/planted-tank-so-you-want-planted-tank.html
I do weekly water changes of approximately 40% and use Prime conditioner. I add aquarium salt (3-5 tablespoons) and a few drops of Xtreme Garlic.
Lenny - As previously stated, obviously, weekly isn't working for you. You either need to lighten your fish bioload to no more than three... maybe four fancy goldfish and then do more frequent tank maintenance AND especially filter maintenance.
Hoses are cleaned once a month depending on build up. Maybe 6 weeks or 2 months if not much build up.
Lenny - I don't think hoses are a major problem but it's not bad to clean them from time to time. I have smooth clear-opaque hoses on my Rena Filstar canister filters so I can see the algae build-up and clean it when it gets too dense. Algae isn't bad and if it's only growing in the clear hoses, then that's a good thing. If you have the corrugated hoses that are on some filters, those do seem to collect more stuff than smooth hoses.
Filters are checked weekly but if any cleaning/changing is needed they are done on opposite weeks of each other. I follow the directions of the filters as well as the advice of the local Aquarium place.
Lenny - I would start cleaning them properly, more frequently. The filter companies are not necessarily interested in your fish as much as you are. Some of the filter companies that tell people to trash their filter cartridges every few weeks are the worst! Since you have canisters, at least they don't tell you to trash the media but you should be cleaning it more often. Your filters are like the fish's toilet bowl and catch and hold the waste (well, at least some of it) and should be flushed just like we flush our own toilets. Proper cleaning is the trick so you don't kill off your good nitrifying bacteria when you clean the filter's media.
I feed them a variety of store bought foods (mostly Saki-Hakari). On hand I have sinking pellets, floating pellets and some veggie flakes. I also feed them things like peas, lettuce, cucumbers, oranges etc. I alternate their foods here and there and sometimes use both sinking and floating pellets at the same time because they are 4 different varieties of goldfish.
Lenny - A good and varied diet is good. Feeding them adequate amounts of food are also good and more frequent smaller feedings are better than less frequent bigger feedings. If you have time, 3-4 small feedings a day are better than 1 big feeding a day. I feed mine twice a day since I'm not usually home the rest of the time. On weekends or when I'm going to be home, I'll feed them several times a day... just less food each time.
My ammonia and nitrites are always zero but the nitrates are always between 40 and 80ppm. Over the last year my PH has lowered (and stayed at) to 6.4 on me twice and I am recently finally getting my PH under control for the second time. Again, the nitrates are consistantly between the 40 and 80ppm.
Lenny - While 40-80ppm isn't dangerous, per se, it's not good. Under 40ppm and even under 20ppm would be better. See my comments above for more info about this. Your pH is lowering because you're not doing enough tank maintenance and PWC's... presuming your tap water baseline is consistently higher than 6.4 pH. Here's my blog on "Find Your Tap / Source Water Baseline"... http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/05/find-your-tap-source-water-baseline.html
I spoke to the Aquarium place I go to and it's been suggested I have a KH problem and to use crushed coral in one of my filters to help with the PH.
Lenny - Crushed coral will work but it's not as easily dosed and it doesn't work as quickly as dosing with Baking Soda. Personally, I use pieces of Cuttle Bone in my filters for my goldfish tank. Yep,, the kind that parakeets and other birds nibble on. Cuttle Bone is Calcium Carbonate and is cheap. The page I gave with the Baking Soda calculator will give you more immediate and measureable results while you are trying to get the right amount of crushed coral or cuttle bone figured out... but once you have that amount figured out, then it's just a matter of adding a little more to your filter when you see it dissolving down.
I have left tap water out over night during both summar and winter for testing to see if that might be part of my problem but it isn't, the water tests fine.
Lenny - What are the baseline tests? You should do at least a 48 hour baseline test to make sure any elevated levels of CO2 have outgassed so you have a more accurate baseline for your pH level.
Three of my fish now have serious bouyancy issues and I see the starting of fin and tail rot on two of them with possibly bacterial infections as well.
Lenny - Bouyancy issues, while they can be caused and are commonly caused by water quality issues that then lead to bacterial growth in the gravel and then when the goldfish go foraging in the gravel... constantly... they are sucking up more of these potentially bad bacteria. Vaccumng your gravel more often, if needed, to remove as much detritus as possible, will lessen the volume of bad bacterial growth in your gravel... and the added PWC will also be better for the fish. That said, many fancy goldfish have buoyancy issues caused by the fact that they are inbred fancy (or rather mutated) goldfish. This isn't your fault and in many cases, there is nothing you can do about it. Some fish have permanent problems and some goldfish keepers have fashioned slings for their fish and I've even seen a veterinarian procedure where the vet attached a small weight to the bottom of the fish and a small float to the top of the fish.. using the same tagging methods that they do to wild fish to track them. Some of the DIY slings are pretty inventive but the vet procedure was more aesthetic.
I'm sure I've probably left needed details out so please let me know what I may have forgotten in order to help me figure out why my Nitrates refuse to ever be at an acceptable level!
Lenny - Actually you did GREAT. I wish all sick fish posts included as much detail as yours. Hopefully all of the info I've given and the other posts are going to help you get the less serious nitrate issue under control which will then make your goldfish have a better chance at getting healthy.
Thank you!!
