new fish keep dying (long sorry)

fin-atic said:
We tested out our tap water. And what do you know, it has the same reading as our tank - .25. Our temp is 79-80
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Where do you live? We've got chloramine treated water in the Edmonton area, and so I get ammonia readings anywhere from 0.25 to 0.5 on my tap water. Using a regular conditioner will break the chloramine bond, but will leave ammonia in the water. Using a conditioner such as Prime will not only break the chloramine bond, but will detoxify the remaining ammonia and make it safer for the fish.
 
we just use a LFS name brand water conditioner. The nitrate levels..... could they be that high because we can't find our dead baby BN pleco, he was albino so he blends in very well, even though we suctioned everywhere. We are also missing a hatchet. We are unsure if he jumped or died.
 
Most will say that water above 80 degrees retards the parasite's life cycle.
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I thought it accelerated it so that the medicine sensitive free swiming phase happens faster and more often. I've always assumed it was more dangerous to increase temp without medicine. Doesn't mean im not wrong though.
 
maaltan, you are correct--the warmer temp speeds up the life cycle, and temps above 86 prove lethal. Cold temps slow the life cycle.

20 PPM isn't that high for nitrates, certainly not high enough to be causing a problem for the fish. It is crucial that you determine if your water contains chloramines and that you are treating appropriately for it--not all conditioners are effective with chloramines.
 
We tested our tap water:

Here goes-
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
Hardness: 120 - 250 (in between colours)
Alkalinity: 180
PH: 6.8
Ammonia: .25

What is considered a high (dangerous nitrate level)
 
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