Can't get nitrates down!

[GiveMeABMW]

29 gallon tank, 3 goldfish (biggest has a 4" body)
Fluval 204 and Penguin 330
no gravel, only fake plants and air stones
ammonia/nitrite = 0
pH = 7.2

--------------------

I had a huge nitrate spike (off the chart) a couple of weeks ago, after which I
did 30% water changes every day until they got down to 20 (never lower than
that). Now if I don't do a water change every other day they creep up again.

There aren't nitrates in the tap water. I cut down their food amount.

The biggest fish is showing signs of stress, with red streaks in his tail fin.
The other two seem fine.

What do I do? I don't know anything about plants, but would they help? Is it
time to get a bigger tank? Thanks!

[Magic menagerie]

We had trubs with levels until we got a 10" bubble tube and added the bunches
of pothos ivy. Don't know if this did the trick, but haven't had trubs
since.... Anyone else???

[GiveMeABMW]

We had trubs with levels until we got a 10" bubble tube and added the bunches
of pothos ivy. Don't know if this did the trick, but haven't had trubs
since.... Anyone else???>>>

What kind of lighting do you use?
I don't have a hood at all right now and don't wanna buy the wrong thing.
Thanks!

[Kodiak]

How often do you clean out your filter media?
That will really help.
....Kodiak

"GiveMeABMW" > wrote in message
...
> 29 gallon tank, 3 goldfish (biggest has a 4" body)
> Fluval 204 and Penguin 330
> no gravel, only fake plants and air stones
> ammonia/nitrite = 0
> pH = 7.2
>
> --------------------
>
> I had a huge nitrate spike (off the chart) a couple of weeks ago, after
which I
> did 30% water changes every day until they got down to 20 (never lower
than
> that). Now if I don't do a water change every other day they creep up
again.
>
> There aren't nitrates in the tap water. I cut down their food amount.
>
> The biggest fish is showing signs of stress, with red streaks in his tail
fin.
> The other two seem fine.
>
> What do I do? I don't know anything about plants, but would they help? Is
it
> time to get a bigger tank? Thanks!

[[email protected]]

look at the food .. list the ingredients here
how much do you feed per day.
I agree about cleaning the filters. can be as bad as loaded gravel.
Ingrid

(GiveMeABMW) wrote:

>29 gallon tank, 3 goldfish (biggest has a 4" body)
>Fluval 204 and Penguin 330
>no gravel, only fake plants and air stones
>ammonia/nitrite = 0
>pH = 7.2
>
>--------------------
>
>I had a huge nitrate spike (off the chart) a couple of weeks ago, after which I
>did 30% water changes every day until they got down to 20 (never lower than
>that). Now if I don't do a water change every other day they creep up again.
>
>There aren't nitrates in the tap water. I cut down their food amount.
>
>The biggest fish is showing signs of stress, with red streaks in his tail fin.
>The other two seem fine.
>
>What do I do? I don't know anything about plants, but would they help? Is it
>time to get a bigger tank? Thanks!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[GiveMeABMW]

How often do you clean out your filter media?
That will really help.
....Kodiak>>>

Once a month on the Fluval (tossing the "gunkiest" filter pad each time), and
replace one of the Penguin inserts once a month.

Here's a picture of my fish with the red tail streaks. He does keep his dorsal
fin down a lot, can't tell if it's related though.
Thoughts?

http://www.geocities.com/holygodtherearentanyfreeones/bigorange.jpg

[GiveMeABMW]

look at the food .. list the ingredients here
how much do you feed per day.
I agree about cleaning the filters. can be as bad as loaded gravel.
Ingrid>>>

I feed 'em ProGold, usually 4-5 pellets each. I used to feed it twice a day but
now I feed once a day. A couple of times a week I'll give them peas as a second
meal.

[nuchumYussel]

How old is the tank? How old was it when you introduced the goldfish?
Did you put all three goldfish in the tank at once?

Evan

[[email protected]]

4-5 pellets might be too much food at one time. I dont know how big those pellets
are, but 4-5 aquadine flakes is good for an 8" GF (twice a day.)
rinse the filters in treated water every week at minimum.
no ingredients on the food???
Ingrid

(GiveMeABMW) wrote:

>look at the food .. list the ingredients here
>how much do you feed per day.
>I agree about cleaning the filters. can be as bad as loaded gravel.
>Ingrid>>>
>
>I feed 'em ProGold, usually 4-5 pellets each. I used to feed it twice a day but
>now I feed once a day. A couple of times a week I'll give them peas as a second
>meal.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

yeah .. that is water quality redness, but once the tail is engorged often the red
doesnt ever go away completely. Ingrid

(GiveMeABMW) wrote:

>How often do you clean out your filter media?
>That will really help.
>...Kodiak>>>
>
>Once a month on the Fluval (tossing the "gunkiest" filter pad each time), and
>replace one of the Penguin inserts once a month.
>
>Here's a picture of my fish with the red tail streaks. He does keep his dorsal
>fin down a lot, can't tell if it's related though.
>Thoughts?
>
>http://www.geocities.com/holygodtherearentanyfreeones/bigorange.jpg



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[GiveMeABMW]

How old is the tank? How old was it when you introduced the goldfish?
Did you put all three goldfish in the tank at once?

Evan>>>

I've had it up and going since last July. Started with one fish, added a second
in October, and a third this January. The added fish were quarantined for 1
month each in a 10g.

The only other big change is in my filtration...I started out with 3 smallish
Penguins and now have completely new filters (the overhaul was done over
time...it's not a terribly interesting story how it happened).

[MartinOsirus]

I use pro-gold pellets too - but unless you soak them well - fish can get
constipated and lethargic. Gf should be moving - moving - looking around and
busy.
I find the flake food is easier on their digestion.
re nitrates - do frquent water changes - don't overfed - 4-5 pellets is too
much - keep filter sponges clean. Better to feed less and more often - they are
grazers anyway.
good luck and enjoy - I really love GF!