Broken hearted over my ornate bichir

CDuVall

CDuVall

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jul 19, 2012
27
4
18
Texas
Need some advice please. I have a 140 gallon tank with a 14 inch oscar, 15 inch pleco, 3 adult severums, a 12 inch eyeless bichir, a 13 inch ornate bichir, and a 15 inch ornate bichir. I do 50% water changes every Monday. I have an emporer double wheel hob and a fluval G6. I feed every other day a variety of Hikari pellets, algae discs, and frozen krill. Today I found my 15 inch bichir dead. No obvious wounds of any kind. He has been doing great, and is only about 3 years old. I tested my water and the PH is 7.6 and the nitrates are really high but I have been battling that for a very long time. Does anyone have any ideas? If he swallowed a rock, would he not get bloat and show symptoms? I am taking him to a Veterinarian tomorrow for a necropsy but it is just killing me. Any advice would be appreciated.


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F

fwprawn

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2011
3,441
7
38
New England
nitrates... they don't just show up from nowhere - you should find the source, and take care of it. "Battling it long-term" is only going to end badly for the rest of your fish.
 
CDuVall

CDuVall

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jul 19, 2012
27
4
18
Texas
I bought the fluval a couple of months ago to try and help with the nitrates. If I take out all substrate will that help? My decorations are African root wood. Could that affect nitrates?


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Bichisaur

Bichisaur

Piranha
MFK Member
Nov 15, 2009
334
100
76
Maryland
Adding another filter doesn't help with reducing nitrates. 1st, you should check the level on nitrates from your water source.
 
Yoimbrian

Yoimbrian

Dovii
MFK Member
Feb 11, 2013
920
252
102
Twin cities
How high are you talking??

Lots of ways to reduce nitrates. Plants (pothos, is common). I actually use floating water lettuce, I have a heavily stocked and heavily fed goldfish tank that never gets above 5ppm nitrate since the surface is covered in water lettuce. Once a week I take 5 or 6 large handfuls of the stuff and trash it and it's only a 90 gallon. I do a 75% or so water change every other week mostly because the water gets brown (large driftwood).

Sorry to hear about your bichir though :(


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CDuVall

CDuVall

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jul 19, 2012
27
4
18
Texas
My veterinarian just did a necropsy and she is thinking hepatic lipidosis. I feed Hikari carnivore pellets and frozen krill. Could either cause an issue with the liver? My nitrates are 160ppm. I am going to do a 50% water change everyday till I get my nitrates back down.


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FuriousFish

FuriousFish

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 8, 2012
2,427
98
81
America
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