Nitrates and sick peacock...help/out of ideas and knowledge on this matter

C

ccp2007

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2014
212
1
0
united states
Let me start by giving y'all some info. I'm going to be very descriptive so it may be easier to help me out:

Tank Setup: 75 gallon (standard dimensions)

uploadfromtaptalk1401644750810.jpguploadfromtaptalk1401644750810.jpg

Filters: Aqueon HOB 55/75 & AquaClear 50
-using Ammo Carb, ceramic rings, pothos and filter pads made for each

Powerhead & Air Pump: Aqueon 1250 with air stone under to create more oxygen and also using 6" air stone disc and bubble wand

Substrate: Pea Gravel from Walmart lawn and garden section. Just switched from sand about 2 months ago +/-

Plants: "aquatic Combo" (actually house plants bought from petco), 2 lucky bamboo, pothos (2 submerged and 1 in filter)

PH 7.8
NITRITE 0ppm
AMMONIA 0ppm
NITRATE 80ppm (we've been trying to resolve this problem for over 2 weeks now. Some of you may remember my post about nitrates and plants)

What we have done to try to resolve nitrate issue:
-Daily 30%+ water changes for 2 weeks strait
-Gravel vacuum every other day with wc
-bleach bathed 1/3 of gravel and removed a portion of the gravel to thin it out some
-Completely tore apart filters to check for any decaying food, fish, waste hidden somewhere (we rinsed filter media in aquarium water so we wouldn't kill off too much bb)
-rehomed 4 fish to reduce bioload
-rinsed decor
-added pothos to tank and filter

*this was NOT all done at once, it has been done over the course of 2+ weeks so we didn't stress the fish more than we had to*

Fish:
6" Jack Dempsey
6+" common pleco
5" yellow fin (moved last night to a separate tank temporarily due to aggression)
3" Ruben Red peacock
2" Ruby red peacock
2"Ruby Crystal peacock (*sick* will go into details further into post)
2 4" mbunas (re-homed to LFS)
2 3" jewels (re-homed to our 30g)
2 5+" Bichirs

Fish diet & schedule:
Sunday- AM: NLS full spectrum PM: freeze dried krill
Monday- AM: nothing PM- Nat Geo color enhance
Tuesday- AM: NLS f spec PM- frozen krill/brine or blood worms
Wednesday- no feed day
Thursday- AM: NLS ultra red PM: frozen
Friday-AM: Hikari carnivore PM: NLS F.spec.
Saturday- Sinking veggie pellets API PM: NLS

View attachment 11191

Ruby Crystal Peacock Symptoms:
-No balance
-Breathing heavy
-Swims nose down or sometimes head down
-White-ish poop
-white fluff on top fin tip

I have qt him in a small breeder box (so he's not floating around bumping stuff), added little (2 tsp) aquarium salt over the course of 12 hours, raised temp to 82°f

uploadfromtaptalk1401644693183.jpguploadfromtaptalk1401644709755.jpguploadfromtaptalk1401644723342.jpg

*not only are nitrates crazy but yellow fin has been a super bully*

*all other fish are acting fine and eating fine*

Not sure where to go from here. I hope I covered enough details to get y'all help. TIA

Happily married Mommy of 3 babies, 2 fur babies and 15 gilled babies
 
suprd71

suprd71

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 27, 2012
280
33
31
North Bay Ontario Canada
You are still overstocked and under filtered. 75g is good for JD and the plec alone, and if its a true common plec, it alone can one day over stock the tank by itself. Your filters are a decent quality, but of far too small capacity to handle an overstocked cichlid tank. Have you tested your tap water for nitrate? Nitrate laden source water would def not be helping.Also Africans should not be kept with CA/SA fish.
 
A

adixon816

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 11, 2012
627
1
33
Piscataway, NJ
Honestly the common pleco is contributing to your bio load significantly they are poop factories. Have you tested your tap water to see if there are nitrates in it out of the tap? What about less carbon (ammocarb) and more just bio media?

Sent from my HTCONE using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
C

ccp2007

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2014
212
1
0
united states
adixon816 said:
Honestly the common pleco is contributing to your bio load significantly they are poop factories. Have you tested your tap water to see if there are nitrates in it out of the tap? What about less carbon (ammocarb) and more just bio media?

Sent from my HTCONE using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Click to expand...
The aqua clear is basically just used for bio. It's filled to the brim with bio rings and a little Ammo carb.

FYI my Mom took my hubby's pleco for her 125.

I know the JD shouldn't be with Africans but we moved her to her ow

Happily married Mommy of 3 babies, 2 fur babies and 15 gilled babies
 
C

ccp2007

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2014
212
1
0
united states
To her own tank and was very unhappy. We waited 2 weeks and she wouldn't eat. Moved her back with Africans and she colored up immediately and started eating. She's happy so we leave her there.

Happily married Mommy of 3 babies, 2 fur babies and 15 gilled babies
 
C

ccp2007

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2014
212
1
0
united states
We're down to 3 peacocks and the JD and Bichirs..still over stocked?

Happily married Mommy of 3 babies, 2 fur babies and 15 gilled babies
 
duanes

duanes

MFK Moderators
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Jun 7, 2007
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Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
The combination of high nitrate and aggression is probably the culprit.
Peacock cichlids are very docile and can not handle more aggressive types like JDs or mbuna.
They also come from Lake Malawi which has an average nitrate level of <5ppm, and even though most are aquarium raised, this need for high water quality needs to be present for them to stay healthy. The ratings set for filtration, are only appropriate if you have a tank with small community fish, like neons, or guppys. As soon as you delve into larger fish like cichlids, those ratings are BS, and filtration should be tripled.
It is easy to find out your tap water nitrate level, on your city water quality report (you can, by googling your cities name, followed by water quality report, there you should find your municipalities regular water test results(many times these results are posted on your water bills accompanying info sheet)), if I knew your city I would look it up and post it.
But all US municipal water producers are required to have nitrate levels well below 10 ppm, or young children would be at risk for methemoglobinemia.
If you are on a private well, influenced by farm runoff, this may be a different story, as far as nitrates are concerned.
 
F

F1 VET

THE serrasalmus rhom
MFK Member
Nov 3, 2011
6,582
32
0
INDY
Vac the tank and clean the filters. Also under rocks and decor there can be decaying food or fish you may not be aware of! With stock like that I'd guess you need 50% bi weekly water changes to maintain levels below 40-50ppm!

Also pothos is a cheap and extremely simple way to remove nitrates without changing water. Just a regular house plant that's roots are submerged into the tank (can even stick on hob) and after 3-4 weeks nitrates will drop as the plant grows off the fish waste (nitrates) my 2 large adult plants suck up 20-40ppm nitrates per week making my life very simple! Although it takes time to get this big but its worth it for an 8-10$ plant! uploadfromtaptalk1401715069804.jpguploadfromtaptalk1401715098287.jpguploadfromtaptalk1401715112275.jpg note water is tea colored purposely to add a natural element for the fish and to dim lighting.

Check out the link below for more info

×Go S. Vettel #1 Infiniti Redbull! 4x WDC!!! Congrats on another flawless title× <GET BETTER SCHUMI>
__________________________________________________________________
Cheap way to decrease nitrates and keep your fish healthy: http://monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504763
 
C

ccp2007

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2014
212
1
0
united states
Tap water has 0 nitrates. That was the first thing I tested when nitrates elevated. The JD is EXTREMELY docile. If anyone got picked on, it was her. She just keeps to herself. Same with the Bichirs. The only bully in the tank was the yellow fin and he is getting re homed because he is just too aggressive.

My hubby did a 90% wc and nitrates are now at 20ppm...hopefully it'll stay that way.

As far as filtration, as mentioned above, there's 3 filters (Aqueon 55/75 & 2 AquaClear 50's) so the aquarium isn't lacking in filtration.

I got a LOT of pothos from my Mom last week. All 3 of our aquariums are well stocked with pothos in the filters now. I also have 7 pots full of it throughout my house now...my Mom has a HUGE abundance of it through her whole house so I snagged quite a but from her :)

Happily married Mommy of 3 babies, 2 fur babies and 15 gilled babies
 
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