Chewing and spitting...
- Thread starter davenmandy
- Start date
If u r exchanging 100 gallons a day, I'd think the nitrates in tank would be closer to the 40 (like tap). Do u have a heavy stock load.
3 rays. They're fairly big, but that's it. Damn bio balls are nitrate factories, i should get rid of em. But ya 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite. Nitrates have been same level for ages.
I think the main problem is ur tap is at 40 which puts u behind at start. My tap starts at zero, so on a bad week, but rarely, i get to 40.....where u start at. 3 rays in 500 doesn't seem too heavily stocked.
Okay, and i agree nitrates are a bit high even with a bad start, don't know why cuz it changes 20% a day, but in regards to the problem at hand I don't know if that effects it cuz again the level has been steady at this since from before I moved to this place, before I installed the drip at this place in December, and when I tested it after the drip got installed too in January I'd say. Guess my bad f not testing once a month but absolutely zero issues came up. But anyway since there has been no spike or anything recently I don't think that's what is effecting it.
I know there hasn't been a single day they haven't eaten anything, and they always pounce on it hard as usual, but the chewing and spitting is wierd cuz sometimes they get it down, and sometimes they move on to the next piece. I would have chalked it up to a bad bag if they didn't also leave a couple pieces of smelt a couple times, and a bunch of pellets one day. I did a 50% change work gravel clean about a week ago and issue wasn't much different. Cleaned and rinsed everything, replace mechanical twice as fast. And for example yesterday they only left 1-2 pieces of smelt which was gone in the morning, day before that they ate 100% of their pellets. Day before that about 80% of shrimp, today maybe 40-50% of it. They're not skinny by any means, still really active and spots really white, since the issue started though I have reduced their food by 20%. I know if I change brand of shrimp sometimes they refuse it, but i didnt this time. In fact I had to buy tail on shrimp when this issue started and they didn't eat it so I just thought it was because of that because they tend not to like the tail on shrimp. Male trying to breed the small female gotta be a sign that they are somewhat happy right? Temp is also steady at 26.6.
I also dosed with prazi about 6 months ago, I do it yearly. I haven't had had uv in 4 months or so because I got it shipped broken 3 times, first time the 5 foot bulb was shipped in a 2.5 foot box, true story.
I also dosed with prazi about 6 months ago, I do it yearly. I haven't had had uv in 4 months or so because I got it shipped broken 3 times, first time the 5 foot bulb was shipped in a 2.5 foot box, true story.
sorry but I have to call the elephant in the room. nitrates 80 to 100? for 3 years now you say? at 23ppm internal dmg begins, this why you strive to keep at 20ppm or less. I know jack about rays but seems to me running nitrates that high then wondering what the problem is.
just my unwanted 2 cents.
just my unwanted 2 cents.
Appreciate the input, but i read once in a journal (not a random online post) that fish including rays are fine at high nitrates, i believe they said over 160 but can't be sure, as long as it is steady. I have it saved on my computer, I'll post it tomorrow. Don't shoot the messenger here, the article could be a load of crap, and obviously lower the better, I did read that for sure though, that's why I kept it. I don't live my life by it, but I think if it was a problem I wouldn't have made it this far. Maybe I'm wrong, and again I drip 20% change to reduce, what more should I do? No feeding issues over last 3 years, I kept young retics too.
