Help me!!! | Ammonia looks ok | Nitrate and Nitrite Uncontrollable

[contactharpreets]

Hi.. I have a 400 liter tank with 5 oscars, 1 Common pleco, 1 red tail shark, 3 tin foils and 1 bonsai Thai silk. They all are half of their full size right now.. my tank is bare bottom and I have a internal filter (planning for a sump in coming days) + 1 max size sponge filter. In the tank, have placed golden pothos (7 to 10 stems) and (2000 gram ) ceramics rings within the tank + 3 air pump supporting the aeration. I do 200 liters of water change every 20 days (I use seachem prime and seachem stability while water changes). I think, I do over feed my fishes most of the times. (I now feed them twice a day morning and evening).. I feed 1.5 to 2 tablespoon in one time of following by changing the order every day (Toya Freezed dried Shrimps, Tayo Blood worms, Optimum 3 in 1 pallets + Optimum quick red) and every 2 weeks - chicken breast raw after boiling and cut to small pieces.. I love my fishes a lot.. pls tell me how can I control ammonia/ nitrate and nitrite to 0 levels all the time and where am I going wrong?

here are some pictures of the test!

 

[Fishnerd360]

Your tank is very overstocked, you should start by doing water changes every week and even better twice a week at 50%, increase mechanical filtration(sponge filters will help) as you have way too much bio load compared to the amount of filtration. When cleaning your tank, use the old tank water for the filters to not kill the beneficial bacteria.

 

[Potato Patatto]

You do 50% a water change every 20 days, I do 50% a water change every 3 days and you have a heavier stock that me in a smaller tank. You need to do a large water change now to dilute the nitrate, up to 75% with a water conditioner like prime to dechlorinate the tap, and detoxify the nitrite. Your fish are probably breathing heavy and will develop diseases if the nitrates stay that high. Consider selling a few of the oscars cause long term that won’t work and do at the minimum weekly 50% water changes.

 

[esoxlucius]

Have you only just detected this, because trust me, with that stock those unacceptable parameter levels have been with you for a while. Firstly because of your insane stocking levels and secondly because of your very poor water change schedule. My advice?...up your water change schedule, and drastically thin out your stock. If you do both, and quickly, your parameters will return to acceptable levels.

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Basically...

Hi.. I have a 400 liter tank with 5 oscars,

Get rid of at least 4 of those

1 Common pleco, 1 red tail shark, 3 tin foils and 1 bonsai Thai silk.

Probably get rid of a couple of those...

. I do 200 liters of water change every 20 days

Do waaaay more than that...

I think, I do over feed my fishes most of the times.

Stop doing that...

 

[aroijuana]

your tank needs alot more filtration with that stock.

 

[tlindsey]

Welcome aboard

I suggest you pick your favorite fish and rehome the others it will make things easier to manage.

 

[tlindsey]

Welcome aboard

I suggest you pick your favorite fish and rehome the others it will make things easier to manage.

Your aquarium will not be large enough for 2 Oscars once mature they will need a bigger aquarium. Also the Oscars and Pleco are the biggest contributer of the bioload.

 

[contactharpreets]

Thankyou all for guiding me here and a warm welcome! I am late on this community but not late in the hobby.. am trying and putting every effort to enjoy this hobby. I understand the nitrogen cycle and beneficial bacteria concept and washing filters media with aquarium water only.. As I mentioned above, the fishes have not reached their actual size and by the time they reach 12 inch, I will be rehoming few of them to a new glass box.

How many fully grown oscars on 400 later tank? any calculations here!

What if I get a sump of 120 litres and increase bio filtration (ceramic rings) with good mechanical filtration? will that help me in any way without reducing fishes for now? because the test results I shared above are in the medium range, not worst... right?

by adding more pothos and lucky bamboo to the tank, will it help in lowering down the nitrate/ nitrite levels?

 

[tlindsey]

Thankyou all for guiding me here and a warm welcome! I am late on this community but not late in the hobby.. am trying and putting every effort to enjoy this hobby. I understand the nitrogen cycle and beneficial bacteria concept and washing filters media with aquarium water only.. As I mentioned above, the fishes have not reached their actual size and by the time they reach 12 inch, I will be rehoming few of them to a new glass box.

How many fully grown oscars on 400 later tank? any calculations here!

What if I get a sump of 120 litres and increase bio filtration (ceramic rings) with good mechanical filtration? will that help me in any way without reducing fishes for now? because the test results I shared above are in the medium range, not worst... right?

by adding more pothos and lucky bamboo to the tank, will it help in lowering down the nitrate/ nitrite levels?

Oscars are susceptible to HITH hole in the head disease so nitrate level over 20 ppm would be a concern. Your aquarium is equivalent to 108 US galllons so personally would only have 1 Oscar. The added bio filtration would be helpful but proper water changes are more effective. Tbh you will need to to do everyday water changes as the stock you have grow. More growth and feedings equal more ammonia produced and like others stated your aquarium is over stocked.