Need help with high nitrates

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I would also guess they are still recovering from the ammonia now that you have the food removed just keep doing water changes and they should start eating again in a few days

I wouldn't go too crazy maybe 2 wcs a week as long as the water is testing safe

I would feed very lightly until they start to eat. I am sorry if I missed what they are eating when I skimmed through but I would also try some live earthworms to get them eating again cut them up if they are too big for the rays

keep us updated please and good luck
 
Heres what they are usually fed. I frequently feed frozen shrimp and scallops and they usually go nuts for these, also feed nightcrawlers and sometimes fresh cut fish. But since they haven't been eating anything lately I have been focusing on nightcrawlers which always seemed to be their favorite and they barely eat those. I even turned all the pumps off and tried frozen blood worms and no luck. I also went and got some live rosey red feeders( I know live feeders are bad you don't have to remind me, but if they will eat thats good for now). They have eaten a couple of these but nothing like they used to.

Trevor
 
That system would handle double your bioload very easily. I had that system going for probobly a year and a half, latter part of that waterchanges were done like once a month max and I NEVER saw even a hint of ammonia ever.

HOW MUCH BIO do you have? We discussed my thoughts on bio when you picked up the tank..... Skimp on the bio and each time you fed I would guess the spike would damage the bio and everytime it tried to stand up it just got kicked again at feeding time.... Eventually rolled over and died.

Are you 100% absolutely posititve this ammonia problem JUST started OR did you just now catch it?

How is food ending up in the overflows?
 
I wouldn't add the salt

I would just keep the water clean and keep testing for problems and give them a little time I think they will come around for you

I keep one of these in my tank it probably isn't terribly accurate but it would alert me to any problems and they last a year and only cost around $7

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I would just do 30% every three days.. So do a change, wait two days and do another. During that time, still keep an eye on the levels.. If the ammonia does up again, then do a 15% or 20%.. otherwise just stick with the 30% every three days.
If they are eating some, then just do like Johno said and lower how much you feed for now and stick with earthworms. That way the pumps stay on, they get something you know they love and something is better than nothing. You said they were eating some, so I would say they will be eating normal in no time. Just do the water changes and watch the ammonia level
gl
 
AGE the water. IF you're going to rely on WCs at this point and you're doing big ones I would say aged water.

Do NOT move anyone. NO more meds of any kind. I would be using salt. Ease off the food for a few days. Healthy well fed rays could probobly go weeks without food. If they aren't feeding I wouldn't even try feeding till thier behavior changes.

Can you post pics of the setup? Mainly the filtration? I'd really like to see how you redid it.

IF I ever saw a trace of ammonia I'd be seriously questioning my filtration.

In my opinion this thread is just one more that makes bio reactors seem far superior to wet dries.

Kinda let down you're going through this shibby, already lost a ray, and this is the 1st I hear about it..... Don't hesitate to call man!!!

How's Whitey?
 
Allan the amonia might be catching up to me idk. I just want to fix it now. I have two 5 gallon buckets for my bio towers full of pot scrubbies, with 4 filter socks. The food seem to get caught it the egg crate in the overflow. What you had setup to keep smaller fish from getting into the overflow. The rotting food problem has been taking care of just need to try to fix the other problems. It is strange though these guys were the happiest and most playful rays and then just recently they are all hurting.

Trevor
 
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