Need Advice, High Nitrate, Amonia, and PH

[jonny1982]

Hi, I have a 28 gallon freshwater tank that I keep at 78 degrees.

My current PH Level is over 7.6

My Nitrate is between 40 and 80

My Amonia is between 4 and 8

Amonia has been high for a week. Don't know about PH and Nitrate, but currently are at levels stated above. 3 Days ago I changed 1/5th of the water. The next day I changed another 1/5th. Yesterday, I changed about 1/2. I cannot get these levels down! I think my fish are sick.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get the levels down? Should I do prime in an emergency situation where I use 5 times the normal amount?

Thanks in advance.

 

[coralbandit]

Keep changing water 50-75% till ammonia is around .5
Why do you have ammonia and nitrates?
What fish do you have in tank?
How long has tank been set up ?
Has there been a death(missing fish ) or are you overfeeding?

 

[jonny1982]

I don't know why I have amonia and nitrates.

I have 3 Diamond tetras, 2 guppies, 2 glowfish, a red wag platy, a raphael catfish, a pleco, and a shrimp.

I think I need to get rid of the pleco right? Is it possible he is sucking the sllime coat off the fish? The problems seem to have started after I got him. I know he doesn't belong. Any suggestions?

Tank has been set up for about 4 months

Fish have been dying ever since I got the Pleco, 5 neon tetras, and the shrimp. I lost all my neon tetras and 2 guppies. Now one guppie is swimming around upside down. Other fish have looked eaten at even when still alive. 2 of the tetras I never recovered the bodies. I know I made a mistake with the pleco.

I feed them once every night at 8:00. I drop in a handful of tropical flakes and the usually get eaten up in about 3 or 4 minutes. Then I drop in 4 bottom feeding pellets for the catfish and pleco.

I know I may be doing this wrong. Any advice is appreciated

Thanks

 

[Tigerbarb12]

Id remove the pleco, but seems deeper than that. Usually overstocked aquariums that get weekly water changes may run 1 or 2ppm ammonia but 4-8 is really high, id start with removing pleco and like coralbandit said, do large water changes every day or two until ur ammonia lowers, which will also lower nitrates

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[Tigerbarb12]

Also whenever fish die and u cant recover the body from ur tank, make sure you do a larger water change and vacuum ur substrate really well

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[coralbandit]

I think you know to re home the pleco(unless he is a smaller bushy nose?)
Feed less and change more water.
Most skip one day a week feeding(fish will never show it).
They all act hungry and neglected(hidden talent for not so smart animal?)all the time anyways!
The ammonia is killing the fish not the pleco/but he may be the source of ammonia in the added bio load.