Help please! Aquarium cloudy/Goldfosh Red Patches

[Kerri4Him77]

Hello we have a 36 Gal bowfront fresheater. Our tank has ran beautifully for a few yrs. All of a sudden our water became very cloudy. We cleaned the filter and added our normal API freshwater tap water conditioner as usual. Tank continues to be cloudy so I took in a sample of my water to PetSmart to be tested. Ended up being mildlt high in nitrate (40) & nitrite (1.0) levels. We cleaned the tank again about 50% and added stres zyme along with another recommended enzyme. We did also add Prime at a separate time. Our tank continues to be cloudy and we have lost 2 fish so far, an adult and a newborn baby. Our goldfish has red patches toward the rear end of her body that are symmetrical on each side. We also have a placostamus who is usually very shy but is coming toward the surface more and a newt who is also acting lethargic and coming to the surface more. We don't know if we should remove the goldfish or if there's something else that could be causing this. Thank you sooo much!! Going in to PetSmart today so any advice would be amazing! -Kerri

 

[Matt68005]

How long has the tank been setup?
Its probably going thru a nitrogen cycle.
Google it if you have never heard of it again. Ammonia and nitrite is toxic to fish. Until the GOOD bacteria build up, you need to not feed and keep changing part of the water everyday. Since you already have fish in there, you should get some "Prime" its a type of water conditoner that makes it less toxic to fish.

 

[Kerri4Him77]

Thank you for your reply. We have had these fish for about 3 yrs and this particular tank about 1 yr.
It tested positive for nitrite & nitrate. We've cleaned again already & added the enzymes & Prime.
Also the goldfish has the red blotches.
With all this , do you recommend that we stop feeding & just keep changing out the water until clear???
Thank you again

 

[killrsheep]

I'd say keep monitoring nitrites and do regular water changes

It's weird to have this happen after 1year, if you see your nitrites going down steadily it might just have been your bacteria having to catch up with a nitro spike
I have always added prime with each water change and my last nitrite spike I think was caused by my inexperience with ferts