Unexpected deaths, pls help!!

[NicknClair]

Yeh both are at Zero. Over the next 3-4 days, I should be at home a sensible time in the evening to do water changes each day. Should I be doing the filter on each day?

 

[Cactuspixie]

Yeh both are at Zero. Over the next 3-4 days, I should be at home a sensible time in the evening to do water changes each day. Should I be doing the filter on each day?

No, I'd be surprised if the filter was able to get dirty that quick. You don't want gunk to build up in the filter or tubes because that produces nitrates, but you don't want to disturb your bb any more than you have to.
I have my filters set up now so that the floss and sponge collect all the debris so it doesn't reach my biomedia. That way I can rinse/throw my floss and rinse the sponge and not touch my biomedia.
More plants will help use up the nitrates too, but I swear by purigen.
I run my tanks with purigen and do pwc twice a week. It took a lot of trial and error to work that schedule out, but my tanks stay stable with that routine.

 

[NicknClair]

Hi guys, quick update.
All levels now fine and the last guppy is putting back on weight and redness nearly gone from gills. However, had unexplained bloated red line tetra, whom was breathing irrational and eyes bulging. Stuck her in hospital tank and within 30 mins, she died :-(. All others looked ok, should I be worried?

 

[Cactuspixie]

I'm always worried when I see signs of stress or sickness in my fish. First step is always a large water change (like 50%).
When was your last pwc and what were the numbers for your test results?
If you haven't added anything new to the tank, then the sickness is most likely due to damage to gills and/or internal organs from ammonia/nitrite poisoning during cycling, and a secondary bacterial infection.

 

[NicknClair]

Last pwc was 2 days ago, before that I was doing 50% changes every day for about 6 days to lower the nitrate.
Last test results are;
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 10 (bearing in mind that this was the original problem! Please read previous posts)
Nitrite 0
Ph 6.5.
Going to do another 50% change tomorrow, as precautionary measure.

 

[NicknClair]

And it gets worse! Now found 2 tetras, with bumps on their heads! Just checked chems again and nitrate has come up again! At my whitsend as done 50% changes and watch the levels come down to the test done 2 days ago. Guppy on the mend but lost one tetra and 2 have bumps!
Thinking of getting some nitrozorb tomorrow unless someone can see something I'm doing wrong or missing or worse, something that I cannot treat?

 

[Cactuspixie]

Hmm. This is baffling to me. All I can think of is columnaris? Your nitrates may be rising quickly because of high bioload being efficiently processed by your BB. But your bioload is decreasing, so I don't know

I don't know what nitra zorb is. Is it a rechargeable resin like purigen or is it a single use product like zeolite?

I sure hope someone with a heap of experience replies with some help

 

[NicknClair]

Found some nitrate compacting liquid called Nitrate Minus. Seems to add certain BB to bring your Nitrate down, have to use it weekly.
However I've a problem now in the 190lt tank, found my male dwarf Gourami dead :-(. I suspect though after reading the forum that it might be a case of bullying??
My suspects are the 6 Gold Barbs in the tank, or am I being out of context? Pretty confident they were responsible for the missing Ammano Shrimps!