Another Day Another Dead Fish...

Can this really all be nitrate related? I have had two other post "Fish Loss After API General Cure" and "Any Ideas on Cause of Death" I have done WC every 12 hours, nitrate is staying 20 to 40 but has not hit 80 again. Guppy still acting sick. Molly show no problems. Neons seem ok. Larger Cory seems ok but smaller one is very sluggish. HELP I really am trying to do everything I can to stop this loss.

 

Do I understand this- you're doing water changes every 12 hours, and in 12 hours the nitrates rise from 20 to 40?

What size is the tank again, and how much water are you changing?

 

Your nitrates may be high in your tap water, did you measure just tap water? My nitrates are never below between 20 and 40, but fish is fine. You can doze with Prime if in doubt

 

I did measure tap water, it was 20ppm as best as I can tell. I will get liquid test in tomorrow, I had to order it. The minimum WC I have done is 25% I have done upto 40%.
I am using Prime with every WC and I am dosing 3 caps in a 55 Gal which is more than twice the recommended dose, but instructions said could be dosed upto 5 times recommended if necessary.
I still really feel like there is some kind of outbreak but I may be wrong.

 

If you're doing 6 caps of Prime a day in a 55 gallon, your fish may be suffering from oxygen deprivation. As far as I understand, Prime is an oxygen reducer. What are their symptoms?

 

I also feel that its a disease....I am not a specialist though

 

Yep, you got that right. When you dose Prime that high you really need extra aeration, and you need good aeration with the API med.

 

I'm only dosing 3 caps not 6. I just started using Prime on Sunday, before that I was using StressCoat Plus. I have already done 4 WC since then. I have a bubbler to increase surface agitation and increase oxygen.
SYMPTOMS: initially I saw white translucent poo coming from one of my Guppies. decreased appetite, lethargy. Several guppies staying at the bottom and the others hanging out at the top....nobody (guppies) acting normal.
I lost one neon and one cory after treating with API general cure in addition to the 4 guppies that I have lost. I only left the API in the water for 12 hours before ending treatment...due to 4 deaths. Might have been wrong move. Just not sure what to do.

 

Ok, my misunderstanding. I thought you said you were doing water changes every 12 hours, and three caps of Prime each time... so that makes a lot per day. I'm no disease expert, so I'll leave this to others more experienced.

 

Sorry I am wrong....in 24 hours it would be 6 caps.

 

How much aeration do I need. I have a HOB filter and an aeration disk at opposite end of tank. I recently added the aeration disk. I had cichlids in this tank for 5 or 6 months and then switched it over to a non aggressive tank. Once I finally got my cycle started I didn't have any issues with this tank....until recently. That is one of the reasons I believe some of this Has to be disease related.