Help please!!

[onlinediamond]

We have been struggling with our 35 gallon corner tank for a couple months now. We can't seem to get the Nitrates down. Here is some of the info on our tank.

35 Gallon Corner Tank - Set up in aug-sept 2010
40-60 Whisper filter
Temp 79-80
Feed 1 time in morning, and 1 time in evening
water change (7 gallons) every friday


Fish in tank:
11 Guppies
3 Gourami
6 ghost shrimp
1 Chinese algae Eater
1 Sunfire Platy
1 red claw crab
1 Danio

Over the last 2 months we have lost 10 guppies, 2 Gourmi, 1 Sunfire Platy, 2 Danio....my wife has replaced the ones that have died here and there.

The local pet stores have had us buy Ammonia tablets, Top Fin Dechlorinator, Tap water conditioner, Bacteria Supplement, Ammonia Reducer, and easy balance. Still sitting at 80 on nitrates.

We also have a 55 Gallon tank with Cichlids, catfish, and rainbow sharks. We do the same routine with it as with the 35 gallon tank (except change 12 gallons weekly) and never have a problem!

What suggestions do you have to help with our 35 gallon tank....Thank you!!

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

Change 50% of your water daily until you get the trates down to below 20 PPM. Some people like them lower, but that is OK. Do a very thorough gravel vac. How are you testing the water?

 

[nanu156]

Dylan and drews dad is going to flip out that i said this because generally i advocate a heavy stocking order, but it seems to me you are a tad overstocked.

Along with the water changes he suggested I would reduce feedings to once a day or every other day until your tank gets more normal.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

OMG!!!! LOL I was going to mention the stocking after the water parameters were back to normal, but since you brought it up....
I agree with the feeding as well.....

 

[nanu156]

yeah, people seem to think fish are dogs, and need to eat two to three times a day... they really only need to eat every other day... (generally speaking, yes i know that there are exceptions to this)

I'd bet that the gravel bed is NASTY.... :-/

So if anything else dies, don't replace it. Your tank will normalize on it's own.

Yeah Im rotten and evil for saying let the tank work out the stocking problem, poor dead fishes... LOL