Nitrate 20-40 (safe)
Nitrite 0 (safe)
Hardness 150 (hard)
Alkalinity between 80 and 120(moderate or ideal)
pH between 6.8 and 7.2 (neutral)


I have a 20 gallon tank with two goldies and two snails. Lately the water has gotten very cloudy. Could it be that the snails are too messy? I'm having to do water changes several times a week and now the fish are at the surface gasping. I have two filters totaling 315 gph and a bubble stone. Please help, this is driving me nuts.

Oh, and the water is a yellowish green

how long has the tank been running? sounds like a bacterial bloom. if it is then cutting back the amount of light might help and covering the back and sides to cut out some natural light might help too.

It's only been running about 5 months. It's in an entertainment center (instead of a TV) so only the front gets exposed to any extra light.

I'll try lessening the amount of time I keep the light on.

Any more suggestions? Oh yeah I took out one of the snails because she's been acting sick.

the yellowish green tint to the water is most likely algea. Ive had the same problem. Reducing light can help, so can a UV unit. What were the nitrites? Keeping the nitrates under 20ppms can help alot with the algea problem. Algea grows when theres sufficient nutrients in the tank, so keeping the nitrates down will help eliminate this.

I'm curious... what water conditioner are you using?

ummm none. I just use the water straight out of my PUR filter... they seem to like it. When I pour it in they bathe in it.

I have the feeling I did something bad huh? They've been fine until now...

If any chlorine is getting thru yea. It does the same kinda thing that nitrIte does... binds up the red blood cells and keeps them from carrying oxygen. That could account for the gasping.

What do their gills look like?

Here's what the faucet mount say they remove
http://www.purwaterfilter.com/faucmounsysn.html

and the pitchers
http://www.purwaterfilter.com/pitdissysnsf.html

Doesn't say how much of what it removes tho... and from what I've read carbon will remove chlorine/chloramine... but it has to be a slow flow with plenty of time for the water to contact the carbon.

It might be a good idea to dose with dechlorinator ASAP and increase airation/surface agitation.

Well it turns out one of our snails was dead so that may have been it. I don't have any dechlorinator. It may be a while before I can get any. Their gills look ok. I did two days of water changes and they don't seem to be doing as much gasping. I guess the snail has been dead since Wednesday, possibly longer. I can't really increase surface agitation.... The two filters are working full blast as is the airstone. The surface is moving fine.

I luckily got to go to Wal-Mart and picked up some Wardley Watercare Chlor Out. The instructions say to add 5 drops for every gallong of water I add, but I've seen before on the forums that I should add dechlor for ALL the gallons of the tank. Which should I do in this case? I want to do a water change soon so could someone please answer quick?

Oh good... I would dose for the entire volume of the tank this time.

If you dechlor the water before adding it to the tank, use enough declore for the amount of water you're adding. If you're adding water directly to the tank, dose for the entire volume of the tank.

Ok. Well I added 2 gallons (very small water change) and dosed for two gallons. So I guess tommorrow I'll do another small change and dose the whole tank.

Thanks ^^ I hope my fish feel better soon.

I need more help please. I did the water change with the chlor out, but nothing has changed. The fish are still gasping at the surface and the water is still very cloudy.

EDIT: if it's the nitrates, do you think this would work? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...2&N=2004+112989

For nitrate reduction, there is really nothing that can beat water changes.

Do you have gravel in your tank? It is possible that the dead snail introduced some nasty bacteria or something into the tank as it was rotting - and this has taken up residence in the tank. I think I would recommend you do a really deep through cleaning of the gravel with a substantial water change. Use your de-chlorinator for the replacement water.

Check your filter - you can shake the cartridges or squeeze the sponges out in the cleanest of the tank water, but do not change anything in that filter - but you might want to take it apart and make sure the impellor is not jammed up with gunk and the intake tube is as clear as possible. If there is any obstruction, the filter will pump less than the normal gph.

Then tomorrow, change some more water and vacumn the gravel again. Do it again the next day and the next. See if that picks the fish up.

I would suggest testing your water about an hour after a change, just to make sure you are not bumping your cycle, though.....

Please post back, ok?

What percent change do you suggest?

Yes, I do have some gravel. About the filters, am I supposed to change the carbon regularly? The boxes say every month, but someone told me that it's ok to leave it there.

Either leave it there or take it out altogether. I only use carbon when I am specifically using it to remove meds. I leave the cartridges for the filter in until they literally fall apart - for they clean nicely if you shake them vigorously in used water. I bang them on the side of the bucket and shake and rub them and then drop them back into the filter. I slit the floss on the ones that have carbon in them and dump the carbon out.

I think I would change out 25-30% each time.

I would do a paritial water change and dump the carbon out of you're filter if you
have the type that you can open up the top (whispers tetra's) and just add some
ammo/carb and rinse that out in the water you just took out. Gravel vac good, and I don't know if you have airstones or a bubble wand but that would add some more areation into the tank. hope it resolves soon for you and you're babies.

Cjgirl

I did the water changes and everything seemed better (less surface gasping, but water still slightly cloudy) and today I noticed that our last snail looks to be dead. This is so frustrating. Our poor snails... Now I have to break the news to my bf that Johnny (his snail) is dead... and that the fish tried to eat his dead body. Looks like I'll be doing a lot more changes