Two tanks with strange sicknesses

[Frida]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If yes, what is your ammonia?

Ammonium <0,005

If yes, what is your nitrite?

0

If yes, what is your nitrate?

3-5 depending on when I test. I add for the plants.

If I did not test my water...

1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

31-40%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

Hello,
I’m asking two questions here. I have two problem tanks where fish fall ill constantly or with weeks apart.

1: Flowerhorn that keeps getting hith despite all my efforts to keep tank clean and medications I have tried.

2: Angelfish and blue acaras and guianacaras have fallen ill in this tank during the last 8-10 months. All with similar symptoms but with weeks apart. It always starts with heavy breathing, then loss of appetite. Lates sores/small holes develop in the skin or fins, sometimes with a brownish tint. The angels died after two weeks from the first symptoms. I lates got the other cichlids and lost one guyanacara and one blue acara to the same but it took longer time. Now the last guyanacara and blue acara have started with the heavy breathing… plecos seem unaffected.

Water parameters are good in both tanks.
I change water every 7-10 days depending on number of fish etc in the tanks.
We have a digged well so no chlorine but have only tested for metals like iron and cupper.
Other tanks have no problems.
I am in Europe so I have very limited or no access to antibiotics etc.

Sorry for my english, but I hope to get some fresh ideas on what my fishes could be dealing with
Pic of the flowerhorn the other day.

 

[danotaylor]

Your English is great!
What do you mean you “add” nitrate for the plants?
Nitrate is the final product of the biological filtration cycle. The nitrogen cycle converts harmful ammonia into nitrite and then into less harmful nitrate. High nitrates can play a major role in HITH disease.
Plants don’t like high concentrations of salt, but have you tried adding salt to break bacterial reproduction cycle and reduce the bacterial load in your tank?
I would remove the plants to another set up for a few weeks and hit the tank w 1tbsp/1gal of salt and keep at that concentration for 2 weeks, replacing w water changes.
A few other questions to delve deeper to help identify causation;
What type of testing kit do you use?
Is it still within its used by date?
If API are you shaking the bottles vigorously on the nitrate test bottles prior to use? Failure to do so will result in 0-5 readings.
Are you in an agricultural area where fertilizer or pesticides could run off into your well water?

 

[Frida]

Thanks for the answer. Actually I add KNO3 as a fert for the plants. But they are mostly eaten anyway so I guess I can skip trying to save them…
I use JBL test kit not strips but the bottles. The date is ok.
Unfortunately yes, I live in the countryside with fields around the house. This is a water protected area though which means the farmers are not allowed to use certain pesticides but you never know…
I have added salt to the tank, 1 ml per litres of water (could be another reason why the plants are sad). Someone told me the other day to not use anything but clean water so at the last water changes I added nothing.
Today I started a three day treatment with Octozin (dimetridazol). I also read here on the forum that epsom salt would be good for soaking the food in. I have that at home. Do you think I can do that now or is it best to wait until the Octozin cure is completed?

 

[danotaylor]

I would wait on the Epsom salt. It’s really just for constipation and bloating.
Keep us posted after the antibiotic treatment is done

 

[duanes]

To me its not meds that you need, but more water changes,
a 40% water change only once per week, is probably the cause of chronic HITH
HITH is usually a result of chronic bacterial infections caused by the stress of high nitrate.
This is my cichlid tank, with terrestrial plants growing from it
.

Below is its planted sump that filers the tank, the plants consume nitrate.

And my tanks average nitrate reading.

The plants use nitrate as it is being produced by the 20 cichlids in the 180 gal, so to me addition of nitrate on top of that, seems overkill.
I would imagine with such a lax water change schedule your nitrate level is probably what I consider over the top.
Where I collect ciclids in nature, nitrate is usually undetectable so that's what I base my water change shedule on.
If nitrates reach over 5 ppm, its time for a water change
Some of my tests from nature below.

Yellow is nitrate, red pH.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjSqvHTyPOBAxXLnWoFHROXCG4QFnoECBoQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.journals.uchicago.edu%2Fdoi%2F10.1086%2F713252&usg=AOvVaw3wjKcEGjmgQiDil_lM_3aw&opi=89978449

My cichlid tank average stocking (average fish size 6"), and I credit the lack of HITH with that much overstocking, to low nitrate concentration.
.

 

[danotaylor]

I agree duanes I don’t think the nitrate reading is accurate, especially since additional nitrate fertilizer is being added for the plants.
The OP has already started meds so he should finish the course, and transition to larger more frequent water changes for health maintenance

 

[Frida]

Beautiful tanks
Yes, there are so many different schools in how to treat your tanks when it comes to water changes and ferts for plants etc. I have been taught that approximately 10 ppm of nitrate is needed for plants… But then again you can’t treat every tank the same I realize. This tank has like three plants in bad condition and I have been treating it the same as my other heavy planted (overgrown) tank in the pic…

 

[Frida]

I agree duanes I don’t think the nitrate reading is accurate, especially since additional nitrate fertilizer is being added for the plants.
The OP has already started meds so he should finish the course, and transition to larger more frequent water changes for health maintenance

I just looked at the readings for the last time I tested all tanks and the nitrate was at 3 or 5 in all… even the Malawi tank with only a few crypts. Something might definitely be wrong with the test kit…

 

[tlindsey]

Something might definitely be wrong with the test kit…

Welcome aboard
If you are using api freshwater test kit shake the 2 bottles well prior to testing.