Hi, I need some help. I have a 48 gallon tank. I have two Shubunkin Gold Fish in my tank and that is it. I'm having a real problem with Nitrates. Everything else is within normal limits except them. I clean my tank very throughly every other week, replace about 15+ gallons of water, wash everything really well, rinse the filter media in the fish water instead of clean water every time I clean my tank but I can't get the Nitrates down. My husband has forbidden me to get a larger tank just for two gold fish. He's not a bad guy, it's just we have space problems and have no place to put a larger tank. OH Did I mention that my boys are about 8 inches long without the tail and about 2 1/2 inches thick??? I've had my fish for three years, my bigger tank for 2. I have two air pumps to pump air into the tank and the filter I have is the Aqua Clear 100. I follow all the directions with my water, let it sit out for 24 hours before I use it etc etc, I use Cycle when I do my water changes. Does anyone have any ideas what I can try next? They still have pink gills which is amazing since they have these high nitrate levels. I want to keep them healthy but I've run out of ideas.

Do you use something to get rid of chlorine & chloramines. The water could still have this in it even if it sits. This could be causing a continuous cycle problem. Buy some Prime.

With nitrates, you need to do bigger water changes more often to bring them down. With goldfish especially. goldfish are major waste producers. With only 2 your tank should be fine for quite a while, just don't add any more.

If your nitrates are at 50 and you do a 50% water change your nitrates should go down to 25. Have you checked your tap water for nitrates? At one time mine was running 180 out of the tap and had to get a plumber out to do some work as it was found that ground water was leaching into the water pipes through tiny holes.

Try doing 50% water changes twice a week and I am sure you will notice a big difference.

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220 Tank build
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What is Prime? I have checked my water for Chlorine and it tests negative. Would the same test strip that checks for Chlorine test for Chloramines?

I have checked my tap water and it tests fine, the test strips are all well within the color ranges. So for my 48 gallon tank I'd need to do 24 gallon water changes twice a week? Yes? Would it have to be a full blown clean the gravel water change like I do every two weeks or just a water change? I'm asking because it takes me on average 3 hours every two weeks to do a full blown tank clean. Changing just the water would be a bit faster. I'm willing to do what it takes for the boys to stay healthy. Do you think an outside the tank filter would help any?

Just do water change a couple times a week and vac the gravel once a week during one of those water changes.

How are you doing your water changes if its taking that long? Are you vacumning the gravel as you siphon the water out. Even when I was using buckets to change water on a 75 gal it only took me about an hour.

Sounds like you are using an undergravel filter. Those are ok but clog fairly easy when there is a lot of waste. I would replace with an Hang on back filter or a canister if possible. And get one that will fit a bigger tank or use 2 of them.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
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Prime is a water conditioner for removing chlorine. If you are on city water no matter how your test shows, there is chlorine in it. If you are on well water there shouldn't be any chlorine.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
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When I clean my tank I emplty out everything in it except the fish and siphon the gravel clean. Then I was the tank walls down, and wash the filter with tank water and get it clean. I put the plants and stuff back in and start everything back up. and it is clean. I have a 100 Gallon Aqua clear now on the back of my tank. I was thinking of going to an outside of the tank canister filter, just don't know what kind to move to. Folks warned me when I got my tank to stay away from umder gravel filters so I did. If I get a cannister can you recomend a good one. Don't know the first thing about them. I've allways been told that there is no such thing in a goldie tank as too clean but who knows.

On my 220 I am using a fluval fx5 rated for 400 gal. They do make smaller ones. There are also other brands that are good. filtstar, eheim, and others.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html