Nitrates and Paracleanse

[Sandra the fish rookie]

I just did my pre medication chemistry and noted my Nitrates are 40. There ar 15 Otto's and 1 Panda Corydora in there (and pest snails to keep it cycled).  QT trio is complete (dosed on Saturday June 26th)  and I usually do a second dose of Paracleanse (day 3. Should I hold doing that? They are fasting and I did a water change and vac prior to starting the QT meds. They are all fine, swimming around happy as can be. There are no signs of illness at all. This is week 2 in QT. Week one I feed them and observe, and week 2 medicate, week 3 observe. I know that 40 can be okay. I do have plants in little terracotta pots and the tank is bare bottom. Just wanted to make sure that if I medicate it will not be an issue. 

Here are the rest of the parameters: PH 7.3, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 40. 

[HH Morant]

40 ppm nitrates is not something that is going to affect your fish in any way you can detect. I don't think it should stop your normal quarantine procedure. It is a sign that your good bacteria is working, converting ammonia to nitrite to nitrate.

[Guppysnail]

On 6/28/2021 at 1:59 PM, HH Morant said:

40 ppm nitrates is not something that is going to affect your fish in any way you can detect. I don't think it should stop your normal quarantine procedure. It is a sign that your good bacteria is working, converting ammonia to nitrite to nitrate.

I agree it should not affect them in anyway you can detect.  I’m always concerned though that their little liver kidneys and gills do have to work harder to process the meds so I try to stay under 20 so the nitrate doesn’t add to their organ workload. 

[Sandra the fish rookie]

@Guppysnail I agree, medication is really hard on them.. and I am hypervigilant watching them because I worry about them 😞. I really cleaned the tank well before,  but the pest snails.. they POOP so much!!

I honestly don't like medicating but after the times I didn't that the disaster it caused in my display tanks.. I just can't take that risk on my already healthy fish in the tanks.. At least its the last dose and done. Then I let them chill feed them REALLY well.. and get them into their new homes.. 

[Guppysnail]

I keep bladder snails on purpose they do poop a lot but are so useful and cute. Yeah I hate medicating but I do guppies and no matter where I get them from they are a mess and need it.