# Can too much laterite be harmful to fish?



## Shade (Dec 15, 2007)

Help.

I lost both of my otto cats yesterday (one in the morning, one in the evening), and a neon this morning.

I have a 6G planted tank, which I set up about a year and two months ago. Using laterite as a substrate, just mixed in with regular gravel. At about 1yr in the plants stopped growing, and slowly got pathetic. Dark spots on the leaves mostly from the edges, turning brown.

I replaced the bulb, and that seemed to help. They got a bunch of new growth immediately, but then that stopped after a few days. Last week I decided to add a little bit more laterite to see if that would help- and it did, pale new leaves are coming in. I'm guessing nutrients are still missing though, because they're pretty small and not very green.

That's the only thing I've changed recently, but suddenly I'm losing fish. I dont know why. 

About 6 months ago I added some different rocks to the tank. I dont know what they are, but they might be responsible for changing the hardness of the water (tap water is not as hard as the tank is testing). I brought them from home, we used them in the fishtank my dad had when I was a kid for years, so I thought they'd be alright.










Testing:
GH: 120
KH: 80
PH: 7.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
I don't have an ammonia test on my strip, but whenever I take a water sample to the pet store to get it tested, it comes out fine.

Heater: 80-83 degrees F.

I do water changes once a week, about 10-15%. The carbon filter was replaced about 2.5 weeks ago.

Fish:
4 neons
1 khuli loach
1 amano shrimp.

What should I do?
Thanks much, for any help you can give.


----------



## AQUADWELLER (Dec 16, 2008)

Hi Shady, it depends when you added your ottos. If you have added your ottos recently they are a tougher fish to acclimatize to your tank. I don' think its the laterite. It could be your new rocks. You can test it by taking it out and get household vinegar. towel dry the stone(s) and add several drops of vinegar and see if it fizzes or bubbles. If it does keep it out of your tank. It is the cause of raising the hardness in your tank.

Also keep in mind that you have a six gallon tank, and the bioload on the tank is slightly high which could explain your higher nitrate reading of 20. Does your tank water have an nitrates in it?

I can't remember what otto's temp range (I think 25 C = 77 F). So, it could be your tank is a little high. Since Otos are little more finicky at least try to keep your tank at a constant 80 F. Good Luck


----------



## Shade (Dec 15, 2007)

Hi! Thank you for the reply.

The ottos were fairly recent... I got them in January.

I tested the rocks with some vinegar just now, but nothing happened. 

The water before it goes into the tank tests free of nitrates.
I usually test the tank water before I do a water change, though I suppose I should test it afterwards also... Its been reading at 20 nitrate right before water changes for a long time. 20 didnt seem very high, so I hadn't been worrying, so long as I did my water changes often, but I guess maybe not?

Its not just the otos though... This morning I lost one of my neons, and another one of them spent the entire day sitting just above the bottom of the tank breathing quickly... aaand I seem to have lost him as well, as of just checking now. 

Thanks. :<


----------

