Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've noticed my discus flaring their gills a lot lately. It's not constant, but it happens a few times a day. They're in a 75-gallon tank with sand substrate, driftwood, and some Amazon swords. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate, pH 6.8. Temp is steady at 84°F. Anyone know why ...

kento4 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 17, 2025 6:25 pm If you're gonna add snails, just be careful. Some species reproduce like crazy. Nerites are safe though, they won't overpopulate.

Yep, Nerites are the way to go. They're algae-eating machines and won't take over your tank. Just make sure your tank lid is snug—they're escape artists.

20 ppm nitrates will definitely feed algae. Try to get it down to 10 ppm or lower. More water changes, like kento4 said, and maybe cut back on feeding if you're overdoing it. Also, if you're using liquid ferts, dial those back too. Algae loves excess nutrients.

Algae's a pain, but you gotta tackle it from multiple angles. What's your nitrate level? High nitrates feed algae like crazy. Also, what kind of filter are you running? A good canister filter with proper flow helps. I'd recommend adding some floating plants like Frogbit to outcompete the algae for ...