Originally Posted by
pcsb23
Stocking levels are fine as far as I'm concerned.
Rams can be sensitive little souls, so it is possible that they got or are getting stressed, whether that is the water or the tankmates I'm not 100% sure. I'd not keep rosy barbs and rams in the same tank for example as barbs can be a little "nippy".
As for purigen and other such adsorptive resins, the short is answer is yes and no. Yes they will adsorb nitrates, but no they will not adsorb enough and you will be continually re-charging them imo. Purigen is a little different in that it adsorbs other stuff too, but it is still a pita as it needs replacing/re-charging quite regularly on decently stocked tanks.
If your water is suspect the best solution ime is to use an RO machine. Despite what most other people think, using RO with either commercially available salts or home made salts will produce the highest quality water. It is why reef enthusiasts who grow difficult corals only use RO water and most will add a DI pod to that too.