sick Black Moor

Question
QUESTION: I have a Black Moor who seemed to be suffering classic nitrate poisoning. He was hanging near the top of the water in a bent position. Sure enough, my nitrates tested very high. I've been doing 10-20% water changes for a week. He responded positively at first, but has gotten worse. He now lays on the bottom sideways. When he did try to swim to the top, he sank back to the bottom. He hasn't been out from under his rock to try to eat. I stopped trying to feed him for a couple of days, worried that the food might add to the nitrate problem. Every day he looks like he won't make it for 5 more minutes. I don't know what else to do, he looks like he's really suffering. Help?

ANSWER: Hi Beth,
Sorry about the Moor.
keep testing for nitrates and do the fallowing:
Feed him (in small amounts)
and keep up the water changes.

Tell me if you see anything else such as weird algea, the fish looking strange etc.
it is important for me to know EVERY thing weird so i can tell what problem your fish has.
Will

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the reply. I have continued the water changes, and had a local pet shop test the water as well as testing it at home. The only issue they found was high PH. My ph has always been high in my source water, but has never been a problem in the past year for the fish.  He is now barely crawling around the bottom, trying to keep himself upright, and unable to eat. He has also re-assumed the "bent over" position in the corner. Is there anything else I can do for him at this point, or is he just too sick? How long will the poor thing hang on in misery like this? I feel helpless!

Answer
Hi Beth,
You could lower the pH to about neutral...

Thing about all of the reasons people get sick, hurt or could die. I sure can't think of all of the reasons. my point being the fish could have a bad kidney of a bad heart or something and there is nothing we could do other than what you are doing. here are a few things you might try:
pH= 7
temp=  62-70
keep up the cleaning and the feeding,
and keeping the light off may reduce stress.

Sorry about the Moor.
Will