Adding Established Gravel

[nicolar]

Hello...

newbie here...we went away for two weeks and came back to growing ammonia levels with a PH of 6.5. Started adding Ammo Lock which made bugger all difference along with Cycle. The guy at the fish shop said not to add them together as they counterbalanced each other. He said to start doing frequent water changes over the next week. Changed 10% three times. No difference. Ammonia was now off the scale with 6.5 PH. Guy at fish shop said that I had probably killed off bacteria with water changes and to stop feeding and leave for a week. A week is up. No change in the levels, no bacteria bloom and although most fish are OK, one is behaving extremely strangely and spinning around on his back.

Did one third water change last night. PH bit better but ammonia still high.

I read your advice for Godric. I guess i should be doing 50% water changes over three times a day then to get the levels down? You also mentioned adding in established gravel from another tank to the filter...do i take water with the established gravel or just the gravel? And then which bit of the filter do I add it to?

thanks guys!!
nicola

 

[The-Wolf]

You also mentioned adding in established gravel from another tank to the filter...do i take water with the established gravel or just the gravel? And then which bit of the filter do I add it to?

thanks guys!!
nicola

keep the gravel wet but there is no need to take the water
as for which part of the filter that would be the sponge, again keeping it wet

 

[nicolar]

Thanks Danio.

Does that level of water change sound OK to you? I'm in Australia and our damm levels are really low over here so they are adding crap load of chemicals to the tap water. I tested it the other day and the PH is about 7.5 and the Ammonia Level about 4ppm.

Other than the ager/dechlorinator should I add anything else to the tap water before putting it in the tank? Seems silly to be trying to get the ammonia levels down in my tank by adding tap water which has high ammonia in the 1st place!

nicola

 

[The-Wolf]

yes that level of water change is fine


I only know UK brands but this is my advice

To de-chlorinate I use "aquasafe" this also de-chloramines as well
For high ammonia I have "goldfish ammonia remover" this coverts the ammonia to a non toxic state which is then removed by the carbon in my filter. (i don't mix the 2 products)

Do you have a filter with activated carbon in it?
this will help with the removal of ammonia.

 

[Angry_Platy]

I'm in Australia and our damm levels are really low over here so they are adding crap load of chemicals to the tap water. I tested it the other day and the PH is about 7.5 and the Ammonia Level about 4ppm.

Holy crap!! where in Australia are you? I am in Newcastle, NSW and the tapwater here has always had zero ammonia, nitrites and nitrates (I test this every time I test my tanks)....

But yes....by doing your water changes with tapwater you are just going to compund the problem....Perhaps you might need to invest in a water purifier (if you can find one that gets rid of ammonia without harming the fish)....

Good luck!!!

 

[nicolar]

Hello chooklet...

I'm in Sydney and I couldn't believe it either! I filter all my drinking water - maybe I should start doing the same for my fish! The water changes have helped and since Friday the ammonia level has halved...I'll just keep on going!
thanks