Ammonia arrrrgh!

[benzonar]

Well I thought I was getting towards the end of my fishless cycle, ammonia was clearing from 4ppm down to 0 in 18 hours. Nitrite had dropped right down as well to 0.3ppm. Things were looking good.

Now I currently have a snail population explosion in my tank, they seem to be producing lots of waste as well (snail poo everywhere)

Will snails add to the bioload that significantly?

Ammonia has shot back up but nitrites are still falling.

Will carry out a water change tonight but am worried by how much bacteria I have and whether once the ammonia clears I will be able to stock. Will also be carrying out snail clearance tonight. Will keep them in a seperate tub to feed to some loaches if I get them.

 

[Aqua Andy]

Hi,

What is the current ammonia level?

When did you last add ammonia?


Andy

 

[benzonar]

Ammonia is hovering around the 3ppm level.

Last added my usual amount on Monday evening. It has been shifting it down to 0 in 24 hrs no problem, until yesterday.

Worried that it will go into a mini cycle again

 

[IMCL85]

Got any fish inside?

 

[benzonar]

Got any fish inside?

[snapback]884041[/snapback]​

Nope, fishless for the last three weeks.

Won't get any until its stable.

Plenty of planaria, cyclops, hydra and snails though.

 

[Aqua Andy]

It might an idea to post this in the invertebrates section also.

I'm not sure if snails would produce enough waste to keep the ammonia that high if the bacteria were already processing an amount of ammonia.

What level were you adding the ammonia to?

Can you think of anything you might have done that may have effected your beneficial bacteria population. A water change without de-chlorinator maybe?


Andy

 

[benzonar]

Did a water change last Wednesday with dechlorinator. Tank was great until Monday/Tuesday.

Will check it again tonight and carry out a water change. Then dose it to 2ppm and see if that goes by morning.

As a side note. In the Juwell type filters there is a white thin filter placed at the top of the filter stack. It is recommended to change this every two weeks, can I just rinse it out in tank water instead. I have a sand substrate so it does get clogged, but didn't want to lose any bacteria by throwing it away.

cheers

 

[Aqua Andy]

Rinse it lightly in some of the old tank water when you next do a water change.

If you have to replace it replace it half at a time. Clean the half that you are planing to eventually discard in old tank water and leave it in the tank for a couple of day's to help keep the beneficial bacteria populations high.


Andy