Going Nuts

[Dek1]

Hi Guys new to this so apologies if you have heard it all before. I have a 65lt tank, I did have a CF1 filter bit in the past week I've changed it to a bio thermal 100 (massive difference). I'm at this for about 3-4 weeks bit om having terrible problems with ammonia, I've stop feeding the 3 Black Phantoms I have left (lost 3) and 6 Harlequin rasbora for a few days. I've done about 5 water changes from 25% to 50% I'm using Microbe-Lift Nite out ll and special blend. My levels go down slightly but then back to green. Everything is good coming out the tap I work off well water. What am I doing wrong?? Ph is 7 hardness fine nitrate is 10mg, nitrite is 25mg.
Please help before I pull out what hair I have left

 

[AmyKieran]

Hi Guys new to this so apologies if you have heard it all before. I have a 65lt tank, I did have a CF1 filter bit in the past week I've changed it to a bio thermal 100 (massive difference). I'm at this for about 3-4 weeks bit om having terrible problems with ammonia, I've stop feeding the 3 Black Phantoms I have left (lost 3) and 6 Harlequin rasbora for a few days. I've done about 5 water changes from 25% to 50% I'm using Microbe-Lift Nite out ll and special blend. My levels go down slightly but then back to green. Everything is good coming out the tap I work off well water. What am I doing wrong?? Ph is 7 hardness fine nitrate is 10mg, nitrite is 25mg.
Please help before I pull out what hair I have left

When you changed the filter, did you use any of the old filter media in the new filter?

 

[Essjay]

It sounds as though you are doing a fish-in cycle.

A few questions to help us help you -
How long have you had the tank?
Did you cycle it using ammonia before you got fish?
Were you having ammonia problems before you changed the filter or only after?

Whenever there is a reading for ammonia or nitrite in the water a water change is needed to get them down to zero. During a fish-in cycle, the water should be tested daily and at the start, water changes will be needed daily.

 

[Gravydavy727]

Your filter needs to cycle, could be the problem. Put the old one back in till the new one is ready. I had a similar problem since using seachem prime I seem to be doing OK. Pending the white spot on my german rams removal

 

[Dek1]

When you changed the filter, did you use any of the old filter media in the new filter?

I still have both filters running in the tank thought it was better to do this for a week or 2

 

[Dek1]

Your filter needs to cycle, could be the problem. Put the old one back in till the new one is ready. I had a similar problem since using seachem prime I seem to be doing OK. Pending the white spot on my german rams removal

Hi I still have the old filter running never took it out yet thought it was better to keep it there for a week or 2

 

[Essjay]

You need to run both for a couple of months rather than weeks.

If you are using both filters it does sound as though you didn't cycle the tank before getting fish. Can you tell us exactly what you did between setting the tank up and buying fish - how long was that and what if anything did you add to the tank?

 

[Dek1]

It sounds as though you are doing a fish-in cycle.

A few questions to help us help you -
How long have you had the tank?
Did you cycle it using ammonia before you got fish?
Were you having ammonia problems before you changed the filter or only after?

Whenever there is a reading for ammonia or nitrite in the water a water change is needed to get them down to zero. During a fish-in cycle, the water should be tested daily and at the start, water changes will be needed daily.

I had the tank for a week adding bacteria and I got told to add a little fish food to get things working.

 

[Essjay]

OK, so the tank isn't cycled, that's the problem. Cycling takes several weeks.

What you need to do now s test every day for ammonia and nitrite and do a water change whenever either read above zero. Feed the fish every other day or even once every 3 days. less food = less ammonia. They won't starve. I would also try to get some Tetra Safe Start - that brand is known to contain the correct species of bacteria which grow in aquariums.

Live plants will also help as they take up ammonia as fertiliser, and they don't turn it into nitrite. Floating plants are particularly good for this. Even several stems of elodea left to float will help.

Then it's just a question of waiting until enough bacteria have grown. Cycling takes several weeks.

 

[Dek1]

It sounds as though you are doing a fish-in cycle.

A few questions to help us help you -
How long have you had the tank?
Did you cycle it using ammonia before you got fish?
Were you having ammonia problems before you changed the filter or only after?

Whenever there is a reading for ammonia or nitrite in the water a water change is needed to get them down to zero. During a fish-in cycle, the water should be tested daily and at the start, water changes will be needed daily.

I had the ammonia problem before I changed filters

 

[Essjay]

That's because the tank was not cycled before the fish went into the tank. See post #9

 

[Dek1]

OK, so the tank isn't cycled, that's the problem. Cycling takes several weeks.

What you need to do now s test every day for ammonia and nitrite and do a water change whenever either read above zero. Feed the fish every other day or even once every 3 days. less food = less ammonia. They won't starve. I would also try to get some Tetra Safe Start - that brand is known to contain the correct species of bacteria which grow in aquariums.

Live plants will also help as they take up ammonia as fertiliser, and they don't turn it into nitrite. Floating plants are particularly good for this. Even several stems of elodea left to float will help.

Then it's just a question of waiting until enough bacteria have grown. Cycling takes several weeks.

Thank you, I'll do changes everyday I did one this morning and tested again tonight and it was just as high as yesterday. I only did a 25% so should I look at doing 50% ones??

 

[Essjay]

The water changes need to be as big as necessary to get the level down to zero. If necessary, leave just enough water in the tank to allow the fish to swim upright. You need to match the temperature of the new water to the tank water to avoid shocking the fish.

Can I just check - you are using a dechlorinator to treat the new water?


The first part of this link explains what cycling is, though the second part is for when there are no fish in the tnak.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Dek1]

The water changes need to be as big as necessary to get the level down to zero. If necessary, leave just enough water in the tank to allow the fish to swim upright. You need to match the temperature of the new water to the tank water to avoid shocking the fish.

Can I just check - you are using a dechlorinator to treat the new water?

Yes Aquacare. Thanks again for your help

 

[Colin_T]

You are doing a fish in cycle as mentioned by @Essjay. It usually takes around 4-6 weeks for a tank to cycle and the filters to develop the good bacteria they need to keep ammonia and nitrite levels at 0ppm. Until then reduce feeding and do big daily water changes.

Reduce feeding to 2-3 times a week. Don't worry, the fish won't starve. After the filter has established you can feed the fish every day and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate once a week.

In the mean time, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding. And do a 75% water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0ppm, or a nitrate reading above 20ppm.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Small water changes don't do anything to reduce nutrients.
If you replace 25% of the water, you leave 75% of the bad stuff behind.
If you replace 50% of the water, you leave 50% of the bad stuff behind.
If you replace 75% of the water, you leave 25% of the bad stuff behind.

Don't bother testing for nitrates until the tank has finished cycling. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading.

-------------------
You can help speed up the cycling process by having the water temperature around 28-30C. Have lots of aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water. Keep the pH close to 7.0.

You can add liquid filter bacteria supplements like the microbe lift you have. I recommend adding a double dose every day for a week, then pour the remaining contents into the tank. try to add the bacteria supplement near the filter intake so it gets drawn into the filter where it belongs. Add the bacteria supplement after doing a water change.