Help !

[twingogeekeo]

Hes told me to still do water changes dont get me wrong but just not as high volumes. Once ive changed the water tonight then to drop 2 balls in them 1 a week from there. You get 50 balls and he told me just to us them intill there gone.

If im honest i have trust in the guy as hes not just a bloke i know from the LFS hes also a friend of mine and called me a idiot for give the filters a good clean and as said on here just give them a squeeze and put back into the filter but to also not let it dry out.

Ill give the balls a go and update you on this. Im also going to google for reveiws on these to see what others have said

Also im thankful for everyones advise and am taking it all on borad and trying whats said but as you can see by the readings everything just keeps getting worse.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Meh, the number of times people have come on here and said their LFS told them not to do large water changes....

It's an old fashioned way of thinking. Let's break this down - bacteria live in your filter and in very small amounts in your substrate and on the surfaces on your tank (generally considered an inconsequential amount at that).

There are two irrefutable facts here. Ammonia and nitrite kill your fish. These substances are in your WATER. Even if these substances are not killing your fish quickly, they are still causing them much discomfort. So, being a caring fish owner I would do whatever is needed to remove harm to my fish, this means doing as many large and frequent water changes as needed in order to achieve this.

Just because they are your friend and their intentions are pure, it doesn't mean they are right.

 

[twingogeekeo]

Theres two ways of looking at this.

Ive tryied big water changes after big water changes and the results on testing get worse. Maybe if my tank had more bacteria in it and housed in the filter this would work?

On the other hand

Im being given advise from a LFS (Yes not all are great) who are telling me to use bacteria balls and smaller water changes.

Like all things if one way doesnt work try another. Is this my brain thinking wrong?

Seeing my stupidaty of over cleaning a filter as screwed my tank up i need to act before i go from what i have to nothing! The only way is to get advise from where ever is possible and see what people say. I also have a friend that works in another store i might get his veiws aswell.

 

[Tizer]

Ammonia is always present in a fish tank even if you cant measure it, a filter will always cycle even if you did an 80% water change every day.

This forum is full of useful information with hundreds of threads created by people that have been in your position. Rather than sticking to the advice given in this thread, spend some time reading others. You will soon educate yourself.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I personally feel the reason you are having the problems with rapidly increasing ammonia and nitrite is because you added more fish before your tank was cycled. You tank is now fully stocked essentially but without the bacteria required to cope. Fish-in cycles are manageable with lightly stocked tanks but fully stocked tanks are a nightmare to fish-in cycle. And that's what's happening here.

I certianly would never say you've been stupid though! Everyone starts somewhere!

 

[twingogeekeo]

As i like to say you learn from mistakes. I just hope the fish will all be ok.

 

[twingogeekeo]

Tested the water and results are

Ammonia: .25PPM
Nitrate: 2.0PPM
Nitrate: 20PPM

I have just done a 15% water change. Also added 3 Pure Aquarium Aqua Balls. Ill get some results tomorrow to see how we are getting on and we shall see if they do/dont work.

Is that your filter? If so, you can see the area for bio media. Did your filter come with this? If not, you should be able to get some wherever you get replacement foams and whatnot.

This is also in the filter i took it apart and had a look

 

[OldMan47]

You have deadly amounts of nitrites in your water. Go do a huge water change, not a tiny little 80% one. Drain the darned tank until the fish have trouble finding a puddle big enough to stay wet and refill with dechlorinated and temperature matched water. Let us know how the fish look right after that water change. I have done this repeatedly and I can tell you they will be swimming around happy.

 

[twingogeekeo]

Todays results

Ammonia: .25PPM
Nitrite: 2.0PPM
Nitrate: 80PPM

Before i left for work ive drained the tank till my gorami couldnt swim nomore but was still under water and refilled. Also added 5 Pure Aqua Balls to hope that the bacteria in them can start doing there work.

Ill keep you updated.

 

[twingogeekeo]

Tested again

Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 1.0PPM
Nitrate: 30PPM

I have also used Interpet Ammonia Remover and Tetra NitrateMinus

 

[OldMan47]

That is a bit better than the reading 14 hours earlier but I am afraid that you are in a position that will demand huge daily water changes to keep things healthy for your fish.

 

[twingogeekeo]

Update worked up today check the readings and the same as yesterday. I have now emptied the tank ad put the fish in a bucket. I've cleaned the gravel and refilled the tank with water and added tap safe checked the reading as and everything reads 0! I've now added pure aquarium aqua ball x5, a dosage of Interpet ammonia remover and tetra nitrateminus leaving the tank to to let the water with treatment run around the tank. I'm going away today at 6 so will add the fish back in before and am back home tomorrow so will check what we are at tomorrow. Let's see what happens

 

[twingogeekeo]

Just got in and tested the water before i feed them so frozen blood worm.

Todays results

Ammonia: 0PPM
Nitrite: 50PPM
Nitrate:10PPM

 

[Tizer]

50ppm nitrite? you mean 5 surely?

if its 5, then 100% water change.

 

[twingogeekeo]

.50PPM

My bad missed the dot out