Help !

[OldMan47]

It is time for a huge water change. With 0.5 ppm ammonia and 5.0 ppm nitrite you are in trouble on one or the other chemical. A wimpy 80% change will only reduce your nitrite to around 1 ppm, which is still way too high. The ammonia is more toxic at higher pH values while nitrite is more toxic at low pH values so you might be out of trouble for a very short time but you need to get that nitrite under 0.25 ppm.
Our members' experiences with bacterial additives, as we see here with their frequent posts, have almost no beneficial effects but it can't hurt anything to use them if they are already paid for. What could it hurt after all?

 

[twingogeekeo]

Ive just checked before i go to work and we have

Ammonia: 0PPM
Nitrite: 2.0PPM
Nitrate: 40PPM

I havnt got time to a huge change so done another 40% quickly. Im going to bucket the fish tonight and remove all the water and top it back up again from empty!

Ill let you know the test results tonight.

 

[pdludbrooke]

Yesterday lunch time i did a clean of the tank and a water change. Also with the filter being 4 weeks old i gave the foams a clean. I drained the water about 15% and then removed the filter. Rinsed them in the old water that turned black!

Then put the foams back in the filter and back into the tank and then topped the water back up with new water that had been tap treated. I tested the water and all was fine.

Today i wake up the water was a little cloudy but not overly and all the fish were fine about 10am i popped down stairs to get a drink of water and came back up to find a Gourami dead Ive done water test since and the Ammonia has gone up to 1.0PPM and the Nitrate to 20PPM - 40PPM. The Nitrite was 0PPM. Since then i have done a water change of about 70% and the guys are looking ok but its early times.

The tank is 64L and consist of

1 Gourami
3 Platies
3 Guppy
6 Cardinal Tetra
1 Hillstream Loach

Also a fair few live plants.

Ive also checked all the fish for white spots and other illnesses but cant see anythink. Just looking for peoples veiws on what the issue might be and what to keep on top of.

Also i think this may not have helps i trimed a few of the plants with some metal scissors while in the tank. Thinking of it im sure metal carrys Nitrate but can someone confime this. I have just ordered plastic scissors online now to use in the tank.

Have you worked out what caused your cycle to stall/stop yet ?

 

[kcartwright856]

Lots and lots of massive water changes. Your beneficial bacteria (What little of it you have so far, anyway) reside on the surfaces in the tank and your filter, not the water, so just be sure to not scrub any of those down.

If at all possible, get yourself a bottle of Prime. It's an excellent water conditioner for water changes with the added benefit of locking up ammonia and nitrites while you get your cycle under control.

 

[twingogeekeo]

I have a friend who works for Maidenhead aqautics ive texted him today (Didnt want to bug him i do it enough) He told me to buy and add some live bacteria and it will sort the issue out.

Now what is this

Ill keep doing water changes at the same time. But need to act on this.

The cause of all this is cleaning filters! I did it in the old tank water so confused why its all kicked up. What a pain in the rear end!

 

[twingogeekeo]

This is what he has told me to go and buy

http/www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/evolution-aqua-pure-aquarium-50-ball-tub.html

 

[kcartwright856]

I wouldn't bother with bacteria supplements at this point. Water changes, water changes, water changes.

Be mindful when cleaning your filter. Just a quick squeeze of your sponge in a bucket of removed tank water and immediately placing it back in the filter is usually all that's needed. Don't let it dry out, don't scrub, don't use untreated tap water.

Pick up a bottle of Prime and follow the dosage instructions for emergency nitrite situations.

Keep changing lots of water.

 

[twingogeekeo]

That will be my issue when i cleaned the filter i gave it a good shake around and squeeze so proberly removed all the good stuff. I dont remember it drying out but never know.

 

[kcartwright856]

If your filter has room for a pouch of bio media, I'd highly recommend it. There are several different kinds, but they are basically houses for your beneficial bacteria. You almost never clean these, unlike sponges that you must clean lest they clog up.

 

[twingogeekeo]

What is this media? Do you have a link?

I have a Interpet PF2 filter that comes with 3 filter foams.

It has the following foams

Carbon
http/www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/interpet-pf2-carbon-foam-x3.html

Filter Pads
http/www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/interpet-pf2-filter-pads-x5.html

Plain Foam
http/www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/interpet-pf2-plain-foam-x3.html

 

[kcartwright856]

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.

 

[twingogeekeo]

Yea thats the filter. I havent checked for the media as you need to take the centre of it apart and also looks like it maybe a sealed unit. Might be another thing for me to look at tonight i guess. Personally i cant see why it wouldnt come it it as its shown in the picture. If i remove the filter from the water it makes a ratting noise till there no water going though the filter as if they would be moving around together

 

[kcartwright856]

Hmm. Curious.

I doubt that it would be a completely sealed unit, as there are times that the bio media does need a bit of a rinse.

Definitely take a look as soon as you can and get back to us. If the bio media is in there, then you should have had a colony of beneficial bacteria on it, and thus having over-cleaned your sponges shouldn't have sent you into a new cycle.

Perhaps it would be alright to try out a bacterial supplement, but be warned that the vast majority of them do not work. The only two brands I know of that have been proven (anecdotal, not scientific) to work are Tetra Safestart and Dr. Tim's One and Only.

http/www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplies/aquarium-treatments-fish-medicines/tropical-aquarium-treatments-and-fish-medicines/freshwater-conditioners/dechlorinators-for-new-water/tetra-safestart-50ml.html

It would appear that you can get Tetra SafeStart in the UK. I would start looking for that product. Get the correct bottle size for your tank and dump the contents directly into your filter, turned off for an hour or so to let the product settle. Then, start it back up. Definitely do another big water change before this.

In the meantime, lots of big water changes and grab some Prime to treat your water with.

 

[twingogeekeo]

Ive just been chatting with Maidenhead aqactics and been told the 80% water changes could be coursing issues as the big water change can kill bacteria that has already built up in the tank.

I think im going to give these aqua balls ago and see how i get on. Ill keep you all updated. I will get this sorted if its the last thing i do

 

[kcartwright856]

The decision is yours, but I would be wary of the advice they are giving you. Water changes killing bacteria that is built up in the tank is way up there in the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

If you were doing a fishless cycle, then yes, water changes wouldn't be necessary. You would leave the bacteria to eat up the ammonia and nitrite by themselves.

However, you are in a situation where your fish are being poisoned. Water changes are not negotiable.

The balls may or may not work. If you have the money, go ahead and give it a try, but they will not replace the need for massive water changes until your cycle is under control.