Massive Nitrite And Ammonia Climb!

[reeeedfish]

Okay, so I've REALLY, REALLY let my aquarium go sour. I mean like no water changes for like 3 months, sporadic feeding, overfeeding, the works. Okay, so it's a 55 gallon with 1 rhino pleco, 2 featherfin catfish, 2 pictus, 2 ropefish, and a raffle cat. Only sick behaviour I seen is from one of the rope fish. He just lies at the surface, not panting, but his tail is above his head and whenever he swims down, his tail floats up and pulls him to the surface. The nitrite is now .5-.75 and the ammonia is about 1. This was taken with a API master test kit. To correct this I'm thinking 100% water change with scrubbing the decorations and glass walls for algae and vacumming the sand and cleaning the biological filters and replacing the carbon cartridges. Is this enough?

 

[karin]

NOOOOOOOOoo. Start slowly. Do the 100% water change with vacuum and rinse your filters but don't scrub them. If you scrub everything down at one time you risk a mini-cycle. YOu could also shock your fish. Soooo do the water change and vacuum. Leave for a couple days and then do another part, but first commit to taking care of your fish or rehome them. They rely on you to be a good water and wildlife manager.

 

[reeeedfish]

Thank's for the help, my tanks are normally perfect but something came up and I became really busy. It was a one time thing, so it won't happen again.


Anyways, should I scrub the decorations with the water change, or not?

 

[karin]

I wouldn't. Just pace yourself and keep checking the water stats. Let those guide your cleaning. Also there is something called old tank syndrome, where your fish get acclimatized to a dirty tank, so think about as if you are re-acclimating them to the clean tank again.

Good luck with the resurrection.

 

[reeeedfish]

My fish then DEFINATELY have old tank syndrome, but thanks for the help and advice, will do!

 

[neonnewbie]

Right first here is a virtual "SLAP" for letting it get so bad

But at least you have come and asked for advice on retifying the problem

Good luck with it fella

NN

 

[reeeedfish]

I need more than a virtual slap But I did a 75% water change, vacumed gravel, and it looks better now. Ammonia is now 0.5 and Nitrites are about 0.1. Will clean the filter and srub the algae later in the week. Anything else to get rid of the remaining nitrites+ammonia?

 

[karin]

Just do water changes and use seachem prime as your dechlor if you can. Swish filter media in the old tank water. That is what I would do to try to get the ammonia and nitrites to zero.

 

[reeeedfish]

Wait, you swish the media actually into the aquarium or into a bucket?

 

[neonnewbie]

Into a bucket during a water change don't scrub it just swish it about to get rid of any clumps of crap on it.

NN

 

[reeeedfish]

Thanks for all your help, I think i'll have it under control soon!

 

[Crazycat lady]

I had a similar problem. Mainly due to overfeeding and falling in love with some lyretail gupps.
I did a 50% change then 20% every few days after.

Adding live plants helped me and also got a nitrite/rate, and ammonia remover which I popped in for a bit. .

Turning light off is good

Don't hoover too much, some “friendly” bacteria live in there and go steady cleaning sponges.

Bacteria is our friend

 

[reeeedfish]

I had plants, but now my pleco has them in his belly. He demolishes all plants! None survive!

 

[Crazycat lady]

I had plants, but now my pleco has them in his belly. He demolishes all plants! None survive!

awwwww bless him