Need Help With Tank Cycling & Ick Treatment

[sweetyness]

Hi. I would like helpful opinions on if I am handling my new tank issues correctly, and if not, how I should proceed. I apologize in advance for long post w/ details- but want you to know it all!:

1. Bought used 125 gallon freshwater tank, (was understocked and cycled for 2 years). Had 60 gallon cycled tank- reached stock limits.

2. When relocating 125 tank, brought 40 gallons of its water with it for cycling. Tank came with Fluval 403 canister filter, 4- lid light bars of 18" 15wt AquaGlo, heaters, gravel/sand combo substrate. Set-up 125g.- added StressCoat for new water. Kept my 60 gallon up for a week to match PH from old to new. (Cichlids came with 125g. tank) After 1 week, moved 60g. fish to 125g. (levels good, slight ammonia)

3. End of second week, fish looked somewhat stressed- test revealed Nitrite spike! Realized I stupidly rinsed Fluval filter before setting up new tank. DUH! Forgot to only rinse ceramic media with tank water. Did 30% water change, treated with Amquel+ for the nitrite, added air pump with 2 hoses with bars.

4. Did 25-30% water change again the next day, added Amquel+ again. Started adding Biozyme bacteria every day (local store did not have Biospira). Also added a new Marineland C360 canister filter. (love this filter!)

5. Third day after spike Nitrite is 0. Then I see ICH spots on the cichlid tails and some flashing of other fish. I raise temperature to 86. Buy QuickCure, but do not use yet (do not want to mess up cycling). Polka Dot loach & balas are really not happy with the ich! Others somewhat bothered.

6. Next day the Ammonia is spiking! So did I ruin my tank's cycling with Amquel+? Seems to be starting cycling again. Did a 30% water change, treated with Amquel+ again. Visited local fish store- bought BioSpira. Discuss whether to help cycling to get ammonia down or treat for ich fist. They didn't have a strong opinion one way or the other. I decide to work on the cycling/ammonia and add Biospira. (Ammonia down to 1.0 from initial 2.0 spike) (This was last Sunday night).

7. Monday, (yesterday), ammonia is at .75, (I have heard after Amquel+ the reading may not be lower because it is just changed, not gone) - loaches & balas are still going crazy with the ick. Other fish flashing and showing spots. By last night I cannot stand to watch them suffer anymore and decide to treat with QuickCure. Before I add it to the water, I removed the charcoal bags from both filters, and the ceramic media from both and placed in buckets of aquarium water. The Fluval still has the foam filter in it, and the C-360 still has the foam and black plastic balls in it. I thought taking the ceramic rings out would help it get back to cycling after I am done treating. Not sure if they had any good bacteria yet, but thought they could have. Opinions on this? (Will the ich live on the ceramic rings?)

8. Do you think the foam filters will be enough while I am treating for the ich? Even though the bottle says treat for 3 days straight, I have read online to treat every 3-4 days for 12-16 days to catch ich when it is able to be killed. So far I treated last night, (1/2 dose because of loaches: 1 drop per 2 gallons). This morning fish were much happier!! No craziness, still some mild flashing. Treated again this morning before work. I thought I would now wait 3 days before treating again. Thoughts?

Note: I also have been skipping feedings and mostly using freeze died blooodworms that won't sink into substrate. (Fish still eating good.)

Questions:
- Should I do any water changes while treating for ich?
- Should I continue the ich treatment as discribed above? (treat every 3 days for 12 days)
- When done treating for ich, should I do partial water change and/or replace charcoal for a day before adding the ceramic material back in the filters?
- Should I re-add BipSpira after treatment, or wait to see if it continues to cycle on it's own?
- If Ammonia is still high, or Nitrites come back, should I treat with Amquel+ again, or AmmoLock, (fish store prefered this)?
- Any advice on how to proceed is greatly appreciated! I tried to do the transfers right, but feel I have been running in circles trying to fix mistakes and balance the tank. Maybe too much?

All thoughts welcome! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!! (Can you tell I love my fish?) - Jana

This AM readings:
PH- was 8.5 this morning, treated with PH down (have been keeping at 7.5-8.0)
Ammonia- .75
Nitrite- 0
Temperarture- 84 (raising to 86 for ich, usually 78-80)

All fish now in the 125 gallon tank:
1 - Banded Leporinus (7"-will be finding new home for, will get too big & hogs all the hiddy places- beautiful fish tho)
3 - Clown Loaches (1.5-2.5")
2 - Polka Dot Loach-Botia (1.5")
2 - Bala Shark (6-7")
4 - Albino Tiger Barb (1.5-2")
3 - Green Tiger Barb (1-1.5")
3 - Golden Chinese Algae Eater (2- 1.5"; 1- 5")
3 - Electric Yellow Cichlid (Lemon Drop) (3-3.5")
1 - Electric Blue Cichlid (3.5)
2 - Blood Parrot Cichlid (3-4")

 

[NonstickRon]

Hi. I would like helpful opinions on if I am handling my new tank issues correctly, and if not, how I should proceed. I apologize in advance for long post w/ details- but want you to know it all!:

1. Bought used 125 gallon freshwater tank, (was understocked and cycled for 2 years). Had 60 gallon cycled tank- reached stock limits.

2. When relocating 125 tank, brought 40 gallons of its water with it for cycling. Tank came with Fluval 403 canister filter, 4- lid light bars of 18" 15wt AquaGlo, heaters, gravel/sand combo substrate. Set-up 125g.- added StressCoat for new water. Kept my 60 gallon up for a week to match PH from old to new. (Cichlids came with 125g. tank) After 1 week, moved 60g. fish to 125g. (levels good, slight ammonia)

3. End of second week, fish looked somewhat stressed- test revealed Nitrite spike! Realized I stupidly rinsed Fluval filter before setting up new tank. DUH! Forgot to only rinse ceramic media with tank water. Did 30% water change, treated with Amquel+ for the nitrite, added air pump with 2 hoses with bars.

4. Did 25-30% water change again the next day, added Amquel+ again. Started adding Biozyme bacteria every day (local store did not have Biospira). Also added a new Marineland C360 canister filter. (love this filter!)

5. Third day after spike Nitrite is 0. Then I see ICK spots on the cichlid tails and some flashing of other fish. I raise temperature to 86. Buy QuickCure, but do not use yet (do not want to mess up cycling). Polka Dot loach & balas are really not happy with the ick! Others somewhat bothered.

6. Next day the Ammonia is spiking! So did I ruin my tank's cycling with Amquel+? Seems to be starting cycling again. Did a 30% water change, treated with Amquel+ again. Visited local fish store- bought BioSpira. Discuss whether to help cycling to get ammonia down or treat for ick fist. They didn't have a strong opinion one way or the other. I decide to work on the cycling/ammonia and add Biospira. (Ammonia down to 1.0 from initial 2.0 spike) (This was last Sunday night).

7. Monday, (yesterday), ammonia is at .75, (I have heard after Amquel+ the reading may not be lower because it is just changed, not gone) - loaches & balas are still going crazy with the ick. Other fish flashing and showing spots. By last night I cannot stand to watch them suffer anymore and decide to treat with QuickCure. Before I add it to the water, I removed the charcoal bags from both filters, and the ceramic media from both and placed in buckets of aquarium water. The Fluval still has the foam filter in it, and the C-360 still has the foam and black plastic balls in it. I thought taking the ceramic rings out would help it get back to cycling after I am done treating. Not sure if they had any good bacteria yet, but thought they could have. Opinions on this? (Will the ick live on the ceramic rings?)

8. Do you think the foam filters will be enough while I am treating for the ick? Even though the bottle says treat for 3 days straight, I have read online to treat every 3-4 days for 12-16 days to catch ick when it is able to be killed. So far I treated last night, (1/2 dose because of loaches: 1 drop per 2 gallons). This morning fish were much happier!! No craziness, still some mild flashing. Treated again this morning before work. I thought I would now wait 3 days before treating again. Thoughts?

Note: I also have been skipping feedings and mostly using freeze died blooodworms that won't sink into substrate. (Fish still eating good.)

Questions:
- Should I do any water changes while treating for ick?
- Should I continue the ick treatment as discribed above? (treat every 3 days for 12 days)
- When done treating for ick, should I do partial water change and/or replace charcoal for a day before adding the ceramic material back in the filters?
- Should I re-add BipSpira after treatment, or wait to see if it continues to cycle on it's own?
- If Ammonia is still high, or Nitrites come back, should I treat with Amquel+ again, or AmmoLock, (fish store prefered this)?
- Any advice on how to proceed is greatly appreciated! I tried to do the transfers right, but feel I have been running in circles trying to fix mistakes and balance the tank. Maybe too much?

All thoughts welcome! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!! (Can you tell I love my fish?) - Jana

This AM readings:
PH- was 8.5 this morning, treated with PH down (have been keeping at 7.5-8.0)
Ammonia- .75
Nitrite- 0
Temperarture- 84 (raising to 86 for ick, usually 78-80)

All fish now in the 125 gallon tank:
1 - Banded Leporinus (7"-will be finding new home for, will get too big & hogs all the hiddy places- beautiful fish tho)
3 - Clown Loaches (1.5-2.5")
2 - Polka Dot Loach-Botia (1.5")
2 - Bala Shark (6-7")
4 - Albino Tiger Barb (1.5-2")
3 - Green Tiger Barb (1-1.5")
3 - Golden Chinese Algae Eater (2- 1.5"; 1- 5")
3 - Electric Yellow Cichlid (Lemon Drop) (3-3.5")
1 - Electric Blue Cichlid (3.5)
2 - Blood Parrot Cichlid (3-4")

I don't know anything about Amquel+ but I used Seachem Prime every day, sometimes 2 times a day to be safe, and my tank cycled just fine.

Too bad you didn't just treat the ich before adding the Bio Spira. Would have been better off saving the biospira till after the ick had been eradicated. Of course, I don't know anything about the medication you selected either, the bio spira might be fine for all I know.

 

[sweetyness]

Yes, now I realize I should have treated for the ich first, (I was worried about treating when they were stressed from the water conditions).
To clarify, the Amquel+ is a water conditioner that removes/detoxifies all forms of chloramines/ammonia/ammonium/nitrites/nitrates from the water; Quick Cure for ich is a malachite green & formalin medication. Thanks!

 

[sweetyness]

Any more opinions on these original questions:

- Should I do any water changes while treating for ich?
- Should I continue the ich treatment as discribed above? (treat every 3 days for 12 days)
- When done treating for ich, should I do partial water change and/or replace charcoal for a day before adding the ceramic material back in the filters?
- Should I re-add BipSpira after treatment, or wait to see if it continues to cycle on it's own?
- If Ammonia is still high, or Nitrites come back, should I treat with Amquel+ again, or AmmoLock, or ?

Thank you again! Jana