Newbie has a seriously messed up tank

[jrd77]

Hi everyone.

I have a 40 gallon tank with 1 ropefish, 4 albino beunos aires tetras, 3 bengal loaches, and one pleco algae eater. In this tank, I also have some driftwood and fake plastic plants, all aqurium approved. The tank has been set up for a while, has had time to fully cycle, and my cloudiness should not be "new tank syndrome" or is it?

A few weeks ago (when my tank looked clear and wonderful), I noticed my 2 of my tetras had the mouth fungus and my ropefish's fins were slightly frayed. I treated the tank by taking out the carbon filters, raising the temp. to 80 degrees, and adding MelaFix for 7 days. I also was doing partial water changes.

The fish are all fine now but ever since I cleaned the tank, put new filters back in and discontinued my MelaFix, the water has become really cloudy. I immediatly did some water analysis (to make sure my ammonia was okay) and my pH is 7, ammonia and nitrites are 0, and my nitrates are at about 12.5.

So, I went to my local pet store, told them the situation and the woman recommended this stuff called Stability by SeaChem. It's supposed to introduce beneficial bacteria so my bacterial bloom would go away. Today is the 4th day of Stability treatment and I CANNOT SEE THE BACKGROUND OF MY TANK. I can barely see the fish! The cloudiness is getting worse every day.

What's going on here? Did the MelaFix kill all the bacteria in my tank and now I'm having to start over? I read something on another site about tannins and the wood...Should I remove the driftwood and rinse it off or something? What should I do?! How long will it take to get back to my beautiful clear water?!

Thanks...

-Jessie

 

[shadow]

Did you add all the fish at once??? Did you do a fishless cycling? If you did do the cycling properly then adding all the fish at once would produce an overload of ammonia in the tank. Since you took out your old filters and replaced them, you probably have to start the cycling all over again. I would watch your ammonia daily since it will spike.

When I was cycling my tank I used a product called Stress Zyme which speeds up the development of the benificial bacteria. The reasons why your fish got sick was probably from stress. I would be careful with the SeaChem since it can throw your readings off especially the ammonia. I don't know if that product decreases aeration but I would look into it anyway.

As for the cloudiness in the tank, just leaving it alone and doing partial water changes should help. There is no answer of when it will be back to normal but I would probably give it no longer than about a week. If the driftwood was in the tank with no problems before, I don't think it would give you a problem now.....but I am no expert.

Also, how long was your tank set up before you added the fish?
Keep me posted and good luck! I will try to help as best I can.
-Kristy

 

[jrd77]

Thanks so much for your advice and willingness to help me out. Here's the history the best I can remember it:

The tank was set up about 6 months ago. I let the tank cycle fully with one giant danio and my one pleco, but now the danio is in a different tank. Once it had cycled, I added the ropefish. A week or so later, an Oscar was added but he's not in the 40 gallon anymore either. Then we added 5 albino tetras but one died (it was sick when we got it but did not know until we got it home). A few weeks later one bengal loach was added. Then, we added some live plants to the tank which is what caused all this mess in the first place, at least I think. A while later a Krib was added but she died within a week for some strange reason, maybe because of the decaying plant matter. We then removed all the plant matter, vaccumed the gravel (1/3 of it perday for 3 days). A bit later the other 2 loaches were added...and that's our whole family. Since then, the illnesses popped up and that's when I treated with MelaFix and took out the filters. No more fish have been added since the illness we just treated and the new filters were put back in.

So, I'll do the water changes everyday and discontinue the Stability stuff by Sea Chem. I'll also keep an eye out for my levels since I guess my tank has to cycle all over again. What's frusterating is I have another tank that is perfect and I am doing all the same stuff to it as the 40 gallon...oh well.

This might be a dumb question, but I'm still new at this, I thought my filters were to be changed every 4-6 weeks. What I have is the Pengiun 330 with 2 charcoal filters and 2 biowheels. I have never meesed witht he biowheels but have changed the charcoal filters a few times. Is this not what I am supposed to do?

Thanks again...Jessie

 

[shadow]

I'm not sure of the BioWheels since I only have a few small tanks. As far as the filters are concerned, I don't think that you need to change them ever 4-6 weeks. I would just take them and swish them around in the old tank water when doing water changes, that way it takes off some of the stuff but you don't loose the bacteria.

When you take out the filters when treating with medication, it will cloud your tank. I had a similar problem with that and wound up keeping the filter in when medicating (no adverse effect yet). Also, when you take out the filters the bacteria will die, and that it a major source of the benificial bacteria. Depending on how long you have left the filter out, it could probably take as long (maybe longer) for it to clear up.

The illnesses could have come from the plants, or the fish that died in the tank. It may have been dormate until a stressed fish was added and then it died. Do you quarentine your fish/plants when you get them?

 

[semper fi]

you are supposed to change the carbon filter every three weeks. carbon has an active like of 3 weeks. after that it can release the toxins and impurities removed back into the tank.

what color is the cloudiness?

 

[jrd77]

I medicated for 8 days, and thus had the filter out for 8 days. Before I began to medicate I also vaccumed the gravel because of all the plant matter down in there. So, not only did I take all the benficial bacteria off the gravel in a 3 day period, but I also took out the filters! As if this was not enough, instead of putting the old filters back in, I put in brand new ones 8 days later. This, BTW, at the direction of my pet store.

I feel so badly for what I have done to my poor fish. You think that when you go to a pet store and do a little research on the net, you'll be able to keep up fish. Was I sadly mistaken or what? I hope they can make it through the next weeks of cycling...

Nope, I did not quantine one fish or plant. Can you belive that? So, from now on, I will. When I finally get mky tank back in order and it's been stable a few weeks, I do want more fish. Would my small 10 gallon with only a giant danio in it serve as a quarantine tank or would I have to remove the danio? How long do I quarantine for?

Kristy, you are so nice to help me out like this. Thank you!

 

[jrd77]

Semper Fi,

Since I have 2 charcoal filters, should I alternate which one I change so the bacteria aren't all killed? Why do some people say to only rinse off the filters and other say to change it? Are my BioWheels okay just being left alone?

While in the tank, the cloudiness appears to be whiteish (like some skim milk was put in there) but when I do a water change and pour the water out, it looks slightly dirty or yellowy.

THANKS!

-Jessie

 

[shadow]

I would remove the danio from the tank cause if the new fish that you purchased have any diseases you don't want your danio to catch them. I'm not sure as to how long to quarentine them, I usually quarentine my fish for at least on week, sometimes longer. You want to make sure that the fish do not have any diseases that could spread to your main tank. Maybe Semper Fi can give you a more definate answer as to how long to quarentine.

As long as you keep up with the water changes and keeping track of the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates you should do well. I would not add any other fish until the tank is completely cycled. I know it's hard to wait but it will be worth the wait. That way you are less likely to have major problems. Good luck!

 

[Clare]

Don`t blame yourself for this, you did everything right in cycling the tank first and adding fish slowly.
Do not panic, we had the same problem and it sounds to me like a bacterial bloom. This is harmless to the fish but keep checking ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels.
It is caused by an imbalance of the bacteria and will pass, it is nothing you did. You can help by cutting down on feeding but other than that do not interfere with the filters.
If by charcoal filters you mean carbon, then, as the other post said, they should be changed every 4 weeks. If not they will release back everything they took out.
Keep up the water changes and the best of luck. 25% changes twice a week will solve the problem but let your filter recover its balance.
Clare

 

[karrihug]

you said you have a penquin 330. it has 2 filter cartridges and 2 biowheels. they say the biowheels have all the bacteria. so you should be ok in the cycle department. you should test your water daily though to make sure. change the water as needed per the tests. and yes, alternate one cartridge at a time to change. that way you should avoid a bacteria bloom while the filter cartridge gets established. or you can do what i do. i took the carbon out of my filter cartridges and just rinse them in old tank water. your filter has media cups behind the cartridge that can be used for carbon if you need to add some, then removed when it is used up.

hth
karri

 

[jrd77]

I really appreciate all the great advice.

I will continue 25-30% water changes and hope the cloudiness goes away soon. I did put some gravel in this tank from my other well established and healthy tank so maybe that will naturally help out. I'll also alternate the changing of my filters so this doesn't happen again.

I'll keep y'all posted as to what happens. I hope I don't lose any fishes!

-Jessie

 

[jrd77]

Well, One of my tetras just died. I went to do the daily water change and when I was finished I noticed that it had all thes red spots all over it and a really bad one on the top of its little head. It also looked like have of its mouth had fallen off...all in just a day. What do I do???

-Mourning Jessie