Ammonia
- Thread starter stevo
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
jcolon
Aquarium Advice Addict
How are you testing for Ammo ... strips or liquid? We recommend you use API test master kit. Strips are notoriously inaccurate. 50% PWC will lower your ppm of ammo, so either the tests are inaccurate, or there's a source of Ammo going into your tank other than what your fish generate.
jcolon
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok ... I'm not familiar with that test kit ... but if it's like the API test master it should be accurate. I'll let other members who are more familiar with that test kit comment.
how old is the tank? Was it cycled at one time?
How did you clean the external? Did you use tap water? Did you throw away the old filter media / pad?
What can happen is if you clean the filter with straight tap water, which is usually chlorinated, you kill beneficial bacteria (BB). If you replace the old filter material ... you throw away beneficial bacteria. Either way ... the filter is where most of the BB reside and begin the cycle.
Correction - I see you used the tank water, to clean the external, so was there an older filter?
how old is the tank? Was it cycled at one time?
How did you clean the external? Did you use tap water? Did you throw away the old filter media / pad?
What can happen is if you clean the filter with straight tap water, which is usually chlorinated, you kill beneficial bacteria (BB). If you replace the old filter material ... you throw away beneficial bacteria. Either way ... the filter is where most of the BB reside and begin the cycle.
Correction - I see you used the tank water, to clean the external, so was there an older filter?
My tank is 2 half yr old, I kept the old filter pads in the external filter and filled the filter back up with tank water.
Mind u I got about 20 fish of my mate so I have about 30 fish in a 40 gallon tank, I could be a bit over stocked
Mind u I got about 20 fish of my mate so I have about 30 fish in a 40 gallon tank, I could be a bit over stocked
jimenezlee
Aquarium Advice Activist
So you have a 40 gallon with 30 fish in it that is cycling and a little tank with just an aggresive angel in it.
How small is the small tank? How high is the ammonia? Also, if I understand correctly you cleaned the filter pads recently and added more fish to it? Hum... you probably lost a good chunk of your bb. Did you clean anything else in the tank? Gravel, decorations, etc?
If the small tank has gravel or decorations that would have bb, you may be able to speed up the 40 gal by taking that filter and putting it in the 40 gal at least temporarily.
But jezz, it sounds like you may want to have your mate take his fish and some of yours too. Ideally you would want to move all the fish out and let this tank finish cycling before you put fish back in.
Otherwise you are looking at a fish-in cycle with a severly overstocked tank.
Can't think of much else that can help other than bring some other already established filters into your tank. I keep 4 tanks at home and always have two spare large sponge filters running in my 55 gal for when I need to jumpstart a tank. See if you can get any like that. Sounds like you are in the UK, otherwise I would say order one or two of the Angelsplus live sponge filters and drop them in there.
Good luck!
How small is the small tank? How high is the ammonia? Also, if I understand correctly you cleaned the filter pads recently and added more fish to it? Hum... you probably lost a good chunk of your bb. Did you clean anything else in the tank? Gravel, decorations, etc?
If the small tank has gravel or decorations that would have bb, you may be able to speed up the 40 gal by taking that filter and putting it in the 40 gal at least temporarily.
But jezz, it sounds like you may want to have your mate take his fish and some of yours too. Ideally you would want to move all the fish out and let this tank finish cycling before you put fish back in.
Otherwise you are looking at a fish-in cycle with a severly overstocked tank.
Can't think of much else that can help other than bring some other already established filters into your tank. I keep 4 tanks at home and always have two spare large sponge filters running in my 55 gal for when I need to jumpstart a tank. See if you can get any like that. Sounds like you are in the UK, otherwise I would say order one or two of the Angelsplus live sponge filters and drop them in there.
Good luck!
jimenezlee
Aquarium Advice Activist
Got it, you'll definitely will need to reduce bio-load and/or increase bio-filter capacity. It will take too long with water changes alone to help that tank complete cycling.
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