Problems after move

[ambush0908]

Hello,

I purchased a 125 gallon tank with 12 African Cichlids. It also had 2 plecos. Substrate is a thin layer of sand. It was about a 2 hour ride from where I bought it. I transported all fish, substrate, rocks and about 22 gallons of water in buckets. I set it up with no major issues. I did notice that there was a ton of waste in substrate from plecos. Also the filter media was loaded with waste. There are 2 Aqueon 75 filters and I added another one I had. The next day I tested water and nitrates were off the charts. 180+. Ammonia was .25 and nitrites 0. I did a 60% water change, vacuumed and added prime. Next day same reading. Did another 60% water change and vacuum. I also brought Plecos to fish store. I decided to scrap the filter media and swap it out with my media from my established 75 gallon planted tank. I did that reluctantly but it was so disgusting I pulled the trigger. I tested water today and nitrates were down to 80 but ammonia was still .25. Nitrites still 0. I decided no to do a water change because I was afraid 3 days in a row of large water changes could stress fish too much. Is it normal that nitrates would be so high and still have ammonia with no nitrites? I am hoping the tank is still cycled. Has any one encountered this situation before?

FYI, tap water has 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. PH is around 8.

 

[ZxC]

Hello,

I purchased a 125 gallon tank with 12 African Cichlids. It also had 2 plecos. Substrate is a thin layer of sand. It was about a 2 hour ride from where I bought it. I transported all fish, substrate, rocks and about 22 gallons of water in buckets. I set it up with no major issues. I did notice that there was a ton of waste in substrate from plecos. Also the filter media was loaded with waste. There are 2 Aqueon 75 filters and I added another one I had. The next day I tested water and nitrates were off the charts. 180+. Ammonia was .25 and nitrites 0. I did a 60% water change, vacuumed and added prime. Next day same reading. Did another 60% water change and vacuum. I also brought Plecos to fish store. I decided to scrap the filter media and swap it out with my media from my established 75 gallon planted tank. I did that reluctantly but it was so disgusting I pulled the trigger. I tested water today and nitrates were down to 80 but ammonia was still .25. Nitrites still 0. I decided no to do a water change because I was afraid 3 days in a row of large water changes could stress fish too much. Is it normal that nitrates would be so high and still have ammonia with no nitrites? I am hoping the tank is still cycled. Has any one encountered this situation before?

FYI, tap water has 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. PH is around 8.

Yea that's normal when disturbing established filters and substrates. Basically you are flooding your system with tons and tons of organics and the bacteria go wild which results in tons and tons of nitrate. Same with ammonia, tons of organics will results in loads of ammonia being released.

I would keep doing large - ish water changes until your ammonia is under control. Nitrates 80+ppm for a little bit shouldn't hurt anything, long term high nitrates are likely no good, but a short period is fine.

As long as you tap water is close to what the tank water is (pH, TDS, gH, kH and temp) then there is no need to worry about large water changes.

 

[ambush0908]

Yea that's normal when disturbing established filters and substrates. Basically you are flooding your system with tons and tons of organics and the bacteria go wild which results in tons and tons of nitrate. Same with ammonia, tons of organics will results in loads of ammonia being released.



I would keep doing large - ish water changes until your ammonia is under control. Nitrates 80+ppm for a little bit shouldn't hurt anything, long term high nitrates are likely no good, but a short period is fine.



As long as you tap water is close to what the tank water is (pH, TDS, gH, kH and temp) then there is no need to worry about large water changes.

Thanks. Should the water changes be everyday?

 

[ZxC]

Thanks. Should the water changes be everyday?

I would, ammonia @ 0.25ppm isn't really all that bad, but I would rather see it at 0. Nitrates are okay being a little higher, I accidentally ran a tank 100+ ppm nitrate for a longggggg time before I caught on, no visible fish stress or deaths.


Once a day or every other day should work. Try and remove as much crap as you can with the siphon and make sure the filters are cleaned out well. Run lights at reduced time so as to not cause an algae bloom and feed minimal until the parameters are back in check.

 

[Potluck]

Ammonia even though treated with prime will still register on the test kit but it's actually ammonium which prime coverts it to which is less harmful to the fish, it could be going through a mini cycle, what size was the tank before the 125? Beneficial bacteria doesnt die when it dries out it goes dormant and will re establish, I'm not a fan of doing larger than 50% I actually prefer doing as less as I can but 80 nitrate is pretty extreme, if you do another 50% it should go to 40 then another 50 should go to 20, I would retest tomorrow and see if you're starting to get nitrite readings, What is the nitrate in your tap?

This is normal but your readings aren't that bad tbh, if you start getting nitrite then you know for sure its mini cycling o would also do one every other day not every day, do the fish seem affected?

 

[ambush0908]

Thanks! Tank is 125. It was part of the move. I should have been more clear about that. Nitrate in tap is 0. The fish all seem ok. They are all eating though I am not feeding much. Sometimes they huddle together behind a rock but eventually come out to eat.