Parameters are out of whack! HELP!!

[Natrualbeauty22]

I have a 55gal planted fresh tank. I have a Eheim Eco canister filter for 80 gal. I currently have 6 Angel Fish and 6 Cory 2 Oto. lost 4 Denison Barb I ran out of flake food and was feeding Freeze dried Brine shrimp. I noticed the water looked cloudy so I checked the parameters and I had an ammonia spike. I figured out the brine shrimp clogged the filter. I did a 50% water change and changed the filter pads. My tank started to cycle all over again now a week later and the water is cloudy again and I noticed all my plants are dying. turning yellow and brown. Amazon swards, Anubis Dwarf hair grass. My parameters prior to this problem was like this Ph 7.4 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0. Now they read
ph 6.5
Ammonia 4.0
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 5.0
I went to Petsmart because it was the closest place. The guy sold me Prime said it was better than API Ammo lock because it fixes ammonia Nitrates and Nitrites. I just dosed my tank with it but I need help figuring out how to help my tank plants,fish and all. Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[Patty1980]

What made you replace the filter pad rather than rinsing it in tank water? Were the readings taken AFTER the last water change? If so, I would do at least another 50% wc (if not 2) a couple hours after the last and 1-2 times daily until ammonia and trites are zero. Use Prime, keep testing, but most importantly clean water. If you have another tank running with and extra filter pad ( I always keep an extra to seed a tank in an emergency) throw it in your filter with the new one. Changing filter pads is definitely a party foul Good luck.

 

[Coursair]

And freeze dried food is my last choice.
In order of choice
Live
Frozen
Repashy Gel
Quality flake or pellets
Freeze dried

But that's only my opinion.

You never need to change pads unless they are falling apart. As was said, just rinse them in used tank water or dechlorinated tap water.

Keep doing water changes as needed to get Ammonia down.

Test tap water as well.

I hope things improve, sorry about the Densoni Barbs [emoji22]


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[Natrualbeauty22]

Wehen I first noticed the filter clog I did rince the filter pads in tank water but the pad seemed so bad,it was the second time I cleaned the pads in tank water. I was having a hard time with partials so I thaught changing them was the way to go. What a mistake that was.

 

[Coursair]

Wehen I first noticed the filter clog I did rince the filter pads in tank water but the pad seemed so bad,it was the second time I cleaned the pads in tank water. I was having a hard time with partials so I thaught changing them was the way to go. What a mistake that was.

I used to change pads monthly in my HOBs. Not any more [emoji106]

We were all beginners at some point.
I'm still learning. Had tanks for about 40 yrs.


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[Khuligirl93]

If your food is clogging the filter it means you are feeding WAY too much! All food should be eaten by the fish before it floats to the bottom or gets sucked into a filter. If they can't eat it all that fast then you're putting too much in at one time.
It's a good idea to soak freeze dried foods in water for 15 mins before feeding so they'll sink and become saturated, making it easier for the fish to eat and digest.
It's better to do several small feelings if you think they haven't eaten enough than one big huge feeding.


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[ppo8820]

Quick fix, do a large water change and add some tetra safestart about 2 hours after water change. Use cheap dechlorinator and not something like prime or anything that binds ammonia as this will kill the TSS bacteria. The TSS will keep your levels in check while the tank re-cycles, saving you time and worry. This is what I do when my cycle acts up. Walmart has TSS for 6 bucks, check exp date on bottom though.