29 + 10 planted

[nirbhao]

(so many warm fuzzies)

 

[nirbhao]

All six of the kuhlis are swimming out and crazy like they have no place to hide. They have lots of places to hide. They kind of look like they cuddling sometimes, but then swimming like they're scared!

Why would they be doing that?

 

[TMaier]

Did you do a water change today?

 

[nirbhao]

I hadn't.

I tested the water, and nitrites and nitrates were off the charts. It took three (four?) 70ish% water changes to get those levels back on the chart. I'll do more changes tomorrow.

 

[TMaier]

Omg the Khuli's were letting you known.

 

[nirbhao]

"We're swimming in poison! Help!"

Poor guys.

 

[nirbhao]

I tested nitrogens again, and both nitrites and nitrates were off the charts-- as in colors that aren't on the charts. And ammonia was brown? Like yellow tried to go both orange and green at the same time. I'm boiling the test tubes. This doesn't make sense.

 

[TMaier]

If I remember correctly Prime will make the Nitrites and Nitrates safe. But they will still show up in your tests.

Check your tap water. It could be from there.

 

[nirbhao]

I will check my tap when I get home. Where is it coming from? No dead bodies. No dead plants.

Maybe substrate issues?

 

[TMaier]

The only other thing I can think of, is that you recently stirred up everything when cleaning out the Ramshorns. Maybe your beneficial bacteria is trying to recover?

 

[nirbhao]

I definitely could understand having affected the cycle, but I removed and replaced about 60 gallons last night. That's a lot of waste coming from nowhere.

 

[Delapool]

I found that with mini-cycles. The amount of water changes I did was incredible and still couldn't keep on top of it.

 

[toolman]

Sorry for your problems, I agree with Dela..can be maddening to get control of.

 

[nirbhao]

I'm switching out this substrate. We lost a rainbow. I'm sick to my stomach about it.

I don't think it's *just* a mini cycle. I think there's something in the substrate that's putting off toxins.

 

[nirbhao]

The substrate smelled like sewage.

 

[TMaier]

Disturbing a sand bed definitely impacts your tank. I've read about how each layer of the strata has its own function in breaking down wastes. I think that is why some people love the MTS for stirring the bed to avoid toxicity.

It's one of the reasons I tried to put 1/2 or less in the nursery out of fear.

I had one of my vases last year go toxic under the surface. I never smelled anything doing water changes. But I added a rooted plant and buried it and man o man did a stink pop up.

 

[Caliban07]

I'm having the same issues. Disturbing any substrate too much can be catastrophic. Second time this has happened to me and I should know better by now. A smelly substrate does not necessarily mean it's bad however. Substrates will have anaerobic activity in parts it's unavoidable and part of nature. Sand compact more and so probably quickens the eventuality of this happening. There are functions of anaerobic bacteria that can actually make nutrients such as iron available in these conditions.

Likely stirring the bacteria causes a release of many toxic gases and metals and drains the water of oxygen.

It's even more dangerous if, like me, the substrate is your only means of biological filtration.

My 180 had a rigorous plant growth and very clear water with healthy livestock but the substrate still smelled nasty when I dug it all up.

 

[nirbhao]

Here's a mental image:
Me, using the iWalk, carrying a mostly empty 29 gallon aquarium outside-- down five stairs!-- to hose it down, drying it off, and bringing it back inside.

I've glued the spice racks in place with silicone so that they don't have to be full of something to hold them down. Bubbles the dinosaur is also glued in place now. That's curing.

I'm not looking forward to rinsing the aragonite. Last time took soooooooooooooooooo long. If I could trust her to not get too creative with it, I would hand the topple popple the hose and set the bucket in front of her. All you have to do is keep the water going in the bucket until what comes out is clear, but I'm sure she would be adding sticks and leaves by then.

I used some of the pool filter sand that had been in one of the spice racks for the Spec. That looks nice. I'll post a picture once my body has cleared some of the lactic acid from my muscles.

Physical therapy starts Friday, by the way. I'm ready to get moving again!

 

[TMaier]

I would have been dead in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. Your commitment is astounding.

 

[nirbhao]

I don't think it's so much commitment as it is being sick of not being able to do things.

At least today is bloodworm day! That should make the fish happy.