Glyn Oliver
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2012
- Messages
- 27
I know everyone is going to tell me off but here is the story, I got a new 55 gallon tank on the 21st Dec, I set it all up and left it fishless to start cycling, I intended to leave it for however long it took, I do have the API liquid test kit by the way. Any how I also have a 10 gallon tank which was mature and had no issues, until we went on holiday over the xmas period, some one had been popping in every other day to feed the fish etc but it appears the filter malfuntioned at some point and basically stopped working. The water was in a terrible state when we got home, I changed a fair amount of water straight away but the fish looked very sick.... the neons where virtually pale, the apple snail had locked himself in his shell, the corys were just sitting on the bottom not moving and my 4 orange guppies looked very sad, I amde the decision to move the fish into the new tank, which was 2 weeks into its cycle, I figured I would lose the fish anyhow if I did nothing. The result was instant, the neons perked up and regained colour, the snail was all over the tank, the guppies cheered u and the bottom feeders became lively again. I tested the water and nothing was showing but the ph was high, I knew the tank hadn't started to cycle. Now the ammonia is starting to lift, today it was between 0.25 & 0.5 so I changed around 70 litres of water. My question is will I need to keep on with water changes till I get past the nitrite and nitrate stages or should I be using an ammonia lock to avoid damage to the fish? Appologies for the chapter and verse...... Thanks
Taff
Taff