IceH2O
Aquarium Advice Freak
This has been an ongoing problem since Monday April 3rd. I was asking for advice in another forum without much luck. I'm hoping you guys can help me figure this out. I will copy my posts from there to here to get you up to date. Sorry its pretty long.
Monday
Am 1 Ni .5 !!
Okay my tanks been cycled for almost 2 months. Water parameters have always been perfect. Am 0 Ni 0 Na 10. I dose dry ferts and flourish, just started Excel on Saturday the 1st.
I did my normal 50 % pwc Saturday and started adding Excel. The only cleaning I did to any filter was the HOB, rinsed the sponges and floated the biowheel while doing the pwc.
I noticed my Vals don't look as good and the water is a bit cloudy. So I added polyester fiber to the canister and HOB. I decided to just go ahead and take some readings.
Am 1 and Ni.5
Can dying plants( Vals ) jump parameters that much? Should I look for other causes though I can't see what it would be. The only thing I've done different in the past 2 weeks is add dry ferts, flourish and excel.
I'm doing a 50% pwc as I type this and will continue pwcs until the levels get back to normal.
edit:
Is it possible that the algae is dying off and adding to the problem?
Tuesday
I think I found my problem...
I have Xmas moss in the tank, so I pulled it up off the slate cave and daaaammn a ton of junk started floating. So I did a vac of 33% of the water, pulled the moss out and added Prime.
I'll rinse out the moss and add it to my 20 gallon which only has 1 fish.
I think part of the problem was the filter flow goes right over the moss so the junk was getting pushed into it.
Still doesn't explain the Val melting unless high am and Ni can cause that.
Wed
Took readings today and Am is down to .5 Ni is still .5 and nitrates are 10.
I swear the only thing I've done different is add Excel. I'm going to clean out the canister filter but not rinse anything. Maybe I have a build up of plant material in it. Its been about 3 weeks since I've done anything to it.
I have lava rock and ceramic rings as bio. I've heard lava rocks could hold and leech nitrates but that doesn't seem to be the problem.
Anyone with any tips?
edit:
Canister was nasty, but not plant matter. I gave it a rinsing and moved some of the media around.
I had 2 coarse and 2 fine in the same basket. I put them in seperate baskets so there is more circulation.
Bottom basket -2 coarse sponges
Middle basket - 2 fine sponges, divider, ceramic rings
top basket - lava rocks, divider, poly fiber
Anyone see anything wrong with this setup?
Thursday
Took another reading.
Am .25 Ni 1!! So AM is dropping but NI is rising. Its like I'm cycling again. What the hell caused this?
I did nothing different in filter cleanings, nothing different in pwc, nothing different than anything I've done in years of fish keeping. Only thing different has been adding Excel.
Has anyone noticed Excel affecting their parameters?
My water comes from an individual well, No chlorine.
Well water parameters are Am 0 Ni 0 Na 2.5
Can you guys help?
I wasn't sure if I should post here or planted. If the mods think this is more a planted question please feel free to move it.
Monday
Am 1 Ni .5 !!
Okay my tanks been cycled for almost 2 months. Water parameters have always been perfect. Am 0 Ni 0 Na 10. I dose dry ferts and flourish, just started Excel on Saturday the 1st.
I did my normal 50 % pwc Saturday and started adding Excel. The only cleaning I did to any filter was the HOB, rinsed the sponges and floated the biowheel while doing the pwc.
I noticed my Vals don't look as good and the water is a bit cloudy. So I added polyester fiber to the canister and HOB. I decided to just go ahead and take some readings.
Am 1 and Ni.5
Can dying plants( Vals ) jump parameters that much? Should I look for other causes though I can't see what it would be. The only thing I've done different in the past 2 weeks is add dry ferts, flourish and excel.
I'm doing a 50% pwc as I type this and will continue pwcs until the levels get back to normal.
edit:
Is it possible that the algae is dying off and adding to the problem?
Tuesday
I think I found my problem...
I have Xmas moss in the tank, so I pulled it up off the slate cave and daaaammn a ton of junk started floating. So I did a vac of 33% of the water, pulled the moss out and added Prime.
I'll rinse out the moss and add it to my 20 gallon which only has 1 fish.
I think part of the problem was the filter flow goes right over the moss so the junk was getting pushed into it.
Still doesn't explain the Val melting unless high am and Ni can cause that.
Wed
Took readings today and Am is down to .5 Ni is still .5 and nitrates are 10.
I swear the only thing I've done different is add Excel. I'm going to clean out the canister filter but not rinse anything. Maybe I have a build up of plant material in it. Its been about 3 weeks since I've done anything to it.
I have lava rock and ceramic rings as bio. I've heard lava rocks could hold and leech nitrates but that doesn't seem to be the problem.
Anyone with any tips?
edit:
Canister was nasty, but not plant matter. I gave it a rinsing and moved some of the media around.
I had 2 coarse and 2 fine in the same basket. I put them in seperate baskets so there is more circulation.
Bottom basket -2 coarse sponges
Middle basket - 2 fine sponges, divider, ceramic rings
top basket - lava rocks, divider, poly fiber
Anyone see anything wrong with this setup?
Thursday
Took another reading.
Am .25 Ni 1!! So AM is dropping but NI is rising. Its like I'm cycling again. What the hell caused this?
I did nothing different in filter cleanings, nothing different in pwc, nothing different than anything I've done in years of fish keeping. Only thing different has been adding Excel.
Has anyone noticed Excel affecting their parameters?
My water comes from an individual well, No chlorine.
Well water parameters are Am 0 Ni 0 Na 2.5
Can you guys help?
I wasn't sure if I should post here or planted. If the mods think this is more a planted question please feel free to move it.