Hi all,
I have a puzzling problem.
I have a 36 gallon bow front tank which has been set up for three months and for two months was balanced completely. Here are the specs.
small school of neons
five cherry barbs
two bristlenose plecos
two boesemani rainbows (emergency transfer to save their lives)
Gravel substrate (four inches)
1/3 live plants
2/3 silk plants
2 air stones
70 gallon aquaclear filter with sponge and filled to capacity with seachem matrix and bio max filter stones
Seachem Prime used as conditioner
Water PH holds around mid to upper 7s
Seachem Stability used in water changes and when fish were new
Aqueon Pro heater- water kept in mid -upper 70s
Food variety of Omega one color flakes, brine shrimp, bloodworms (frozen food only once a week or twice at most) Omega one algae wafers four times a week.
I am not overfeeding.
I do 15% water change weekly and do not scrub my tank or plants excessively.
There is a growth of hair algae on the plants but I keep it trimmed if it gets overbearing. It is about 5% of the plants that are covered with it.
The tank was completely balanced and readings of 0 on all counts for two months, but suddenly the last two weeks the ammonia readings spiked through the roof. I would get it so that it went down and held at .5ppm to 1ppm but then it would spike to 4ppm.
I was using Seachem Prime to try to keep it down, but that was not working, realizing it could be false readings.
If I do a partial water change of 10%, then the next day the ammonia reading goes up off the charts! LITERALLY off the charts- up at 8ppm or higher
I am going nuts trying to figure out what is going on. Doing water changes daily of 10-30% (mostly 10 so I don't get it way off balance), seem not to make it get better.
There is a slight reading of nitrites- barely more than 0, so i know that there is activity in the tank.
I tried rinsing the filter a little in tank water, - trying not to disturb anything, but that only made it worse. I put in more Seachem Matrix to try to give it more to work with, but again, this is alarming.
The fish themselves seem fine and no deaths in the two weeks this has been happening, and that in itself is significant since the neons are so sensitive.
My plan is to do water changes daily but I don't want to go over the 30% - I don't want to keep this getting worse instead of better.
I am putting a cap full of Seachem Prime in a day instead of three trying to wean the tank off of it so I don't get dangerous up and down of the levels, but this is really scary.
I just lost my rainbow school a few months ago in another tank from a weird disease brought in by a new fish. I don't want to lose my other tank because of a weird spiking.
Any insights are appreciated.
I gave as much info as I could I hope it does not overwhelm you all.
I have a puzzling problem.
I have a 36 gallon bow front tank which has been set up for three months and for two months was balanced completely. Here are the specs.
small school of neons
five cherry barbs
two bristlenose plecos
two boesemani rainbows (emergency transfer to save their lives)
Gravel substrate (four inches)
1/3 live plants
2/3 silk plants
2 air stones
70 gallon aquaclear filter with sponge and filled to capacity with seachem matrix and bio max filter stones
Seachem Prime used as conditioner
Water PH holds around mid to upper 7s
Seachem Stability used in water changes and when fish were new
Aqueon Pro heater- water kept in mid -upper 70s
Food variety of Omega one color flakes, brine shrimp, bloodworms (frozen food only once a week or twice at most) Omega one algae wafers four times a week.
I am not overfeeding.
I do 15% water change weekly and do not scrub my tank or plants excessively.
There is a growth of hair algae on the plants but I keep it trimmed if it gets overbearing. It is about 5% of the plants that are covered with it.
The tank was completely balanced and readings of 0 on all counts for two months, but suddenly the last two weeks the ammonia readings spiked through the roof. I would get it so that it went down and held at .5ppm to 1ppm but then it would spike to 4ppm.
I was using Seachem Prime to try to keep it down, but that was not working, realizing it could be false readings.
If I do a partial water change of 10%, then the next day the ammonia reading goes up off the charts! LITERALLY off the charts- up at 8ppm or higher
I am going nuts trying to figure out what is going on. Doing water changes daily of 10-30% (mostly 10 so I don't get it way off balance), seem not to make it get better.
There is a slight reading of nitrites- barely more than 0, so i know that there is activity in the tank.
I tried rinsing the filter a little in tank water, - trying not to disturb anything, but that only made it worse. I put in more Seachem Matrix to try to give it more to work with, but again, this is alarming.
The fish themselves seem fine and no deaths in the two weeks this has been happening, and that in itself is significant since the neons are so sensitive.
My plan is to do water changes daily but I don't want to go over the 30% - I don't want to keep this getting worse instead of better.
I am putting a cap full of Seachem Prime in a day instead of three trying to wean the tank off of it so I don't get dangerous up and down of the levels, but this is really scary.
I just lost my rainbow school a few months ago in another tank from a weird disease brought in by a new fish. I don't want to lose my other tank because of a weird spiking.
Any insights are appreciated.
I gave as much info as I could I hope it does not overwhelm you all.