coolchinchilla
Aquarium Advice FINatic
My question is not so much on how to treat my fish, but rather why my hospital tank has a ton of ammonia.
I have a fancy goldfish who has an ulcer on her side. I decided to set up a 10-gal hospital tank for her. I have two HOB filters on the main tank running just for this occasion.
Setting up the hospital tank:
1. Put 5 gallons of tank water and 5 gallons treated tap water in the tank.
2. Put in two largish decorations (not seeded with bacteria). No substrate.
3. Put mature filter on the tank and let it run for half a day empty.
4. Added airpump with air stone.
5. Put wounded Goldfish in tank
6. Added Marycin-two antibiotics according to directions.
I have an ammonia alerter on the tank and it was showing ammonia. I put the goldfish back in the main tank and tested the hospital tank water.
Ammonia = 2 8O
Nitrite = 0 - .5
Nitrate = 20
pH = 8.2+
KH = 75 ppm
GH = 300+ ppm (I have liquid rock for water and it is softened.)
This is a new cycle on the tank! I think the ammonia was there before I added the antibiotics and before I put the fish in. Poor goldfish. Glad I got her out of that tank after a few hours. Too bad she had to be in that tank for so long. I hope she isn't too badly burned by the ammonia. I'm treating her in the main tank with melafix. It's not the antibiotic but it won't be so harsh on the other tank member.
Question: I thought the mature filter would cycle the tank almost instantly? Why did I get a huge ammonia reading? What happened to my mature filter? The antibiotic instructions said that it wouldn't harm the good bacteria in the tank. Is that true? Did I miss something? How can I do better the next time? What can I do to get my present hospital tank cycled?
Thanks in advance.
I have a fancy goldfish who has an ulcer on her side. I decided to set up a 10-gal hospital tank for her. I have two HOB filters on the main tank running just for this occasion.
Setting up the hospital tank:
1. Put 5 gallons of tank water and 5 gallons treated tap water in the tank.
2. Put in two largish decorations (not seeded with bacteria). No substrate.
3. Put mature filter on the tank and let it run for half a day empty.
4. Added airpump with air stone.
5. Put wounded Goldfish in tank
6. Added Marycin-two antibiotics according to directions.
I have an ammonia alerter on the tank and it was showing ammonia. I put the goldfish back in the main tank and tested the hospital tank water.
Ammonia = 2 8O
Nitrite = 0 - .5
Nitrate = 20
pH = 8.2+
KH = 75 ppm
GH = 300+ ppm (I have liquid rock for water and it is softened.)
This is a new cycle on the tank! I think the ammonia was there before I added the antibiotics and before I put the fish in. Poor goldfish. Glad I got her out of that tank after a few hours. Too bad she had to be in that tank for so long. I hope she isn't too badly burned by the ammonia. I'm treating her in the main tank with melafix. It's not the antibiotic but it won't be so harsh on the other tank member.
Question: I thought the mature filter would cycle the tank almost instantly? Why did I get a huge ammonia reading? What happened to my mature filter? The antibiotic instructions said that it wouldn't harm the good bacteria in the tank. Is that true? Did I miss something? How can I do better the next time? What can I do to get my present hospital tank cycled?
Thanks in advance.