Tinafina
Aquarium Advice Activist
librarygirl said:I'm wondering if it wasn't the vacuum but the changing of the filter media (or at least a mix of the two). Regardless of the reason just do water changes to get them down. Is that photo above from today? If so you'd need to do a number of water changes. For example, with nitrites at 2 a 50% water change would get it down to 1, which is still toxic. Another 50% would get it down to .5 which again is still on the high side. So you'd need to really do 3-4 large water changes of 50-70% each to get that down further.
Most LFS stores don't really give sound advice (not all of course, but most from what I've experienced). There's no need to use carbon all the time unless you're removing meds. There's no harm in having it in there but you don't need it and instead using a filter pad or something would give more surface area for bacteria to grow on. What kind and how much filter media do you have in there total and what did you replace? To me it sounds like a mini-cycle from replacing the filters and stirring up the gunk on the bottom.
I am using the aqueon 10 power filter. Currently I have both pads in right now. It giving enough room? It is jammed in there pretty tightly. Do u recommend doing 50% WC daily or 2 in a day? Also I had the amquel plus at home already and I poured some in.. :/
Thank you for all your help.