Cascade 300 Filter to big for 29g??/PH problem

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SpringlakeTank

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jul 11, 2011
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Springlake
Hello! I am pretty new to owning and aquarium. My father is pretty much who I usually go to for most of my advise, (he has 150g tank, been at it off and on for years)

Well I have a 29 gallon fresh water tank with Guppies, mullies, the typical starter fish, well I have a Cascade 300 hanging flteration system on it. Its a great system however I am afraid its to big for my tank, because I have lost a few fish that stuck to its tube. At first I thought they were sick and weak so they got stuck because of that, until today when one of my bigger mollies go caught on it, and I thought it was dead, so I did the normal and shut off the filter so I can get it off the tube and it swam away, really beat up but swam away. I dont think he is going to make it, but he was one of the stronger mollies of the group and it made me wonder what I can do to keep this from happening.... It is a great system but is htere a way to prevent my fish from getting their life SUCKED out of them....

Also I have really high PH levels, have always had high PH/Hard water problems, I tried water changes and these tablets that claim to maintain the PH levels however its not working, (tetra correct ph 7.0 tablets).

Also there is a slight stessful level of nitrite levels going on also. Things that I have tried to get this down was also Tetra but it ws AmmoniaSafe. I put the recommended out in the tank when doing the water change and it still is showing up as stressful with my test.

Products I have used in my water:
Start Zyme, Tetra AmmoniaSafe, API Stress Coat, API Aquarium Salt, Intant DeCHLOR......

The water is kinda cloudy, not bad you can see the pic and see its just a little hazzy.

My father said that the tank goes thru cycles and not to worry to much about it, but i had fish dying, (could be just the fact they are getting stuck before dying) I have been keeping an eye on it, and it was about 1 wk that a fish was stuck before, but there are many fish in the tank that have been in tehre for almost 2 months and never got stuck. I dont know what to think.... Any advise?????:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::fish1::thanks::thanks:
 
The tank is 29 inches across in lengh, 16 inches high and 12 inches from front to back. the intake is about 5-6 inches from the left wall and about 1.5 inches from the back and it is about 9 inches into the water.
 
HAA!!!!!!!!!!!! OH ok, OOOOPS:

Nitrate is a tad below 20
Nitrite 1.0
Total Hardness (GH) 300 ( BAD )
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity (KH) around 180
pH 7.8

What works to level this out???
 
Nitrate 1.0

I'm assuming you mean nitrite here but that's certainly a issue, sounds like your nearing the end of your nitrogen cycle. I would perform daily water changes to control the nitrite levels at under 0.25ppm, you could also add some aquarium salt to reduce the effects of nitrite poisoning at 1tbls per 5g. I'm guessing the effects of nitrogen cycle killed your fish, so your nearing the end and it will stabilize shortly.
 
Really appreciate the advice!! So, 1/3 tank of changes...? Also, I have used Aquariam Salt in the tank, during my water changes I should just put enough salt in for how much water I am changing right??? ALSO, is easy to put TOO much Aquariam Salt in the tank???
 
Really appreciate the advice!! So, 1/3 tank of changes...? Also, I have used Aquariam Salt in the tank, during my water changes I should just put enough salt in for how much water I am changing right??? ALSO, is easy to put TOO much Aquariam Salt in the tank???

I would do at 50-60% daily changes now, slowly add the salt over the course of a few hours. Then after a water change replace ONLY the salt you removed, so 50% would be 3tbs. Then when the cycle is completed water changes will remove the salt.
 
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