Yesterday was the first time I used distilled water. 15 g. Again I mis-spoke, I did not mean bio balls I meant bio-wheel's there are two on my filter. I know, though I did not test, that the ammonia levels in the 30g. was very high. I was told at the pet store that I did not need to worry about testing for that. However, I believe that the mis-understanding was my fault because at the time I asked the tank was only set up for two weeks and I know now that there is no need to test because there was no fish. I took it to mean I did not have to test at all. I also in the past week have realized and when I took the tank down realized that the gravel was very dirty. This is probably why when I added fish to the that tank they became ill and some even died. Before I could work out the mess in the 30g. it sprung a leak, being worried about the new tank not cycling I was told to add as much water as I could, 15g. to the new tank and put the filter in the new tank as is, that is what I did. Then I bought the test kits and there are all these problems. Either my filter is no good or I need more filters or I really messed everything up some how. With everything that has happened it is hard to figure out what caused what. There was a temperature drop also. This morning my daughter threw out the glass of water sitting on the counter for the Ph test I am suppose to do this morning. I have hid a new glass and will test it this evening sorry. I do not have a quarantine tank but when I can get my 30g. fixed 2wks from now I plan on using it for that purpose I will never just add a fish again. In the mean time I can try to make one if you think it is necessary.
Sorry about the length of this but here is what I have done in the 55g. tank.
Set it up using 15g. old water and filter from old tank.
Set water temp. at 82 and added 10 teaspoons of aquarium salt.
Used tetra aqua safe to treat new water added and added stress zyme and cycle for new tanks.
day two tested levels. Ammonia at 2.0, nitrite .25 Ph. above 7.6 that as high as my test color charts go.
Added ACE (ammonia chloramine eliminator) more cycle and stress zyme. also added filter aid, claim not to let particles get through filter. Noticed new heater was not working temp plummeted to 7.2 over night. bought new heater. Kept this heater at 80, temp still at 80. Also, started adding quick cure turned water greenish/blue. used that for three day's.
Noticed catfish gasping for air at top of tank, not eating and just staying in one place all day. Added bubble wall for oxygen never used ACE again.
All water levels remained the same until yesterday. ACE say's that ammonia will still read the same but has been neutralized don't know about that but do know that nitrites have not risen.
Yesterday performed 15g. water change with sterilized water. All water levels but Ph. have lowered. Nitrites not by much.
Today ammonia is at 1.0, Nitrites are between .25 and 0.00 Ph. no apparent change. I know the Ph. was at 8.0 a week ago because I had my water tested at the pet store. Also I used Ph. down for 4 or 5 day's. If it worked it still is not below a 7.6. Catfish still at top of tank swimming no where. Today will be day three he has not eaten. Yesterday he showed signs of recovery by swimming around. But after the water change yesterday went back to doing the same thing.
NO disease has spread. Tuesday, Wednesday and today no new marks. Old marks show no improvement. Only one Bala shows one spot of ich that white spot is still there, will it ever go away. The scales of the Bala's, two of them, show no improvement but no spreading either.
Thank you for your help and patience