Please help now!!

[Fresh2o]

The removal and introduction of substrate, plants, and fish may have created a mini-cycle. Any BB living in the substrate may have been killed off in the process. This usually is not a problem if the filter remains untouched (this is where a majority of the BB live). Meaning, no cleaning or replacement of cartridges over the last few weeks while tank was in upheaval. Swishing the white part of the cartridge in water removed from a water change is preferred. Over time these do get clogged and fall apart. Rinsing it in tap water or replacing with a new one might be okay as long as the blue plastic parts are NOT cleaned. Again, swishing these in water from a PWC is okay. Rinsing the blue plastic parts in tap water may kill off the BB. I am thinking in the process of keeping the filter clean coupled with the recent tank changes, the BB was reduced and could not keep up with the ammonia produced by the overstocked tank. This resulted in the nitrite spike you saw.
Just keep up with the water changes. And be careful with cleaning the filter. Perhaps get a second one.


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[cherokeeluvr]

Ok.. Well I also replaced filter cartridge that day :/ ... ok so always leave the blue things. And remove white thing when dirty and rinse off in sink? I did that once before and it ruined the floss stuff.. Like made it really loose.


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[Brookster123]

One thing you can do is get a couple small fluval sponges and stick them in the box, that way when you replace the cartridge the sponges will keep.your cycle .

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[cherokeeluvr]

I have these.. Bought them for an old filter that shrimp were getting into and use them to scrub clean glass now. that's what they look like minus the missing square because I used that yesterday. Should I put it here or here or here I will just cut it to fit wherever it needs to go. I feel like it should go after the filter so it doesn't get completely nasty, but still picks stuff up!


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[cherokeeluvr]

Here is how dirty the filter is from 1 week sorry that's a bad pic here's another


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[cherokeeluvr]

Just tested nitrites again and they are still high. Anything else that I should test?


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[Fresh2o]

You can test ammonia while you are at it.
The filter cartridges look fine. They look pristine compared to mine.


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[cherokeeluvr]

Ammonia is 0


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[Jessy2363]

Regardless of what is going on, you'd better get some prime into the water to temporarily detoxify the nitrite and keep the fish and shrimp safe. You can triple the dosage as it states on the bottle. One dosage only brings the nitrite or ammonia levels down one notch. So if nitrites are high then you may need to double or triple the dosage. Apparently you need to re dose prime every 24 or 48 hours as it wares off.


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[cherokeeluvr]

Ok I will put it in today!


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[trennamw]

Sounds like a perfect storm. Removing media, adding root tabs of they're not buried deeply enough, and being overstocked ...

It seems at first like a great idea to replace the filter cartridge a lot but as they e been saying ... you really want a certain level of dirtiness.

Anything made from pressed together fibers doesn't last a long time, maybe you can find something made from sponge.

Do you think you have a full understanding of the nitrogen cycle, or would some links help?




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[cherokeeluvr]

Ok. And yes links would help. I'm not a beginner beginner but I'm not too great at this!


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[trennamw]

I'm on my phone now, don't have the links ... But until someone else can or I'm at a computer, you could google or search here ...

Nitrogen cycle in aquariums

Fish in cycling

Beneficial bacteria in aquariums

... And go from there

Basically ... Consider yourself a bacteria keeper as much as a fish keeper.

Fish put out ammonia (very toxic)

Bacteria one eats ammonia and puts out nitrite (also very toxic)

Bacteria two eats nitrite and puts out nitrate (less toxic but still toxic)

That whole process often makes pH drop too.

Humans remove nitrates (and usually balance pH) by doing water changes.

A "cycled" tank has enough of both bacteria that whenever you test, you don't see any ammonia or nitrite. A good tank also has nitrates below 20, put very generally.

The bacteria live on surfaces, like the gravel and glass and the filter cartridge. They're not in the water. You want to remove solid waste but leave bacteria.

Hope that gets you started.


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[cherokeeluvr]

Ok thank you! I understand much better! I will maybe get a different filter cartridge that wi lasts longer. Ammonia is at 0 which would make me think that it's mostly from the lack of BB (based off what I have learned since I posted this). Filter is already getting dirty so it's building up bacteria. How can I lower ph? Water changes haven't seemed to help.. And what % of water should I change weekly?


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[Fresh2o]

Happy reading...
Articles to Help you Get Started with your Aquarium


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[cherokeeluvr]

Just put in triple dose of prime. Should prime smell bad?


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[Fresh2o]

Just put in triple dose of prime. Should prime smell bad?


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Yes, like rotten eggs.


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[cherokeeluvr]

Ok good! Just making sure mine wasn't bad.. Haha it's nasty!


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[trennamw]

How high is your pH? What's the ph of your tap water?

50% weekly water changes, after you are cycled, is a standard recommendation.


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[cherokeeluvr]

I'm not sure haven't checked it in a few weeks.. Why?


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