Kennyyoli
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2012
- Messages
- 27
I have a 29 gal gravel bottom tank that has been stocked and cycled for 2 years. A week ago, my Fluval 205 Canister I had on that tank had a complete failure. Motor area was smoking hot, and after cooling down, it wouldn't come on. I went to try and find a duplicate filter, and couldn't find one locally. I ended up buying a Fluval 305 Canister, and set it up on the tank, with the ceramic ring media from the 205 transferred to the 305. Unfortunately, the foam portions were a different size, and I couldn't use them.
I fired it up, and kept an eye on my parameters. My ammonia has been in check, but the past 3 days, my nitrites are sky high. I got the fish out when the spike first showed up, and they are at my sisters house, quite happy in her quarantine tank.
My question is two part. I did a huge water change (70%) yesterday, to get the nitrites down to .25 PPM. Ammonia was at 0. Within 3 hours, the ammonia was still at 0, but the nitrites were back up to between 3 and 5 PPM. I am assuming the ammonia is being taken care of the colony of bacteria that turn it into nitrites, but it seems I have lost the colony that eats the nitrites, and produces the nitrates. Since there are no fish to worry about, should I just leave the nitrites high to get the tank cycled, or should I still do some partial water changes? Also, it seems with the nitrite explosion that the ammonia eating bacteria have plenty to eat. Should I be dosing any ammonia as well,
to keep that colony fed?
Thanks in advance for the help!
I fired it up, and kept an eye on my parameters. My ammonia has been in check, but the past 3 days, my nitrites are sky high. I got the fish out when the spike first showed up, and they are at my sisters house, quite happy in her quarantine tank.
My question is two part. I did a huge water change (70%) yesterday, to get the nitrites down to .25 PPM. Ammonia was at 0. Within 3 hours, the ammonia was still at 0, but the nitrites were back up to between 3 and 5 PPM. I am assuming the ammonia is being taken care of the colony of bacteria that turn it into nitrites, but it seems I have lost the colony that eats the nitrites, and produces the nitrates. Since there are no fish to worry about, should I just leave the nitrites high to get the tank cycled, or should I still do some partial water changes? Also, it seems with the nitrite explosion that the ammonia eating bacteria have plenty to eat. Should I be dosing any ammonia as well,
to keep that colony fed?
Thanks in advance for the help!