Ultimatum !!! Help with tank !

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
skjl47 said:
Hello; NO! The bb feed on ammonia. It is their food so to speak. They like ammonia. The bb are the part of the cycle that remove the ammonia.

Yes. You trreat the fresh tap water with the prime every time you do a water change. I have read of different methods, but recall that some members treat in the buckets before adding the water to the tank and also adding prime to the tank.

I am not the best person to give advice on how to use the prime, would some other member chime in here and run thru how to use the prime during a water change???
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I'm doing a wc right this second , doing 20% should I do more ? All I know that my water even though seachen ammonia alert its reading as safe . Is not , like I said earlier . I added 2 small fish in a breeding net in the tank today , after 10 minutes their eyes were peeling and turning white , gasping for air . is killing them.. So its bad , even though seachem is reading k.
 
If I had a discrepancy between the API liquid test kit and the Seachem strip, I'd trust the Seachem strip.
 
Pataphysicist said:
I'm doing a wc right this second , doing 20% should I do more ? All I know that my water even though seachen ammonia alert its reading as safe . Is not , like I said earlier . I added 2 small fish in a breeding net in the tank today , after 10 minutes their eyes were peeling and turning white , gasping for air . is killing them.. So its bad , even though seachem is reading k.
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Hello; Yes to the water changes. My take at this point is that you have something going on in the tank. Water changes will, at the very least, dillute the toxin in the water as long as the toxin is not in the tap water itself. The prime is supposed to make the tap water safe with regard to the chlorine/chloramine. With the conditions you describe water changes of more than 20% should be considered. If you are using the new prime then massive water changes should not be a problem. It seems that you really have little to lose with a series of big water changes at this point. Whatever the actual issue may be, the water changes should not hurt.

I have been thinking under the notion that ammonia is the culprit up to now. The new ammonia alert is reading that the water is OK for ammonia, right? Lets do some more detective work in case there is something else going on.

Things such as 1) Are the buckets and such used for water changes used for anything else? I have dedicated buckets for my tanks. No household cleaning or mopping. Is there anyone else around your place that might use your tanks buckets for mopping or such?
2) Can anyone have put something in the tank ? Drunk friends, an angry lover or such.
3) Have you added anything to the tank? At this point the stuff pictured in the center of the tank could be removed. Some things can leach toxins into the water. Did you glue the stuff together with anything?
4) Do you handle chemicals at work or in other hobbies that could still be on your hands?
5) Have you changed the food or checked it out during this time?
 
skjl47 said:
Hello; Yes to the water changes. My take at this point is that you have something going on in the tank. Water changes will, at the very least, dillute the toxin in the water as long as the toxin is not in the tap water itself. The prime is supposed to make the tap water safe with regard to the chlorine/chloramine. With the conditions you describe water changes of more than 20% should be considered. If you are using the new prime then massive water changes should not be a problem. It seems that you really have little to lose with a series of big water changes at this point. Whatever the actual issue may be, the water changes should not hurt.

I have been thinking under the notion that ammonia is the culprit up to now. The new ammonia alert is reading that the water is OK for ammonia, right? Lets do some more detective work in case there is something else going on.

Things such as 1) Are the buckets and such used for water changes used for anything else? I have dedicated buckets for my tanks. No household cleaning or mopping. Is there anyone else around your place that might use your tanks buckets for mopping or such?
2) Can anyone have put something in the tank ? Drunk friends, an angry lover or such.
3) Have you added anything to the tank? At this point the stuff pictured in the center of the tank could be removed. Some things can leach toxins into the water. Did you glue the stuff together with anything?
4) Do you handle chemicals at work or in other hobbies that could still be on your hands?
5) Have you changed the food or checked it out during this time?
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I don't use buckets for water change , I have a 25ft Python hose that connects into my sick piece , which allows me to open fosid and just add water into the tank. It's a clear hose, no gunk or filthy stuff inside . I haven't glued anything and haven't done anything different , this has been an ongoing thing for quite sometime , but fish were healthy and eating fine so i ignored it sometime. Only thing I did new was adding 2x 18 " male and female Mono bass to the tank, which caused a few fights and the obvious increase in bio load.No drunk friend and no crazy lover . As far as food, they only eat tilapia chunks and massivore delite
 
Woefulrelic said:
The more you displace the longer the cycle.
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Hello; I am not sure I understand this . It is my understanding that very little of the bb is in the water. It has also been my understanding that frequent water changes are commonly reccomended by people when discussing the weeks it takes for a tank to cycle.

Perhaps the only exception I can recall is when doing a fishless cycle. As the OP has fish in his tanks, this does not seem a good idea.

My take is that frequent WC will not harm the bb. If you have some other specific information please let us know.
 
skjl47 said:
Hello; I am not sure I understand this . It is my understanding that very little of the bb is in the water. It has also been my understanding that frequent water changes are commonly reccomended by people when discussing the weeks it takes for a tank to cycle.

Perhaps the only exception I can recall is when doing a fishless cycle. As the OP has fish in his tanks, this does not seem a good idea.

My take is that frequent WC will not harm the bb. If you have some other specific information please let us know.
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I finished the 20% water change , I will be doing 10% daily for the next week. I will be adding another dosage of tetrasafestart tomorrow once it arrives . that would b my last dose , I will also put some dirty slimy media frk. My 75 into the 220 and see how it does . since my 75 is doing well
 
skjl47 said:
Hello; I am not sure I understand this . It is my understanding that very little of the bb is in the water. It has also been my understanding that frequent water changes are commonly reccomended by people when discussing the weeks it takes for a tank to cycle.

Perhaps the only exception I can recall is when doing a fishless cycle. As the OP has fish in his tanks, this does not seem a good idea.

My take is that frequent WC will not harm the bb. If you have some other specific information please let us know.
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this might be the case, I was under the impression that nitrites would be diminished by water changes which ultimately causes the tank longer to establish because it doesn't have enough nitrite to establish the necessary bacteria to turn it into nitrates. This can certainly not be the case, I'm certainly no expert on the matter. With these thoughts in mind I suggested small water changes to keep the nitrites from getting to toxic levels. If that's not the case I've been misled and I would appreciate enlightenment. In the event that I'm correct then the cycle would be slowed but fish health would be much better.
 
Hello; I will consider this situation some more. Perhaps a contact with the local water company to try to find out what they use to treat the water. Local water sources are at risk in many parts of the country. I am not sure where Boynton Beach is located.

That the seachem strip is giving a safe reading for the ammonia, then that would seem to rule out ammonia. The new safe should rule out the chlorine/chloramine.

Do you know if the apt building uses insecticides or is it possible some one in another apt might use such stuff. I know when my house was treated for termite prevention, that care had to be taken that the chemical not get into a stream. I am just guessing at this point.

Water changes with the new prime, try to get a source to seed some bb and keep an eye on the ammonia monitor are at least positive things you can do. No new fish and as light of feeding as you can stand could be done. Keep thinking about what is going on. You are the one at the scene and have the best view point.

Good luck
 
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