Ammonia probelm using Jebo External filter

[chevyblue1969]

Hey guys,

I wonder if you could give me some advice. I am trying to setup a tank for grass or redfin pickerels. I have a 55 gal tank that I am running a Jebo External filter advertised good to 150gal). I have been have a hard time trying to get the water right for over a year. I recently decided to just clean the entire tank and start over. I started suspecting the driftwood I had found and put in the tank. I was at a local aquarium store and the guy there told me it was not the likely the driftwood but that harder wood is better and he sold me a new piece. He said my high ammonia level was because my filter was a chemical filter and not a biological one and tried to sell me a penguin 200 biowheel. I was under the impression the Jebo did it all and I did not need another filter. He said I need to run something with a biowheel for the good bacteria to grow on and eat the ammonia. He added that mine would not do this because it was a closed system. I have had severally of these biowheel filters and used to run them exclusively but did not want to run one for appearance and noise reasons. I also put a undergravel grid down for a undergravel filter system which I was considering running but would prefer not to. I like the see through look for the tank. I had probably 5 dozen feeder gold fish at one point that died off. Then kind of gave up an throw a few tetras in which not many survived. The tank has live plants and two 48in bubble walls so there should be plenty of aeration. Also the outlet for the filter is pointed down the tank to create some flow. Not sure where I am going wrong.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Conner]

Have you cycled the tank to get the nitrogen cycle correct? A canister filter will give you just as good of biological filtration, if not better, as a biowheel hob filter.

Have there been fish in the tank from the time it was set up, or was it empty of fish this whole time? What is your water change schedule like?

Feeder fish are notoriously bad at dying off, so that wouldn't tell you anything other than they were sickly to start with. If you put the tetra's in immediately after the feeder died, then they likely died from the leftover ammonia from when the feeders died.

 

[chevyblue1969]

I had a few rounds of feeders then I put the tetras in there had probably 20 and was down to 5 when I restarted the tank last week. I don't have a water change schedule I just fill it when it gets low. I had a lot of live plants in there two thirds of them died and the others are still doing well. I put a few dozen feeder in right away because I thought that would cycle the tank more quickly. Like I said I put a undergravel grid down for a undergravel filter system which I could run if it is necessary. I don’t like the way it looks but I never had water problems.

 

[tscharf]

did you remove the roots and left overs from the dead plants? those decaying could result in high ammonia levels. in addition, did u remove the dead fish? i would hope so but ive met a few amatures who just left the fish in there saying the other fish will eat them. stupid i know, but those should be removed as well. finally a good water change regime is essential, doing changes of 30% twice a week or so should help to control your ammonia. or perhaps try getting some prime just to get it under control until the cycle is well established, it takes some tanks up to two months to become fully established

 

[Industrial]

To me, it sounds like you need to read about the nitrogen cycle.

Water that evaporates is pure freshwater, and the water that is left behind is polluted from the fish. The polluted water needs to be removed with a siphon, at least monthly to keep all levels right and the tank. Water changes should be 20-50%.

Also, you need to have a constant source of ammonia in the water such as goldfish from 4-8 weeks in the tank to cycle the tank. And 60 feeders is way too many to cycle a tank with.

I would add 20 goldfish (replace the dead ones with new ones), test the water for ammonia. Once the ammonia goes away after a couple of weeks, test for nitrite. After a couple of weeks when nitrite is gone, do a large water change, then you are good to add the fish you want. The ammonia and nitrite will disappear once bacteria in your filter builds up to break it down.

 

[ar0wan]

..I don't have a water change schedule I just fill it when it gets low. ..but I never had water problems.

Ignorance is no excuse for the law
also, you're doing it wrong

 

[chevyblue1969]

Good thing there is no law against killing gold fish

I do pull the dead fish out and I cleaned the driftwood pretty well.

I didn't realize you needed to change the water that often. That's can't be easy with the mega tanks some of you have. I figured it would not be good to put tap water that was not cycled that often. What should I use to treat the water I normally use ammo lock stress coat and so probacteria stuff.

 

[Industrial]

Good thing there is no law against killing gold fish

I do pull the dead fish out and I cleaned the driftwood pretty well.

I didn't realize you needed to change the water that often. That's can't be easy with the mega tanks some of you have. I figured it would not be good to put tap water that was not cycled that often. What should I use to treat the water I normally use ammo lock stress coat and so probacteria stuff.

Do NOT treat the water for ammonia. Removing ammonia, starves bacteria that eats ammonia and makes your tank unable to break down ammonia.

In a healthy aquarium, fish produce ammonia constantly which is always eaten by the bacteria and it happens quickly enough that there is no measurable level. In a new tank though, there isn't enough bacteria and it has to build up, which is what is happening to you. So keep the goldfish, and give the bacteria time to catch up.

As for "cycled water" the bacteria in an aquarium that keeps ammonia and nitrite at 0 attaches itself to virtually every surface. Areas with high current, surface area and oxygen contain the most bacteria. Water itself, has virtually no beneficial bacteria in it, so water cannot really be cycled. Your filter media and substrate are primarily the ones being cycled.

 

[KaiserSousay]

You`ve brought most of your problems on yourself.
Right above the posting space are many “stickies” full of just the information you need to know.
Like a guy who hops in the pilot seat, you just need some information on what you have to do .
Do some research.
Read some other posts.

 

[philfreenode]

feeder goldfish (called Comets) produce a lot of waste and ammonia. even 1 of these fish isn't appropriate for a 55 gallon tank due to their maximum size.

fish poop gets stuck in the gravel or sand on the bottom and breaks down slowly to become ammonia also. if you don't siphon the crap out it builds and builds up until the bacteria in the filter can't cope with the amount of ammonia being produced by the amount of crap in the gravel and in the filter's mechanical section / sponges.

i can't imagine never taking my trash to the curb.. and just keeping it all in my house, that is essentially what you have done with your tank by not siphoning the gravel or changing the water