Bacteria

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Lupin;4066001; said:
Which bacteria? You discounted the anaerobic bacteria which does convert nitrate into nitrogen gas, the final byproduct of the nitrogen cycle.
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hence the qualifier "ordinary", most fresh tanks don't have enough anaerobic area to remove anything more then trace amounts.

also I am excluding deep sand beds, because hopefully your turning them over to prevent hydrogen sulfide gas.
 
mgk;4066014; said:
hence the qualifier "ordinary", most fresh tanks don't have enough anaerobic area to remove anything more then trace amounts.

also I am excluding deep sand beds, because hopefully your turning them over to prevent hydrogen sulfide gas.
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Understandable however the term "ordinary" used to describe the particular bacteria you are talking about, is not a widely used terminology by the norms as far as I can see.

On the other hand, you cannot avoid the inclusion of anaerobic bacteria in your tank system, no matter the consistency of your maintenance regimen. It is bound to happen especially when left unchecked even in your filtration systems.
 
Lupin;4066012; said:
A dramatic change certainly will harm your fish especially if you are changing the water irregularly instead of consistently however a fish used to frequent water changes, tend to be healthier than those kept in substandard conditions. No point why you have to worry about large frequent water changes if you are quite consistent in its maintenance otherwise take it slow first by pulling out a small portion of the water in the first few days and progressively increase the water volume in the following days. This will give your fish time to adjust well to the changes.

Once a day feeding is fine provided your fish are already adults. Young fish should be fed almost frequently otherwise you risk stunting them in the process as they are unable to gather the proper nutrients in order for them to develop properly. You can still compensate their additional wastes with upgraded filtration systems and frequent water changes.
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But isnt my filter sufficent enough? I also threw in some ammo/active carbon in the sump with scotch pads.
 
How big is the tank and what's in it?

The tank is at least partially cycled since you have both nitrites and nitrates so you may just have to wait for the nitrites to go down.You don't mention ammonia levels.
 
You've slowed down the cycle by adding fish, as you cant let the ammonia and nitrites build up too high, like you could if there were no fish. You need to keep nitrites below about 0.5ppm for the health of your fish.

'Seeding' - the quick answer to your problem - get some mature filter media into your filter/s. Most of these 'bacteria-in-a-bottle' products dont work all the time.

Water changes - as long as the water is the same pH, temp, and is dechlorinated you can change as much as you want. Think of a river - a 100% water change every second. Bad ?? It's different water that shocks fish. 'The same water but without the toxins' cant.
 
if this is the same stocklist you posted in the CA/SA cichlid forum then your water quality is always going to be an issue unless you have an enormous tank and a huge filter set up.

you also need to have fixed your stocking so its compatible, ie your high end brackish puffer shouldnt be with 2 oscars, or getting nitrite and nitrate down will be one of many problems you will encounter. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=322609
 
We cannot answer your new questions properly if you haven't responded to our requests for answers. Is the tank 5 gallon or 200 gallon? Is there one fish or 30 fish?

Help us to help you, please!!
 
If you just have a little nitrite and nitrate you should wait it out or dose a good bacterial supplement like Brightwell's MicroBacter7. It's excellent stuff.
 
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