can anyone tell me what i did wrong

[dxdx]

You must not have a very powerful gravel vac. When you stir up the gravel it releases all the bacteria, which either gets sucked into the siphon or into the filter. And then you change the filter and bam, you have no bacteria breaking down any waste. Tell me more about how BB is sticky???

I have a normal gravel vac, that's not the point.

When you stir up gravel, it does not release all the bacteria. Bacteria is sticky, it can stick to the gravel. How do you think things like Kaldness k1/k3 chambers work? Have you ever seen a moving bed filter? Bacteria sticks to the media as it is thrown around the chamber by air power.

I don't have a reference on hand, but I have read about it here, and I have a k3 chamber in my sump with brown media which is the bacteria growing on it even though it is constantly in motion.


To the OP, I don't know what your setup is, but you should have a filter sock or some other filter pad to take care of mechanical filtration. This you can remove and throw away as it is clogged up - but the filter media should only be rinsed in a bucket of tank water.

 

[Dahawkster15]

I have a normal gravel vac, that's not the point.

When you stir up gravel, it does not release all the bacteria. Bacteria is sticky, it can stick to the gravel. How do you think things like Kaldness k1/k3 chambers work? Have you ever seen a moving bed filter? Bacteria sticks to the media as it is thrown around the chamber by air power.

I don't have a reference on hand, but I have read about it here, and I have a k3 chamber in my sump with brown media which is the bacteria growing on it even though it is constantly in motion.


To the OP, I don't know what your setup is, but you should have a filter sock or some other filter pad to take care of mechanical filtration. This you can remove and throw away as it is clogged up - but the filter media should only be rinsed in a bucket of tank water.

Thank you for an example. I still don't think you should vacuum ALL the way down to the bottom. I mean obviously half of the height of gravel or so.

 

[1bigdovii]

IMHO if your relying on the bacteria in your gravel that much your overstocked or underfiltered. You grow plenty of it in your bio-media provided you have enough. Ive on several occasions switched substrates and even then had no spikes. I also have to vac to the bottom(big fish are very messy). I mean bacteria is down there but there is alot more wastes down there.


OP I doubt you did anything wrong. Ive had fish over the years just drop dead for no logical reason. Ive even seen a Pbass run into a piece of driftwood after food and just die. Im sorry it that it happened to you it really sucks when you just dont know why. I wish I could say it will never happen again but its just part off fishkeeping. No matter how much you know or how long you've been doing it these things just happen.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Miguel]

All levels at zero is not nrmal. Either your tank has not cycked or you are measuring wrong or with faulty equipment.

Can alao be that the water company put somwthing in the water.....it is always a possibility, I understand, in the US...

DO NOT LET IT PUT YOU DOWN. WE HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH SIMILAR STORIES

 

[Jacunaba]

I think it's alright to siphon sand because it compacts which will end up doing more harm than good. I would just have more biological filtration in your filters if you're using sand. I'd rather no BB than harmful gases for sure killing my stock.

Thank you for an example. I still don't think you should vacuum ALL the way down to the bottom. I mean obviously half of the height of gravel or so.

You realize the BB isnt free floating correct?
So you're telling us that you should only vac 1/2 of the gravel. Would this not leave the other 1/2 compacted containing these gasses?
There is not reason not to siphon completely.

 

[Miguel]

I consider it dangerous to vacuum sand bottoms. You will release noxious substances that are retained in the sand bed. Do it in parts, never tottally.

 

[Jacunaba]

but if you do it frequently, do these gasses ever have time to build up. I vac my sand once a week

 

[1bigdovii]

but if you do it frequently, do these gasses ever have time to build up. I vac my sand once a week

As long as you stir the sand. And the sand under decor alot of people dont do under decor often enough


Sent from my SCH-I500 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Miguel]

You should leave the anaerobic bacteriae to do their job. Of course this only applies in deep sand or gravels bottoms, not with a few inches.
I love sand filters, for instance, and keep on using them, but you can imagine the havoc they create when they compact ( for instance in a power failure ) and you start them again without rebuilding the whole thing? The gases they release into the water?

With a deep sand bottom or gravel, turning it all upside down is as dangerous, imho....

 

[Jacunaba]

As long as you stir the sand. And the sand under decor alot of people dont do under decor often enough


Sent from my SCH-I500 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

Apparently im on the good side of being too anal about tank maintainance..

Miguel: I can see it for obvious reasons in a deep sand bed. I only run 1.5" or so