Cannot get Ammonia to ZERO!
- Thread starter CrystaliZed
- Start date
^ Yes I will have to look into that...
Right now I've pulled all of my biomedia from my 55 into a 5 gallon bucket w/ tank water & aeration to keep alive. From the 4 pads the tank has for biomedia, the biomedia was built on 2 of them. I did this because I had to do a Maracyn treatment on the 3 fish I have remaining now... After a full test of my water at a fish store, we determined the 2 Balas I have that died was from a fungus infection. My water wasn't horrible, but wasn't great. The Prime & Stability did help in getting rid of toxic ammonia. The symptoms of my fish had that died, Maracyn treats... so maybe this will help save my last Bala...
Right now I've pulled all of my biomedia from my 55 into a 5 gallon bucket w/ tank water & aeration to keep alive. From the 4 pads the tank has for biomedia, the biomedia was built on 2 of them. I did this because I had to do a Maracyn treatment on the 3 fish I have remaining now... After a full test of my water at a fish store, we determined the 2 Balas I have that died was from a fungus infection. My water wasn't horrible, but wasn't great. The Prime & Stability did help in getting rid of toxic ammonia. The symptoms of my fish had that died, Maracyn treats... so maybe this will help save my last Bala...
Hello: i followed a similar thread on another forum. The person could not get the ammonia readings below a certain level. They tried several things much as you have done. It turned out to be a piece of driftwood in their case. The readings were fine after the driftwood was removed. Just a thought.
One tip I picked up from others is to split a sponge filter so that once the filter is loaded with beneficial bacteria, half can be removed to seed a new tank with bacteria.
One tip I picked up from others is to split a sponge filter so that once the filter is loaded with beneficial bacteria, half can be removed to seed a new tank with bacteria.
skjl47;5135850; said:
I keep a couple sponge filters going all the time in my fish room just for this reason or if I have to set up a hospitable tank quickly. I just fill the tank with the water from the affected fish's tank. Drop one of the sponge filters in and attach a small pump. After, I clean the sponge filter with bleach water and let dry before I pop it back into the original tank to get re-seeded.
I do the same thing Egon and I would imagine we're not the only ones. Which is why if you can find a local fish club/forums you would probably have people give you tons of clean media that you can put in your 180, maybe even enough to support the bioload immediately.
This is what I did when I first started the hobby, I didn't know any better so bought the tank + fish only to have fish dying. Found MFK MN style (Minnesota Fish Keepers), made a post and the next day I was meeting a kind lady who gave me more then enough media to support my tank.
If you were closer I'd be able to give you some of mine
By clean I mean full of BB and from clean/non-ill tanks.
This is what I did when I first started the hobby, I didn't know any better so bought the tank + fish only to have fish dying. Found MFK MN style (Minnesota Fish Keepers), made a post and the next day I was meeting a kind lady who gave me more then enough media to support my tank.
If you were closer I'd be able to give you some of mine
By clean I mean full of BB and from clean/non-ill tanks.
Thanks Aqua... I did live in South Dakota about a year and a 1/2 ago and that would've worked... not sure who can do it here in VA Beach...
So far this Maracyn is working... I think my catfish has this as well b/c he is trying to itch himself a lot on the sand n such, but he doesn't show nearly as bad of signs as my last alive Bala has... the Cichlid thats also in there and separated by a divider doesn't seem to be bothered at all by the water thus also coming to the conclusion that bacterial infection infected my Balas first... I'm not sure why... maybe my Cichlid is a really hardy fish...
As far as the biomedia... I didn't really even have enough to support my 55... now that I'm down to 3 fish instead of 5 from 2 days ago, my load on the tank is probably a lot less... We're hoping to get the 180 going tomorrow w/ RO water & I will ask about buying media but so far the few places I've been too haven't offered it. I'm really afraid I'm gonna be forced into buying a ton of media at some store... this whole ordeal plus getting the 180 going has really cost a ton and I'm pretty much on the verge of quitting aquariums all together due to all the frustration...
What is the best way to get media growing on the side? I have a couple of 5 gallon buckets I can work with but nothing more than that besides the 55 gallon and the 180 that we're trying to get going.
So far this Maracyn is working... I think my catfish has this as well b/c he is trying to itch himself a lot on the sand n such, but he doesn't show nearly as bad of signs as my last alive Bala has... the Cichlid thats also in there and separated by a divider doesn't seem to be bothered at all by the water thus also coming to the conclusion that bacterial infection infected my Balas first... I'm not sure why... maybe my Cichlid is a really hardy fish...
As far as the biomedia... I didn't really even have enough to support my 55... now that I'm down to 3 fish instead of 5 from 2 days ago, my load on the tank is probably a lot less... We're hoping to get the 180 going tomorrow w/ RO water & I will ask about buying media but so far the few places I've been too haven't offered it. I'm really afraid I'm gonna be forced into buying a ton of media at some store... this whole ordeal plus getting the 180 going has really cost a ton and I'm pretty much on the verge of quitting aquariums all together due to all the frustration...
What is the best way to get media growing on the side? I have a couple of 5 gallon buckets I can work with but nothing more than that besides the 55 gallon and the 180 that we're trying to get going.
CrystaliZed;5136168; said:
Losing a fish sucks! Hang in there this is a very rewarding hobby and there's a lot of people on here willing to help out.
I don't think RO water is a good idea. It's okay to replenish evaporated water but I don't think you should use it for water changes. Just my opinion and I'm pretty good at this fish keeping stuff
As far as beneficial bacteria (BB) goes once I have one tank set up I would just transfer the dirtiest mechanical filter pads I had to the new tank and as much water as possible from the old tank to the new tank, the BB would transfer over and I never would have an ammonia spike.
It goes like this: The new tank would of been filled with tap water at least a couple days with the pumps and heaters running just to outgas the tap water chemicals (chlorine and so on). I would drain maybe 1/3 of the water out of the new tank then fill it back up with the old tanks water and put in the nasty old filter pad, add fish, open beer and enjoy.
Hmmm... interesting... this is odd... I have everyone swearing up & down that RO water is the best... I have people at the fish stores telling me that's all they use, then I have people telling me tap is the best... I have no idea what to do... tomorrow we were gonna get RO water for the 180 but now I'm not sure what to do...
I guess I don't have even enuf biomedia in my current 55 to even start putting into the 180... just not sure what to do from here...
I guess I don't have even enuf biomedia in my current 55 to even start putting into the 180... just not sure what to do from here...
CrystaliZed;5136265; said:
Here is the deal. RO/DI water is the cleanest purest water you can get. All the people that use this water, either A mix it with tap water, or pay a ton for chemicals to make the RO water safe for fish.
Two things happen
One the water has no buffering so the moment you add tap water or anything acidic or highly alkaline you get an instant pH swing and thats very hard on the fish.
The other thing is there is non of the menerials and trace elements need for the fishes osmotic regulation.
^ Ok... that makes sense... I guess I don't understand why you would have to pay a ton for chemicals to make RO water safe if its in its purest form?! I do understand tho how regular tap water would have minerals 'n' such in it needed for fish... I guess I've always used tap water in the past, but then again, I've never really gone a long stretch w/o a fish dying... 
Are you suggesting maybe we just do 1/2 RO in the 180?
Anyway of getting the BB growing quicker for this 180 so I can get my remaining fish moved as soon as possible? Like I said before, I really don't have enuf BB from the 55 yet to put into the 180 since I'm still having issues w/ the 55...
Are you suggesting maybe we just do 1/2 RO in the 180?
Anyway of getting the BB growing quicker for this 180 so I can get my remaining fish moved as soon as possible? Like I said before, I really don't have enuf BB from the 55 yet to put into the 180 since I'm still having issues w/ the 55...
