Every time I..........

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
duanes said:
We need more specifics.
How do you clean the filters, as in...
How is the media rinsed? old tank water? Tap water?
Is there heavy amounts of chlorine/chloramine in the tap water?
Before doing a water changes what is the pH of the tank water? What is the pH of the tap water?
What is the temp of new water compared to tap?
Do you live in a place where tap water is super saturated with gas because the tap water is comparatively cold?
If you draw a glass of water (this goes with the question directly above) does it appear cloudy and clear from the bottom up?
What are the sizes of the dead fish?
How many fish in the 180?
Click to expand...
Read my first post to see how I clean the filter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Masked Shadow
duanes said:
Here are some "why's", to my questions above.

In the past I livedinWisconsin,andmy tap water was very cold compared to the ambient temp.
So under pressur(in the pipes) super saturated was trapped, and when added to the aquarium, all that gas was released as micro bubbles, that have been known to cause gas embolism in some fish, if added directly to the tank.
I wonder if the cloudiness is caused by micro bubbles?
So I never (unless warm in summer) add water directly to the tank, but to the sump first to allow these micro bubbles todisaccociate with the water.

I asked about pH, because if pH would drop between water changes, and a much higher pH water was added, this is another stress factor.

I asked about chlorine in tap water, because if the biomedia is rinsed in a high chlorine dose water, it could significantly reduce the biofilm population.

And to me, a 180 gallon tank is quite small, (its what I have) and if your rays and gar, and whatever else are even half grown, I can't imagine the bio load on a tank that size.

I attended a talk by one of the foremost ray experts in North America, who said (even the smallest ray) need a minimum 300 gallon tank, with the emphasis on footprint.
Click to expand...
I wash my filter Phosphate pads only in Tank water. I used to have Micro Bubbles( if you mean the bubbles at the surface of the water) until I got more powerful filters. Now there gone.
 
spotfin said:
Sounds like too much live stock for your tank and the biofilter couldn't keep up/wasn't established. You were only a canister filter for 4 rays, a big catfish, and gar?
Click to expand...
I had now only 2 Gars and a Ray and a Gar died.
 
Prime should be dosed 2 ways when adding new water. If you are adding by a bucket or pail, pre-treat that water; if you are adding water directly to the tank with a hose, dose for the volume of the tank and either add the Prime as you are filling or split the dose and add as you are filling.

Do you know if your water source uses chlorine or chloramine?
 
I don't know if my city water has chlorine, but I always dose the tank with Stress coat immediately after a water change.

Also I just add 4 full caps of Prime immediately after the water change. I don't know if I did it the "correct" way, but my ammonia went from .25 to 0.

The fish don't ever die after a water change. They die after I clean that one specific filter.
 
Last edited:
Freshwaterfishlover said:
The fish don't ever die after a water change. They die after I clean that one specific filter.
Click to expand...
This would mean that this filter is somehow compromised when you clean it causing a biological crash.

After the cleaning and the tank goes haywire and you loose a fish, have you tested immediately after to see if there has been an ammonia spike?
 
  • Like
Reactions: EntoStentor and Magnus_Bane
Your filter is not strong enough and cannot keep up with the bio load. What do you do with your filter media while you rinse the pads?
 
BIG-G said:
This would mean that this filter is somehow compromised when you clean it causing a biological crash.

After the cleaning and the tank goes haywire and you loose a fish, have you tested immediately after to see if there has been an ammonia spike?
Click to expand...
Honestly I don't remember. This time I test 2 days later at.25
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom