Flowerhorn Help

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
T

tysonb292

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 21, 2014
59
0
0
Vermont
Hello everyone
I am having an issue getting my ammonia down in my flowerhorn's tank.
Info:
Fish: Flowerhorn Cichlid 10-12 inches (currently)
Tank: 55 Gallon
Filter: Hydor 600
Filter 2: Aqua Clear 50 - With Filter Bag (changed weekly)
Water Movement: 2x Hydor Koralia Nano 240
Water Parameters:
pH: 7
kH: 5
Ammonia: 5+
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 50


Additional Info:
20-30% water changes are being done daily or ever other day. Tap water is treated with API Tap Water Conditioner. I am trying to combat ammonia and nitrate with Microbe Lift Nite-Out II and Microbe Lift Bacterial Aquarium Balancer.


My Thoughts/Questions:
I had been using old gravel in the tank, not knowing it can spoil. I understand that changing the medium can set back the tank. Figuring my tank was already out of whack and my fish was possibly suffering, I was desperate. I changed out all the old gravel with CaribSea Super Naturals. This has not exactly helped (this was two weeks ago). Growing more desperate, I decided I needed to look inside the filter I was gross so I cleaned canister itself and dosed floss with Microbe Lift. It was gross but not like my other canister on my 75 gallon community tank. Additionally I am concerned about my aqua clean 50. I takes straight air from outside the tank, and blows it into the water. Does ammonia and nitrate thrive on oxygen like this. Lastly but most important. The fish has a small to larger hole on the drivers side of his head right above the gills. This hole has been present for 3-4 months, not improved or worsen. Please help
Fish, Fish Tank, Aqua Clear, Gravel, and Hole in head can be seen here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX2PpkUSddU
 
I would ditch the API water conditioner, and go with Seachem Prime instead. It'll help with bringing down the nitrates, by doing daily water changes you're stopping your tank from completely cycling. Once a week water changes of 50% should help, I would suggest using some melafix to treat the hole in the head, and I would clean out any filters every 3-4 months along with cleaning the filter impellers, etc... Also add some polyester fiberfill to any filter on the tank, this will help maintain clear water...
 
Sounds like you have sufficient filtration for that size tank but you're changing out the filter bags too frequently. Beneficial bacteria takes time to develop on those bags and each time you change them out, it's starting over. When they appear dirty, I rinse them in the water I siphon out during water changes. Rinsing them in new water will kill off the bacteria.

I have to ask how you are doing water changes? Hope you're siphoning through the substrates to suck out the waste. As often as you say you do water changes, I'm wondering why your water is so unbalanced.
 
Stop changing your filter bags! Your basically killing your cycle, as mentioned above just gently rinse it in tank water and then put it back. I've been using gravel that is about 10 years old and its cycled many tanks. Never heard of it spoiling before! Beneficial bacteria lives where there is flow, looking at your tank's filtration you should have had bb in the old gravel. Changing out all the gravel just made the cycle even worse.

My opinion is to just get some prime or safe and then over dosage it as directed to detoxify the ammonia. Once its detoxified the bb can still consume it. You basically killed off the ammonia consuming bacteria and just need to wait some time until they can build up in numbers to effectively keep it at 0.

Note if you use a two step test kit such as the api you WILL get a false positive reading if you over dosage with prime or safe. But rest assure that the ammonia is detoxified and your fh is happy. You will need to redose every 24-48 hours to keep the ammonia detoxified and I would expect the ammonia consuming bb to be strong within a week. At high temps such as 84 degrees they double withing a 24 hour period. Those additives are probably not doing anything but it cant hurt to add them. Only additive that I seen work is seachem's stability.
 
Ok..I am going to get some seachem prime...my ws ter temp id 84 as I read a fh wants mid eighties..does this aid in ammonia production? .

Second aqua clear is a food type filter..I believe is necessary to replace regularly
 
change filter bag either every 2 weeks or monthly thats what i do on my 220, every 2 weeks i put 4 new filters in my penguin 350
 
Ascarbo! Thanks! I will keep everyone posted. ..just did a 30 percent and added seachem...ammonia before was 5ppm after 30 percent...4 ppm...it did drop a little not much....will wait 24 hours for prime to work magic then test again and post with results
 
I have had countless aquaclears running for years on end with never changing the sponges. I just ring them out every other week and its fine, I have never had a cycle because I dont remove beneficial bacteria. You're basically killing your cycle when you throw it away which is your main problem.

How much prime did you add? Prime works instantly and doesnt take 24 hours to take effect. It bonds instantly and within 24-48 hours the bonds are broken needing more prime or safe to be added.
 
So what do I do after I add the prime?...water change? Immediately? ...water change next day? Do nothing? ...please suggest a course of action...I will not replace the sponges on aqua clears. ..I will just ring them out...I figured enough bacteria would be in the canister
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom