I need help making a decision

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
At the moment I'd say a 90% total change would be in order, or a couple 50%+. As you said previously, if he's reading 8 on the test, then I'm also surprised the fish aren't suffering from ammonia burns.

The tank isn't cycled at all if he's reading 0 Nitrite and Nitrate, no cycle to inhibit right now. Super high ammonia like that will also slow a cycle. Can cause it to go on for months unless it's gradually raised and the bacteria are allowed time to grow with it. Emptying the tank and refilling it with clean water would be a good thing at this point I think.
 
Okay. I will do what u guys said and I cant tell everyone how nice it is to finally have some legit anwsers. I've been dealing with this for a month and a half and actually lost a royal pleco the other day :(. The arowana and clowknive are 10inches, lima shovelnose is 5inches, and the red tail catfish is 6inches. I really appreicate all the help guys!!Thank you!! Hopefully this does the trick.
 
Yeah, I'll agree you're way overstocked now. :grinno: 2 10" fish is bad in a 46. Another couple months and they won't be able to face the front without bumping the glass. You need a 120 or 180+ as soon as possible, and even those won't last the fish through their whole lifetimes.

For now:
  • Need to do a couple big water changes now. Assuming the test kit isn't broken, you will lose the remaining fish if the ammonia level stays that high for much longer.
    • That much ammonia will also slow the cycle process. I'd say you want to aim for around 3-4 on the test while you are trying to cycle. If you go above that, you need to change more water. As soon as you see NitrIte going above 0, you know you're on the right track.
  • Cut back on food. Only feed once per day, and only what they will eat in a few minutes. Siphon out anything uneaten after 5 minutes and keep reducing the amount you feed until there is nothing to siphon out at the 5 minute mark.
  • Make sure you clean out any fish poo at least once per day. Twice per day would be better.
    • As MonsterMini suggested, Removing the gravel would be a good idea here. Will help you spot and get the poo out easier.
  • Keep doing 10-20 gallon (dechlorinated) water changes daily until the cycle finishes. More if Ammonia is above 3 on the test. If you see Ammonia dropping and Nitrite going up, you're halfway there.
In all honesty, if you have a friend or know someone with a (big) cycled tank that can hold the arowana and knife for you til you get something bigger, that would be best. The other 2 will be fine for a couple more months, but the big ones really shouldn't be in there. Unless you plan to have the bigger tank in the next month or so.
 
Do a 75% change now. Don't wait, don't do anything else, do a 75% change NOW!

You were changing 20% a week?!?!? No, 50% daily until the tank is cycled. And with that bio load.... probably 50% daily until you have a 300 gallon tank.

Seriously, that stocking is not "a little over stocked" that is grossly and ridiculously overstocked. PLease for the love of fish.... get them into a bigger tank ASAP.
 
Alright guys. I just did a 50% water change, took out the zero-carb and carbon in the Aquaclear. I also added a small sponge to the Penquin, I put it directly behind the two filters. In place of the zero-carb and carbon, I added 2 new foam inserts for a total of 3 foam inserts so more bacteria could grow on those. I also added what I had left of tap water conditioner which was 25ml. And I also added 30ml of API Stress Zyme to the bio-wheel and foam inserts in the Aquaclear. Anything I missed guys? And I know many of u already mentioned it, but I just want to make it crystal clear...I SHOULD BE DOING 40-50% WATER CHANGES EACH DAY UNTILL I TEST MY WATER AND IT SHOWS A POSITIVE READING FOR NITRITE???
 
Get some more water contitioner. Buy the big bottle, you'll need it. :)

You want to change enough to get the ammonia down to around to 3 on your test strip. If you read 8 and you change 50%, you should read 4. Can do a test each day and figure out how much you need to change to keep the ammonia down to 3. After a couple days you should know exactly how much will be needed each day without testing. Keep up that same amount of change daily until Ammonia and Nitrite are both 0. Initially you will see ammonia startto drop, and nitrite rise. Then a while later nitrite will start going down and nitrate will rise. Will probably take a few weeks.

After Ammonia and Nitrite are both 0, you can start changing less. Maybe cut the changes you've been doing by 25% every couple days until you're down to 10% daily. For example, if you are changing 40% every day, cut it down to 30% for a few days, then 20% for a few days, etc". Then after a few days doing just 10% start doing it every other day for maybe a week, then every 3 days, etc. Basically you want to give the bio time to adjust to the additonal load created by not doing the big water changes daily. Eventually you should get to the point where the tank is cycled fully and stays that way only doing weekly 20% changes.
 
I disagree with some of what Dark Jester is saying. A healthy properly stocked tank still needs a weekly 50% change. His recommendation of 20% is not enough for a properly stocked tank. You don't have a properly stocked tank. Your tank is GROSSLY over stocked. You will need to to change a LOT more water than that.


I also disagree with keeping ammonia at 3ppm. I would not let it rise above 1ppm. Ammonia burns the gills. Burned gills form scar tissue on them as they heal. Scar tissue does NOT allow proper gas exchange across them. While the tissue is burned and not yet healed up (right now) the gas is getting exchanged, but prolonging the exposure to ammonia will result in more scar tissue and greatly reduced lifespans.

Less frequent, high volume water changes are far more effective than frequent low volume ones. Meaning that a 30% change every other day is better than a daily 10%.

You Must get the levels of ammonia down NOW. The 50% change you have done is a nice start, but that will not do the job. YOur ammonia was at 8ppm, which is the max your card will read, meaning it could be higher. A 50% change will not lower your levels to anything healthy. The bacteria you need to form in your tank will not form with ammonia levels over 3ppm. If you changed 50% they are at 4ppm and your bacteria is still not growing. Change more water.
 
Alright, I just did another 50% water change and will do so for the next 5 days. Then I'll test my water. So, if my ammonia reads under 3, then beneficial bacteria starts growing? Regardless if I add some into the filers and bio-wheel; for example, the API Stress Zymes?? Also, as for cleaning the filters, should I take them out and rinse them under the sink and re-use them? What do u guys recommened for how to clean the filters but keep the bacteria in there??
 
never clean filter in tap water (chlorine in tap water can kill BB), us the tank water you are taking out during a water charge to wash the filter. And make sure you dechlorinate your water before adding to tank when doing water changes.
 
API stress zyme does not have the bacteria you need in it. You can add it, you can throw it out, you can pour it on your head, the floor, the cat or in the tank.... all have the same effect. Well no, pouring it on the cat will piss off the cat.

The bacteria needed to cycle a tank is not capable of forming spores. Its a gram positive gram negative thing. Some bacteria do form spores others do not. Meaning that if you put the bacteria you need in a bottle on a shelf in a store with no source of food or oxygen, it would live for about 12 hours max. Stress zyme is snake oil. They sell it so you will put $ in their pockets. It also gives you a sense doing something productive, which you apparently need right now.

I have heard, but cannot first hand report, that Dr Tim's One and Only does actually do the job. Its he only product that has ever been rumored to work. Well there was a product called Bio SPira (oddly enough invented by Dr. Tim when he still worked for the company producing it.) Bio SPira required refrigeration to keep the bacteria dormant and eating less food. It also had a very short shelf life. The company was bought out, Tim moved on to an independent franchise and BioSpira no longer exists.

I can tell you that BioSpira worked. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Tim as well. His new product probably works, I have just never tried it.
 
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