Okay, 50% water change, all filters running with carbon and I have added ammolock. Hopefully they will make it tonight.
Thanks for everything....my Pacus will be grateful.
Thanks for everything....my Pacus will be grateful.
My Pacus are in horrible health...I need help please!!
- Thread starter Poets_Love
- Start date
I just checked, the sodium silicoaluminate is safe. It's very similar to zeolite, which I think is what people use to absorb ammonia in their tanks in a pinch.
Does it say on ammolock how much it binds, and what the safest maximum is? Add as much as it states is safe.
The ammolock says 5ml ( i think, the cap was marked) per 10 gallons of water. Added it, added the salt...
I can't thank you guys enough. My fish are my life. They are a major stress reliever.
After hearing the boss yell all day, I can come home and watch them and be so content.
I can't thank you guys enough. My fish are my life. They are a major stress reliever.
After hearing the boss yell all day, I can come home and watch them and be so content.
Use four times the dose... I think it'll be just like Prime and only lock up 1ppm... I'd go ahead and use 8 times the dose, if the bottle doesn't warn against it.
Poets_Love;4882876; said:
Hello, I hope your pacu pull through. I have pacu too. At what size did you get those fish? I'm surprised they are only 3 inches long. They should be more than twice that size at their age. I got one mid december (from petsmart) who is now 6 inches long. He is in a 50 gal tank with another 8 inch pacu because I had to take their pond down. I just ordered a 96x36x24 350 gal Tenecor tank for him and his 8 inch friend from fish tanks direct.
People here have already gave excellent advise to you to deal with your 125gallon emergency.
Because the fish you have are so small (3 inches?) and you owned them since November I am wondering about the quality of water in in the other tanks you have. In the 50 gallon tank I have my pacu in I need to change 50-60% of the water every day or nitrates build up very quick. They go from 5 ppm to 80 ppm in 2 days without changes. I've never gotten an ammonia reading in there because I had mature filter media, but i used to get them in the pond. That was from mulm (fish poop) building up in the folds of the liner. Pacu are very dirty fish and it sounds like some of the other fish you have are dirty too. Oscar should have the 75 gallon tank to himself for example.
Anyway I think the emergency you have now is a symptom of a problem of overstocking tanks in general and I hope you managed to get through the problem, I'm rooting for ya, but whatever the outcome you are needing to fix your stocking. You can speed up the 125g cycle by putting a small portion of the filter media from another tank into the filter of the 125g once you get ammonia under 4 ppm. If it's too high the ammonia will inhibit the benificial bacteria.
The guys helping you out all know exactly what they're talking about. You're in good hands. I wanted to jump in real quick with...
Have you tested the water again since the water change? Doing a 50% water change is going to make things better, but your parameters are most likely still in the danger zone. You should check again and be prepared for another large water change again yet tonight.
Make sure you are adding Prime to your tap water when you do the changes. Petsmart carries small bottles of it if you don't have any or are out.
Good luck!
Have you tested the water again since the water change? Doing a 50% water change is going to make things better, but your parameters are most likely still in the danger zone. You should check again and be prepared for another large water change again yet tonight.
Make sure you are adding Prime to your tap water when you do the changes. Petsmart carries small bottles of it if you don't have any or are out.
Good luck!
Thanks for all the info. They are still alive and swimming this morning, and Ive tested the ammonia level again and its still dangerously high, 2.0. As far as them being around 3 inches, thats just a guess on my part. I'm horrible with measurements unless I actually measure them. I haven't tried to feed them yet, but they do seem active. My boyfriend is in there doing a water change now, I think. I don't have any prime to add to it, so we are just adding water. Does it make a difference if you are using city water verses well water? I didn't think about that until now. We have well water that is ran through a water softener.
I didn't move them to one of the other tanks because the other tanks seem a bit full. One has 6 oscars, an ahli, jack dempsey, 2 plecos, and a dragon fish while the other has 2 oscars, 3 ahlis, 3 parrot fish, a red tail shark, a green terror, an eel looking thing, a rope fish, and 2 dragon fish. I know that sounds like alot but the 2nd tank has smaller fish.
Again, thanks for all the info.
As far as the water quality in the other tanks, when we first got the 75 gallon, we did have an issue with ammonia from overfeeding, but with water changes, it cleared up and no issues since. The water stays clear and I havent seen any sick or infected fish. The 2nd 75 gallon did stay a little cloudy from overfeeding but we cleared that up quick too, now it is clear and nothing has been sick. I didn't treat the water in either tank when they were set up and added fish within 2 days. Maybe I was just lucky with them.
I didn't move them to one of the other tanks because the other tanks seem a bit full. One has 6 oscars, an ahli, jack dempsey, 2 plecos, and a dragon fish while the other has 2 oscars, 3 ahlis, 3 parrot fish, a red tail shark, a green terror, an eel looking thing, a rope fish, and 2 dragon fish. I know that sounds like alot but the 2nd tank has smaller fish.
Again, thanks for all the info.
As far as the water quality in the other tanks, when we first got the 75 gallon, we did have an issue with ammonia from overfeeding, but with water changes, it cleared up and no issues since. The water stays clear and I havent seen any sick or infected fish. The 2nd 75 gallon did stay a little cloudy from overfeeding but we cleared that up quick too, now it is clear and nothing has been sick. I didn't treat the water in either tank when they were set up and added fish within 2 days. Maybe I was just lucky with them.
You're doing great! Good morning...
Keep checking your water and do water changes as needed to get the levels back under control. I believe your cycle has been interupted and most likely you're starting over. You should be OK, but you will have to check your water parameters daily. Besides the salt, I wouldn't add anything more to your water (as long as your water is Chlorine free, which I assume it is). You most likely will experience some cloudiness from a bacterial bloom. Don't try to add a clarifier...again, test and do a water change if needed.
Your BF is going to get a work out
Good luck to you! Keep posting questions or results of what you find.
Keep checking your water and do water changes as needed to get the levels back under control. I believe your cycle has been interupted and most likely you're starting over. You should be OK, but you will have to check your water parameters daily. Besides the salt, I wouldn't add anything more to your water (as long as your water is Chlorine free, which I assume it is). You most likely will experience some cloudiness from a bacterial bloom. Don't try to add a clarifier...again, test and do a water change if needed.
Your BF is going to get a work out
Good luck to you! Keep posting questions or results of what you find.
