My Water Parameters are Bad

[yourockit]

The fish should be fine...the main thing you need is some more time. Your tap water may be causing you more problems than it's solving at this point. Your bio-load is not that huge that a PAIR of FX5's can't handle it. It will just take a bit of time.

Step back...take a deep breath and just wait. it'll be fine.

it's a relief to hear you say that, thanks.

 

[yourockit]

honestly i would just do normal light feedings and let this blow over. there is really nothing more you can do. when i first moved to OH from PA (w/ all my fish) i was forced to set up my 180 w/ no time to let it cycle. i experienced the same crappy water parameters and was very stressed out like you are, but just let it run it's course. things should be fine.

ok. i think so. thanks.

 

[Wolf3101]

One thing about the FX5 is that it flows so much water through it that things tend to happen quickly. Like I said never use those worthless blue/white polishing pads and fill the beasts up with ceramic rings or even scrubbies as an economy move...(they work great and also reduce the weight of the monster.)

 

[yourockit]

now that i have a gravel substrate i dont think i need to add more biorings. do you agree?

 

[_Sushi_]

Until that sub has time to start a colony, you may need a few more bio rings, remember, there's NOTHING there to kick start it yet. There's this stuff called colonize which would HELP your water situation, but isn't a quick fix. It's full of BB, and will help your tank catch up quicker. www.fosterandsmith.com sells it, and I'm sure its other places as well. I would look into that. It helps when adding fish, or you lose a fish, to boost the BB colonies and fight ammonia spikes. But, as wolf said, too much BB and it'll start dying off, and then you'll have a BIG problem!!

 

[yourockit]

Until that sub has time to start a colony, you may need a few more bio rings, remember, there's NOTHING there to kick start it yet. There's this stuff called colonize which would HELP your water situation, but isn't a quick fix. It's full of BB, and will help your tank catch up quicker. www.fosterandsmith.com sells it, and I'm sure its other places as well. I would look into that. It helps when adding fish, or you lose a fish, to boost the BB colonies and fight ammonia spikes. But, as wolf said, too much BB and it'll start dying off, and then you'll have a BIG problem!!

maybe i could tank some bio-rings out and put them in the substrate? but i did transplant rocks and live plants from my last tank so the sub. should be getting a jumpstart. my tank is very cloudy. looks like it it is cycling. which is weird because i really thought it would not need much baterial change in order to be normal. i def. did not expect this. i'm such a rookie. i feel really dumb sometimes. i hate that i made such a mistake.

 

[_Sushi_]

You'll be fine!! I used to change ALL my water, rinse my filter in hot water, and scrub my gravel until I found out that it wasn't such a good idea....thankfully I had goldfish, which are pretty resillient to any idiotic thing I could throw at them....they even survived the emergency water change when a bottle of pine-sol exploded and some got in their tank!!

 

[Wolf3101]

Moving the ceramic rings is counter productive. It dosn't really mater where they are...although they will work a lot faster in the canisters huge water flow. BB develops naturally. Give it time.

 

[yourockit]

You'll be fine!! I used to change ALL my water, rinse my filter in hot water, and scrub my gravel until I found out that it wasn't such a good idea....thankfully I had goldfish, which are pretty resillient to any idiotic thing I could throw at them....they even survived the emergency water change when a bottle of pine-sol exploded and some got in their tank!!

hs. ! will you be fish girl?

 

[yourockit]

ok. thanks. i'm happy to report that im doing another 15% or so water change as i write this. i am also happy to report tat my fishes are playing for the first time in their new tank. call their activity what you will. i call it playing.