Not sure if this is in the right place but...Ok my problem. I have my 90 gallon holding tank that I have fish in until my 180 gallon cycles. BUT my 90 gallon ammonia is and has always been a problem. My problem is the fish came from a guy that was abusing them very badly and I ended up taking them but I took them to early and now my 90 ammonia is at 2.0!! I have been doing daily water changes of 50% and the ammonia problem isn't going away. Im scared to loose these fish and I need to get this under control. Its starting to scare me and getting very frustrating having to do 50% water changes everyday. I just want my tank to be healthy and this is a never ending battle. The fish have been in my 90 for about 2 weeks now. Up until yesterday I have been able to keep the ammonia level at about .50 which I know is not good but sure better than 1.0-2.0. Why is my filters not cycling and keeping up? I have a rena filstar xp3 and an aquaclear 110 running and nothing has been able to fix the problem. I have been adding some big als bio liquid but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. Sorry for the novel but I need help asap and my fish would appreciate it.
NEED HELP!!!!
- Thread starter Garlover
- Start date
got any friends that could give you a couple big scoops of gravel from a well established tank, or even used filter media? But it seems to me either you 90 is extremely overstocked or was never cycled.
Yeah I have had a hard time this last couple weeks. I have had so much false info. I live in a very small town and when I say small almost non existent. The guy I got my canister filter from told me it was good to go so why wouldn't I believe him. I had the 90 setup for about a month with 15 feeder gold fish and the ammonia never went away. So I drove to the big als that was closest to me.(which is 3 hrs) And got my canister figured out. I also bought the aquaclear thinking that more filtration is better then not enough.
The guy the fish came from was just going to let them die and throw them out if I didn't get them asap so me being a person that didn't want to see any fish die took them and hoped I could do something until the big tank was good. So now I have to many fish in my 90 that is having a bad ammonia problem. The tank has never cycled and I had to throw these fish in so there was a huge bio load and now I can't control it and I don't have any friends that have tanks big enough for me to put these fish in. I know my tank is way overstocked. I just thought over stocking would be better than letting them die and be thrown in the garbage. I have six fish. One 3 inch raphael cat, 10 inch spotted gar, 5 inch pictus cat, 7 inch pleco, and a 12 inch albino channel cat. I realize that is way to much for the tank but I was hoping I could get away with it until my other tank is good to go.
The 180 gallon is waiting on the filters to show up which should be here sometime next week. I need to know if theres something I can do to fix this problem. I really appreciate everyones help and I know there is some super knowledgeable people that might have some solutions
The guy the fish came from was just going to let them die and throw them out if I didn't get them asap so me being a person that didn't want to see any fish die took them and hoped I could do something until the big tank was good. So now I have to many fish in my 90 that is having a bad ammonia problem. The tank has never cycled and I had to throw these fish in so there was a huge bio load and now I can't control it and I don't have any friends that have tanks big enough for me to put these fish in. I know my tank is way overstocked. I just thought over stocking would be better than letting them die and be thrown in the garbage. I have six fish. One 3 inch raphael cat, 10 inch spotted gar, 5 inch pictus cat, 7 inch pleco, and a 12 inch albino channel cat. I realize that is way to much for the tank but I was hoping I could get away with it until my other tank is good to go.
The 180 gallon is waiting on the filters to show up which should be here sometime next week. I need to know if theres something I can do to fix this problem. I really appreciate everyones help and I know there is some super knowledgeable people that might have some solutions
best soultion is find somebody close who has dirty sponge filters, or dirty filter pads. you are gonna run into the same problem on the 180. if you buy the liquid bennificial bacteria, you just syphon it out with a 50% water change.
Liquid BB does work, just not the best if you just add it to your tank. I have had great success adding it to the filter media directly, and soaking sponges with it and floating them. Its not an immediate cycle, but I have always gotten a huge bacteria bloom in 2 days and its clear within a week. Also be sure that you are dechlorinating your water before adding!
Do a 50% water change, add another filter if you have it. Add some Amquel or ammolock. That will make the ammonia not as harmful. Stop feeding the fish. Add an airstone as well- if you have surface agitation (splashing) that will help with the gas exchange.
50% water changes daily with Prime or Amquel plus. Problem solved.
You will still get an ammonia reading from a test kit but it is a false reading. The ammonia is neutralized into ammonium.
You will still get an ammonia reading from a test kit but it is a false reading. The ammonia is neutralized into ammonium.
