I measured my tank parameters yesterday and found some horrendous readings so decided to try what I could as gently as I could.
The tank is a 350l with a sixteen inch Leiarius cat, synodontis decorus and small plecs. There are two internal filters (fluval 4 plus and fluval 2 plus with foam and ceramic media respectively), plus two externals (fluval 4 and an equivalent, both filled with foam and a lot of ceramic media). There is a 1000 lph powerhead with air forced into the verturii with an airpump.
Temperature is 24 deg C. Decor is mopani wood and pea gravel one to two inches deep.
I'm using a aquarium pharma liquid test kit, not to plug it but I trust the readings due to use on tapwater and the other freshwater tanks (nine of 'em).
Readings yeaterday were ammonia 4 - 8 mg/L, nitrite zero, nitrate 20 mg/L, pH 6.0 or below (lowest test kit range) and KH was not measureable on the low end (1 drop to yellow end point). My tap water yesterday was zero for ammonia and nitrite plus 3 mg/L nitrate, pH 7.0 (buffered by water company). Also no measureable KH.
I have been playing with the 50L barrels at tank temp under areation and have found that a bag of coral gravel took the pH to 6.8 and 2dKH over a few days.
Knowing that a pH rise will with small water changes and added CaCo3 will certainly the fish at those readings I decided to go for broke and did an 80% water change with dechlorinated tapwater at pH 7.0 and no KH as it is from the tap. This was to get the ammonia down as far as possible (1 mg/L or less).
I did not disturb the filters apart from one external as they were producing a resonable flow rate and the bacteria (if there are any) would have enough of a pH shock as it was.
I took a media basket out of the fluval and moved the ceramic to another basket before filling it with coral gavel and aragonite sand in a bag. That's one of three baskets and I left the six sponges alone. There was not much evidence of bacterial colonies in that filter (slimy gunge is the good stuff). Suspect low pH has killed them off hence the ammonia being death on a stick high and no nitrite. Something in terms of nitrification must be happening because there was a moderatly high nitrate reading (20ppm) over the tap water (3ppm).
I'm going to have to watch this tank's water chemistry like a hawk. Daily checks, maybe twice per day.
Tested this am and found ammonia at 0.5 - 1.0 mg/L, nitrite 0.25 mg/L, nitrate 5 - 10 mg/L, pH 6.8 and KH 1 degree.
I'll have to change at least 50% again today to get the ammonia and nitrite down some more and keep doing this until there are some viable bacteria there. I am the filter! In can now change water with not too much disturbance to the fish right up one end of the tank (me).
When I did the 80% change I used a python to really hoover the gravel and an awful lot of mulm came out. That alone will not help the conditions.
Am not feeding for a day or two and after that only very lightly, depending on the water.
Aiming at pH 6.5 - 6.8, 3dKH.
There is massive aeration in the tank. Will add filter sponges from other tanks to help seed this tanks filters when parameters (pH) are similar.
I think that half of my problem is that my tank maintenance slipped for a few months (gravel hoovering) and I need a larger tank (pond) for this animal.
I think the pH drop killed off the filter bacteria. I've been trying since Christmas to put it right but unless I sort the water chemistry no end of water chnges will help, it will just build right back up again (ammonia).
There's a lesson to me. If, I'm not careful, I'm going to loose fish and I really hate that as it means I'm a **** fishkeeper.
Most of the help came from this thread, so thanks, you might be saving fish lives and you have made a difference to me!
I'll be using the CaCO3 idea in water changes when I can get the ammonia and nitrite under control. I have a barrel ready at pH 7.5 and 5dKH so I might use some of that today on this change along with filter squeezings for the baby oscar tank as the pH and KH should(!) be not too far apart.
Any constructive critisism will be welcomed!
This is worse than me flipping reef tank!
Best Regards,
Soggy
Have to do the reef tank first as there is new salt water in two of me barrels mixing since after cat tank water change...
The tank is a 350l with a sixteen inch Leiarius cat, synodontis decorus and small plecs. There are two internal filters (fluval 4 plus and fluval 2 plus with foam and ceramic media respectively), plus two externals (fluval 4 and an equivalent, both filled with foam and a lot of ceramic media). There is a 1000 lph powerhead with air forced into the verturii with an airpump.
Temperature is 24 deg C. Decor is mopani wood and pea gravel one to two inches deep.
I'm using a aquarium pharma liquid test kit, not to plug it but I trust the readings due to use on tapwater and the other freshwater tanks (nine of 'em).
Readings yeaterday were ammonia 4 - 8 mg/L, nitrite zero, nitrate 20 mg/L, pH 6.0 or below (lowest test kit range) and KH was not measureable on the low end (1 drop to yellow end point). My tap water yesterday was zero for ammonia and nitrite plus 3 mg/L nitrate, pH 7.0 (buffered by water company). Also no measureable KH.
I have been playing with the 50L barrels at tank temp under areation and have found that a bag of coral gravel took the pH to 6.8 and 2dKH over a few days.
Knowing that a pH rise will with small water changes and added CaCo3 will certainly the fish at those readings I decided to go for broke and did an 80% water change with dechlorinated tapwater at pH 7.0 and no KH as it is from the tap. This was to get the ammonia down as far as possible (1 mg/L or less).
I did not disturb the filters apart from one external as they were producing a resonable flow rate and the bacteria (if there are any) would have enough of a pH shock as it was.
I took a media basket out of the fluval and moved the ceramic to another basket before filling it with coral gavel and aragonite sand in a bag. That's one of three baskets and I left the six sponges alone. There was not much evidence of bacterial colonies in that filter (slimy gunge is the good stuff). Suspect low pH has killed them off hence the ammonia being death on a stick high and no nitrite. Something in terms of nitrification must be happening because there was a moderatly high nitrate reading (20ppm) over the tap water (3ppm).
I'm going to have to watch this tank's water chemistry like a hawk. Daily checks, maybe twice per day.
Tested this am and found ammonia at 0.5 - 1.0 mg/L, nitrite 0.25 mg/L, nitrate 5 - 10 mg/L, pH 6.8 and KH 1 degree.
I'll have to change at least 50% again today to get the ammonia and nitrite down some more and keep doing this until there are some viable bacteria there. I am the filter! In can now change water with not too much disturbance to the fish right up one end of the tank (me).
When I did the 80% change I used a python to really hoover the gravel and an awful lot of mulm came out. That alone will not help the conditions.
Am not feeding for a day or two and after that only very lightly, depending on the water.
Aiming at pH 6.5 - 6.8, 3dKH.
There is massive aeration in the tank. Will add filter sponges from other tanks to help seed this tanks filters when parameters (pH) are similar.
I think that half of my problem is that my tank maintenance slipped for a few months (gravel hoovering) and I need a larger tank (pond) for this animal.
I think the pH drop killed off the filter bacteria. I've been trying since Christmas to put it right but unless I sort the water chemistry no end of water chnges will help, it will just build right back up again (ammonia).
There's a lesson to me. If, I'm not careful, I'm going to loose fish and I really hate that as it means I'm a **** fishkeeper.
Most of the help came from this thread, so thanks, you might be saving fish lives and you have made a difference to me!
I'll be using the CaCO3 idea in water changes when I can get the ammonia and nitrite under control. I have a barrel ready at pH 7.5 and 5dKH so I might use some of that today on this change along with filter squeezings for the baby oscar tank as the pH and KH should(!) be not too far apart.
Any constructive critisism will be welcomed!
This is worse than me flipping reef tank!
Best Regards,
Soggy
Have to do the reef tank first as there is new salt water in two of me barrels mixing since after cat tank water change...
