Not happy with my filtration, options?

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Heathd

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 9, 2010
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Dallas, Texas
I have a 75 gallon aquarium set up for cichlids, with 9 various breeds all around 2 inches in length, and its heavily planted. My ammonia levels climb so rapidly that I find myself doing to 40 % water changes a week :irked:. The tank itself is about 3 weeks old from when i set it up. I dont know if its because I am experiencing new tank syndrom, or if my emperor 400 isnt cutting it. Im not over feeding because the fish normally eat everything i put in there in about 4-5 minutes.

Should I pick up another one? Wait it out for another two weeks and see if things level out?
 
I would say first your tank probably isn't cycled yet, and i would add another 400 or some other filter.. I like to way over filter my tanks.. Also i don't think 40% water change is that bad, i do 50+ per week
 
I would get a canister filter. Like a xp3 or something but def not a fluval! (unless its FX5) That way you could load down a couple of the baskets with ammonia chips. Until your tank is really cycled anyway.
 
What you really need is a good understanding of how the nitrogen cycle works within your aquarium. No added filtration will fix your problem of having an uncycled tank and I find it sad that so many are giving such advise:duh: Keep up on water changes(daily 50%) and cut back on feeding. You'll see improvement in 2-3 weeks.

There is also bottled bacteria, that you can add to help speed up the process.
 
Bderick67;3972152; said:
What you really need is a good understanding of how the nitrogen cycle works within your aquarium. No added filtration will fix your problem of having an uncycled tank and I find it sad that so many are giving such advise:duh: Keep up on water changes(daily 50%) and cut back on feeding. You'll see improvement in 2-3 weeks.

There is also bottled bacteria, that you can add to help speed up the process.
Click to expand...
Yea i have been the stability stuff that is supposed to help cycle and reduce new tank break in.
 
i agree with bderick67,
Your tank is not cycled that's why your ammonia keeps creeping up.
Daily water changes and feed sparingly. Add the stability after each water change.
 
Bderick67;3972152; said:
What you really need is a good understanding of how the nitrogen cycle works within your aquarium. No added filtration will fix your problem of having an uncycled tank and I find it sad that so many are giving such advise:duh: Keep up on water changes(daily 50%) and cut back on feeding. You'll see improvement in 2-3 weeks.

There is also bottled bacteria, that you can add to help speed up the process.
Click to expand...
X2

As for the bottled bacteria my best experience has been with "Stability" from Seachem.

Another good alternative is to borrow some cycled media from a matured tank. And read the sticky about cycling.
 
1. Make sure you're using DECHLORINATED water for water changes. Seachem prime is by far the best.
2. Make sure you're NOT cleaning the bio-wheels on your emperor. At all.
3. Make sure you're NOT cleaning ANYTHING in tapwater, unless you know your tapwater has no chlorine or chloramine in it.
4. Feed extremely minimally, as much as your fish will eat in 20 seconds every other day.
5. If you have a tank that's been established for more than a month, take some media from its filter or take some substrate from it and add it to your tank or filter.
6. If you can't do 5, get some seachem stability or other bacteria-in-a-bottle and pour it in your tank.
7. If the emperor is your only filter, definitely add on a canister. Note that this probably won't affect your nitrogen cycle, and is only because the emperor won't provide sufficient flow and mechanical filtration for your tank.
 
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