Old Tank Syndrome?

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Longimanus

Longimanus

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 19, 2009
405
19
48
BC, Canada
Specs: 55 gallon tank
2 x Rena XP3 canister filters
Planted with java fern and anubias
around 80 degrees
PH 5.5
ammonia .25

Stock:
Green Severum - not full grown 4-5"
2 x Firemouth - not full grown 2.5" and 3.5"
Black Ghost Knife - 6-7"
Turbo Algae eater (Croso something) 3"
3 x Bristlenose plecos
L200

So my ph has gone down to 5.5 and I do have some ammonia. I usually do water changes every week, around 40-50%, but I admit I have left it longer, two weeks at times.

Does this sound like a case of slipping on the maintenance, or overstocking? Or both?
 
the ghost knife is going to outgrow that tank. I would say overstocking. I'd lose either the firemouths or the sevs and the knife and you should be good stocking wise.
 
Yes I know he will. I also tend to overfeed so the knife will have food when the lights go out. I love having him but will rehome if that is the best thing to do.
 
that's quite heavy stocking, logically either the filters can't cope with the bioload, or you perhaps have rotting materials such as food in the tank causing a spike.

Can you check your other parameters? Sometimes test kits give unreliable results
 
The plus side is that ammonia is less toxic at that low of ph. The low ph may be causing your benificial bacteria to stall out causing the ammonia to creep up. Lots of small water changes would be better than any large drastic changes or you may have a new tank type of cycle happen
 
How often do you clean your canister? Doing WC weekly but not cleaning gunk out of the canister can lower the pH due to excessive CO2 production. The phenomenon is similar to old day undergravel filter that over time, without cleaning, the pH will be depressed.
 
I agree with monkeybite, because your tank is so overstocked (for its size), you should be doing many more water changes, instead of slacking off.
You don't say what the pH and alkalinity of your tap water is? Alkalinity buffers fish urine, and maybe your tap water is low.
But if your tap is comes out at pH 7 and alkalinity is in the 100ppm range, and tank is 5.5, it means your BB are not keeping up with the urine the fish are producing, the tank is acidifying and and the fish are swimming in piss instead of high quality water. I also suspect because you are using canister filters, it has been quite a long time since they have been cleaned, which adds to the acidification, especially if you overfeed.
In order to bring your tank back to equilibrium, you should do daily 20% water changes, until your tank and tap water match in ph .
You can check alkalinity and pH of tap water by calling your water provider and asking, of going on their web site, and clicking on their water quality report.
 
Yeah, like said, 40-50% WCs 'about' every week is not enough for this stocking level. I'd do 25% WCs every day for a week, then continue with a fin-level weekly or more. Also like said, much of your stocking needs a larger tank. Severums get big and thick as well. My severum (Porkchop) is a heck of a porkchop. lol.
 
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Where in BC are you located? The coastal areas (Van, the island, etc) are very low in alkalinity, and in some areas completely void of any mineral content. Now factor in what Duane posted and I think that you have your answer. Adding crusher oyster shell and/or crushed coral in media bags to your filters can help in this regards. Just replenish when required.
 
Thanks very much everyone. I think you have all given great advice. My canisters we're recently cleaned two weeks ago.
I usually clean them every couple of months.

I am going to rehome the ghost knife, and likely the severum. I will do small water changes daily as well as add crushed coral.

I really appreciate the advice.
I will check my pH of the tap water out of the tap.

Oh and I am in Pitt Meadows, near Vancouver.
 
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