Hello MFK community, I'm having a slight problem getting my 75 Gal setup right with my Oscar who is about 6-7 inches now. I had to do an emergency move of homes, and didn't have time to setup his new tank with it being all the way cycled. Currently, I'm showing signs of ammonia problems. My oscar paces back and forth all day, and he eats about every other day (5-6 big pellets). I need some advice on how I can get this ammonia under control until the tank cycles fully. Luckily I moved all of his gravel un touched into the tank, so that has some of his old bacteria, as well as some old filter pads. But, ammonia is still a big issue for me right now.
Oscar In New 75 Gal Ammonia Problems HELP!
- Thread starter Thaaliaa
- Start date
Rob, big water changes and often until you see nothing but nitrates.
Alright thats what I've been expecting to hear. I did a 50% change around 12 hours ago. Should I do smaller ones daily like 20-25%?
Your test kit will tell you how much and how often, but I wouldn't do any less than 25% daily. You might be able to get away with a 50% WC every other day, but you'll want to feed very lightly in the meantime.
Alright I'll do 25-30% daily. So is there a good chance my oscar will make it through this cycle if I keep up with my water changes daily? I'm just glad he doesnt sit in one place for a long period of time. He looks fine exterior wise as well, he doesnt seem to have any gill problems I.E. gasping for air etc. I have two hang on the back filters that are both rated for 400GPH if I recall.
Alright thank you so much for your help. I'll keep this thread updated over the next few days/weeks to let you know how its going.
Not uncommon for an oscar to not eat for a week or two after a stressful situation like a move, etc. They are total drama queens. If he's active with bright eyes and good color, all is well. Just give him/her more time. I've had mine lay on the bottom, flopped over on his side all pathetic like.