Question about New Canister & Parameters

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
SumoNinja

SumoNinja

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jun 9, 2007
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I'm Where I'm At
I have a 120g tank and had one Jebo 828 canister filter on it. I bought a used Jebo 828 and bought new biomax, carbon bag and amonia reducer bag. I boiled the bioballs that came with the used Jebo and added some scrub pads to each level.

I did a 50% water change and added the second Jebo,........... less than a week later, I tested my parameters and amonia, nitrite and nitrate was high. Ph was 6.0.

My question is, was it the new material in the 2nd Jebo that caused the spikes in my params??? I know that new tank setups will have high levels but is that the same for a new filter or a used filter with new media???

Any advice or input is greatly appreciated!! Thanks! BTW, my tank is slightly overstocked but I used to have more fish in there with only the one Jebo and the params were better. I'd think the added Jebo doubled the filtration would improve params but I'm obviously missing something else,............
 
The bb will only grow to the load on the tank. You may have starved some of the bb in the old filter so some may have died off while the new filter is seeding and becoming established. You said your levels were high but you didn't say what they were. That would help.
 
I'm not at home and don't remember the numbers but if you've seen those cards that come with the API test kits, the ammonia was in the middle, the nitrite was in the middle and the nitrate was like way on the very bad side (second to the last bar)
 
You need to do a big water change and keep both filter running. You should be back to normal in a couple of days.
 
Yes that will help. Then test again and again after 24 hrs. From that you should be able to tell where you are. If you get the ammonia down to 0 and the nitrites are still up, you are almost there.
 
thanks ziggy, I'll do that first thing tomorrow morning,.............. if it does show the amonia at 0, when should the nitrite and nitrate drop??
 
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