Back in October I set up my 100 lt tank to grow out my dwarf pike cichlid .I had a cheap hob filter which I took some seeded media from another filter and within 7 days the tank was cycled. On the 25 th November the hob filter stopped working I put a sponge filter from another tank in to my 100 lt tank and put the seeded media from the hob filter into media bags and placed them in front of the sponge filter to get some flow on them it took me 2 days to get another filter managed to get a fluval 207 on the 27 th November since the tank seems to be cycling with ammonia hovering around 1.0ppm mark nitrite 0.25 ppm and nitrate 160 ppm some times lower some times bit higher I am using prime to keep the dwarf pike healthy the readings above were taken today I did a 50% water change yesterday is my tank now going through a full cycle did remove some dead crypts that just melted to nothing .
seems like no end to this
- Thread starter bathawk
- Start date
The fact that you are producing nitrate indicates that the cycle is at least functioning. That amount of nitrate seems high to me.
The fact that you are still able to read an amount of ammonia means either the amount of biological activity is not enough or you have something in your aquarium that is actively producing ammonia.
I would suggest you continue water changes and binding the ammonia.
I would also cut back on feeding.
What is you replacement water like?
Does it test for nitrate or ammonia?
The fact that you are still able to read an amount of ammonia means either the amount of biological activity is not enough or you have something in your aquarium that is actively producing ammonia.
I would suggest you continue water changes and binding the ammonia.
I would also cut back on feeding.
What is you replacement water like?
Does it test for nitrate or ammonia?
I would like to add rinsing the test vials in regular tap water over time will give inaccurate readings. I personally rinse out testing vials with distilled water. Agree what
BIG-G
has stated.
BIG-G
has stated.the water change before saturday was wednesday did a 25% water change I will clean the vials with distilled water
Ok did a 30% water change on 28/12/19 tested water on 29th readings were ammonia 0.25 ppm nitrite 0.25 ppm nitrate 80 ppm
today tested ammonia 0.00ppm nitrite 0.00 ppm nitrate 5.0 ppm so hopefully the cycle is now done it is now 4 weeks since the filter crash
the thing that has got me thinking is what has observed the nitrate I do have java fern and crypts in the tank but I wouldn't say they have established themselves yet but the nitrate has gone down without a water change my other tanks have almost 0ppm nitrate but they are very heavily planted.
today tested ammonia 0.00ppm nitrite 0.00 ppm nitrate 5.0 ppm so hopefully the cycle is now done it is now 4 weeks since the filter crash
the thing that has got me thinking is what has observed the nitrate I do have java fern and crypts in the tank but I wouldn't say they have established themselves yet but the nitrate has gone down without a water change my other tanks have almost 0ppm nitrate but they are very heavily planted.
No amount of plants will use that much nitrate in a couple days. Based off your other thread results tests are/were compromised. You need either new test kits, or take more care while testing, or maybe best see if an lfs will test the water for you.
One thing about Crypts, just because they melt doesn't mean they are dead.
They are very sensitive to minor changes, and the foliage will die back, but the root systems remain alive , and can adapt to the changes.
It can be something as simple as a water change, or a drop in temp, (or not). This natural melting allows the plant itself to live on, during change of seasons, or weather events, so just because they melt don't toss them, just give time to adjust and grow back.
They will often get used to regular changes.
When I'd do every other day water changes,I'd take my sumps (heavily crypt planted) to only a few inches of water, like the sump below during a water change. Normally I run sumps almost full.
The Crypts melted down a few times, but then got used to the regular changes.
below a shot of the planted sump, full.
They are very sensitive to minor changes, and the foliage will die back, but the root systems remain alive , and can adapt to the changes.
It can be something as simple as a water change, or a drop in temp, (or not). This natural melting allows the plant itself to live on, during change of seasons, or weather events, so just because they melt don't toss them, just give time to adjust and grow back.
They will often get used to regular changes.
When I'd do every other day water changes,I'd take my sumps (heavily crypt planted) to only a few inches of water, like the sump below during a water change. Normally I run sumps almost full.
The Crypts melted down a few times, but then got used to the regular changes.
below a shot of the planted sump, full.
