Hey guys!
I need some expertise. I have a 125g lightly planted tank with six bunches of hornwart (oxygenater) with a lightly sanded bottom, large piece of drift wood, connected to a 40g sump tank. In my sump, my water direction is right to left. Two filter socks, 30 pot scrubbies, a medium mesh bag of lava rock media, two heaters keep the temperature at 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and two coarse filter pads in the flow chambers. Flow rate is high enough to keep water turned two-three times an hour. A bubble wand sits on the back panel with man-made holes to accommodate the large aquarium.
I am stocked with four three-inch discus, five-inch red spotted silver dollar, four-inch Raphael catfish, and my extremely important and beloved motoro/black pearl hybrid sting ray, shes about six-seven inches long, five inches in diameter, five months old.
This is my problem: I'm REALLY struggling with ammonia. My parameters usually read Nitrates 0, Nitrites 0, Ammonia .25 - .50. Ph sits around 7.5. My tap water reads .50. I have never had this issue until I got my beloved string ray, Otter.
Maintenance: 50% water changes twice a week. Socks are changed bi-weekly. Filter pads are checked/changed/rinsed bi-weekly. Stress coat as a conditioner, I will be switching over to Vanish. I also add beneficial bacteria once a week.
Otter (and other fish) are fed a chum I conjured up of brine shrimp, red worms, tilapia, shrimp, and occasionally night crawlers, once a day to keep waste down and fed enough that everything is consumed within ten minutes to prevent over feeding. All of my fish, including Otter, seem to be very happy and unaffected by the ammonia levels. Otter will flutter up and down along the glass quite frequently, and eats like no ones watching. She is at a healthy weight, no protrusions or ribs are visible and her disc is his mint condition. The only time she hides under the sand is if someone moves too quickly near the tank, otherwise she is out looking for food.
Please please please, if anyone could help me, I will sincerely appreciate it. I am very open to and welcome to criticism, I want to attempt and succeed at righting this situation of mine. Very much thanks in advance.
I need some expertise. I have a 125g lightly planted tank with six bunches of hornwart (oxygenater) with a lightly sanded bottom, large piece of drift wood, connected to a 40g sump tank. In my sump, my water direction is right to left. Two filter socks, 30 pot scrubbies, a medium mesh bag of lava rock media, two heaters keep the temperature at 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and two coarse filter pads in the flow chambers. Flow rate is high enough to keep water turned two-three times an hour. A bubble wand sits on the back panel with man-made holes to accommodate the large aquarium.
I am stocked with four three-inch discus, five-inch red spotted silver dollar, four-inch Raphael catfish, and my extremely important and beloved motoro/black pearl hybrid sting ray, shes about six-seven inches long, five inches in diameter, five months old.
This is my problem: I'm REALLY struggling with ammonia. My parameters usually read Nitrates 0, Nitrites 0, Ammonia .25 - .50. Ph sits around 7.5. My tap water reads .50. I have never had this issue until I got my beloved string ray, Otter.
Maintenance: 50% water changes twice a week. Socks are changed bi-weekly. Filter pads are checked/changed/rinsed bi-weekly. Stress coat as a conditioner, I will be switching over to Vanish. I also add beneficial bacteria once a week.
Otter (and other fish) are fed a chum I conjured up of brine shrimp, red worms, tilapia, shrimp, and occasionally night crawlers, once a day to keep waste down and fed enough that everything is consumed within ten minutes to prevent over feeding. All of my fish, including Otter, seem to be very happy and unaffected by the ammonia levels. Otter will flutter up and down along the glass quite frequently, and eats like no ones watching. She is at a healthy weight, no protrusions or ribs are visible and her disc is his mint condition. The only time she hides under the sand is if someone moves too quickly near the tank, otherwise she is out looking for food.
Please please please, if anyone could help me, I will sincerely appreciate it. I am very open to and welcome to criticism, I want to attempt and succeed at righting this situation of mine. Very much thanks in advance.
