Ultimatum !!! Help with tank !

[Aquanero]

How old is the test kit? Have you tried getting the water tested at the LFS? I think the tank isn't cycled. Transfer media from the 75 and see if that helps.

 

[Pataphysicist]

0 Nitrates on your 75 gallon too.....I don't ever see "0" nitrates on my tanks. I have a tank with drip system, and it reads close to "0", but it ain't 0.

Tell me if this makes sense. You got a bad batch of prime refill from you LFS. Not realizing it, you did a water change or two with tap water, but because the refill prime was bunk, the chlorine/chloramine in your tap water sterilized your bio-media, so you don't have any BB in either of your tanks.

The big tank is having much worse problems because there's much bigger fish in there. The smaller tank has smaller fish, less ammonia output, but still enough to show up on your test kit. You're probably doing weekly water changes on both tanks? The bigger tank is closer to overstocked, the "tight rope" concept applies, it's seeing worse effects form higher ammonia levels. The 75 is having the issue, too. It just isn't as hard on the fish because the bio-load of the fish is MUCH lower.

Well ive been using the same Refills on my tanks for over a year, and is not the first time my reading are like this. I lost a Motoro ray in 3 days from ammonia burn, she was so burn it was unreal, her entire under belly was blood red. What ive come to comprehend through all the replys which am thankful for btw is that . Everytime i do a water change, since i have no BB from killing it everytime i add new water in the tank, it keeps killing w/e small amount of BB its building. Is there anything i can do ? my water is coming out 2.5 PPM + ammonia straight from tap, its hard to treat that. Also, would the eyes of my fish go back to normal if system gets to normal ? I bought a bottle of seachem BB should i add it to the tank ?

 

[Pataphysicist]

Hello; So it is ammonia at 8.0. Now the health issues with the fish can be understood. In a cycled tank the beneficial bacteria ((bb) colonies use the ammonia in their metabolism and in that way remove it. Without going back several posts to see, I do not recall how long the problem tank has been running. At any rate in a cycled tank the population of bb should increase to use the levels of ammonia present and eventually find a dynamic balance. If the tank is running for months then the balance should be had unless some significant change has occured. Have you added a lot of fish lately or made some other change such as in feeding? Can anything that would kill off bacteria been added to the tank?

It also seems that you have a different tank that is running with no ammonia issues. Is this correct?
There should be plenty of beneficial bacteria in that tank and you should be able to transfer some bb from it into the troubled tank. This raises a question. The second tank is likely using the same source water for water changes with no problems. Is this correct? Two tanks using the same change water and only one having the issues.

I also seem to recall you posting that you have not done much to the biomedia in a while. If the issue cannot be found in the tank, another place to look is in the filter system.

My first impression seeing the picures of the tank was a lot of fish mass for the size tank. I also think you said that you fed generously. I think of such a tank as a tightrope tank, it does not take too much to throw things out of balance. A dead fish somewhere unseen. Something in the filter. I have found critters in my tanks and filters, usually bugs. They get into the water and die.

One last thing comes to mind. Could someone have put something in the tank? I have known of such things being done.

Sorry for the troubles with the fish. I fear that the high ammonia has already done damage.

Good luck

My bio filtration is clean thou , i opened my eheim 2262 packed with bio last month and everything was clean, did a small rinse with tank water and thats all. And yes i do the exact same thing on my 75 and no problems there. My grow outs eat like crazy and growing fast .

 

[skjl47]

0 Nitrates on your 75 gallon too.....I don't ever see "0" nitrates on my tanks. I have a tank with drip system, and it reads close to "0", but it ain't 0.

Tell me if this makes sense. You got a bad batch of prime refill from you LFS. Not realizing it, you did a water change or two with tap water, but because the refill prime was bunk, the chlorine/chloramine in your tap water sterilized your bio-media, so you don't have any BB in either of your tanks.

The big tank is having much worse problems because there's much bigger fish in there. The smaller tank has smaller fish, less ammonia output, but still enough to show up on your test kit. You're probably doing weekly water changes on both tanks? The bigger tank is closer to overstocked, the "tight rope" concept applies, it's seeing worse effects form higher ammonia levels. The 75 is having the issue, too. It just isn't as hard on the fish because the bio-load of the fish is MUCH lower.

Hello; I like this as it makes sense. It is also very plauseable.

 

[ragin_cajun]

If you ask SeaChem, they'll tell you exactly how much to dose for a certain level of ammonia.

So, if your tap water measure 2.5 ppm, there is an amount of prime to add that will neutralize that concentration of ammonia in 250 gallons of water. Dose your tap water with that amount of prime, you'll be good.

The other problem is you might have to cycle a tank with fish in it. So, I'd definitely use Seachem Stability. And Prime anytime you do a water change. Seachem Prime. Unopened, unadulterated, from the factory Seachem Prime.

 

[skjl47]

Well ive been using the same Refills on my tanks for over a year, and is not the first time my reading are like this. I lost a Motoro ray in 3 days from ammonia burn, she was so burn it was unreal, her entire under belly was blood red. What ive come to comprehend through all the replys which am thankful for btw is that . Everytime i do a water change, since i have no BB from killing it everytime i add new water in the tank, it keeps killing w/e small amount of BB its building. Is there anything i can do ? my water is coming out 2.5 PPM + ammonia straight from tap, its hard to treat that. Also, would the eyes of my fish go back to normal if system gets to normal ? I bought a bottle of seachem BB should i add it to the tank ?

Hello; I fear they will be blind for good and may have other issues from the long term exposure to ammonia.

No comment on the seachem BB as i have never used it.

Here are some ideas off the top of my head. 1. Get a water report from your water company. 2. Get one of the ammonia alert devices as suggested in one of the posts. 3. consider getting a new water test kit and/or review the proceedures you use with the kit. One of the biggest lessions I learned from biology labs is being sure proceedures are correct. No cross contamination or some such. 4. Do not add any fish to your tanks untill you have a handle on what is going on.
5. Check into the availability of another water source if it is practical. 6. Go to a lighter feeding schedule as excess uneaten food can add to water quality issues.

 

[RD.]

Yep, sounds like your tank has crashed from die off of bio bacteria - nitrates are always present, in your tank after a week of feeding they should be at least 40 ppm, probably a lot higher, so even after a large water change they won't ever be zero.

As far as your ammonia reading after using Prime, your are getting a "false positive", due to the water testing kit that you are using. Please read the following:

http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Prime.html


Which is precisely why I suggested buying a $10 Seachem Ammonia Alert, and placing it in your tank.

 

[Pataphysicist]

Hello; I fear they will be blind for good and may have other issues from the long term exposure to ammonia.

No comment on the seachem BB as i have never used it.

Here are some ideas off the top of my head. 1. Get a water report from your water company. 2. Get one of the ammonia alert devices as suggested in one of the posts. 3. consider getting a new water test kit and/or review the proceedures you use with the kit. One of the biggest lessions I learned from biology labs is being sure proceedures are correct. No cross contamination or some such. 4. Do not add any fish to your tanks untill you have a handle on what is going on.
5. Check into the availability of another water source if it is practical. 6. Go to a lighter feeding schedule as excess uneaten food can add to water quality issues.

I just removed the 3 x Large 18" Bass off the tank, they're currently in my quarantine tank. This way the main tank BB doesn't have to work so hard reestablishing. Added a full 220 G dosage of new prime and added a dosage of 220 G Seachem BB. Lets see how this goes. Also i really am the definition of underfeeding . I literally feed them 1 by 1. Gars get 3 x Chunks of tilapia each, Arowana eats 2 . Clown knife eats 10 x Massivore pellets and 2 x Tilapia Chunks and Endli eats 1-2 Tilapia chunks. Thats it, and thats only 3 x times a week. I will purchase Seachem ammonia alert tomorrowx for sure

 

[Pataphysicist]

Yep, sounds like your tank has crashed from die off of bio bacteria - nitrates are always present, in your tank after a week of feeding they should be at least 40 ppm, probably a lot higher, so even after a large water change they won't ever be zero.

As far as your ammonia reading after using Prime, your are getting a "false positive", due to the water testing kit that you are using. Please read the following:

http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Prime.html


Which is precisely why I suggested buying a $10 Seachem Ammonia Alert, and placing it in your tank.

Now that my tank has crashed what do u suggest for me to do, without removing my fish from the tank and causing no more harm to them. Lmk plz

 

[Aquanero]

I'll say it again he tank is not cycled. Use some media from the 75 to seed the tank. Do smaller, frequent water changes. Reduce feeding, dose with the new prime/safe.

You could also filter the water through a mesh bag with some peat moss in it to lower the pH. Ammonia is less toxic at lower pH levels. Small 25% water changes and a cup of aquarium salt to the tank replacing a quarter cup with each 25% change. Add zeolite (ammo chips) in bag to the filter this will absorb ammonia the cycle will take a little but your fish will survive.

Ammonia is also less toxic at lower temperatures.