OK What Am I Doing Wrong?
- Thread starter kll1221
- Start date
wow now I am confused yet again. I tested my water again the ammonia was the same there were more nitrAtes this time and now there are nitrItes to. The lady at PetsMart (or shoulod I say PetsNotsoSmart) told me to clean my whole filter out, all the carbon replace with new and the pads to replace with new. I said that would eliminate all the bacteria that is suppose to be there and she looked at me like I was crazy and didn't know what I was talking about. So I left and did not buy any new filter pads. I haven't touched the filter except to take the zeolite out the other day. So was she right or am I closer to being right? I told her if anything I thought you were suppose to rinse the sponge in old tank water urgh.
What do I do now? My fish all seem happy they are swimming around normal. I have cut my feeding size down I feel like I am starving the fish. I have always just fed once a day in the am the flake food and at night I put a few sinking shrimp pellets for the cories after lights go out. The fish eat all the food too. Should I start feeding every other day? Oh they told me to wait another week before a water change to and to only do a 25% one. I am waiting to here from you guys before I do anything.
twoluvcats I did a 25% change last week
What do I do now? My fish all seem happy they are swimming around normal. I have cut my feeding size down I feel like I am starving the fish. I have always just fed once a day in the am the flake food and at night I put a few sinking shrimp pellets for the cories after lights go out. The fish eat all the food too. Should I start feeding every other day? Oh they told me to wait another week before a water change to and to only do a 25% one. I am waiting to here from you guys before I do anything.
twoluvcats I did a 25% change last week
not to start a debate on the usefulness of carbon....but.....
Maybe try this: take out the carbon, as who knows?? it could have absorbed some of the zeolite's "special powers" and could be making your ammonia reading wacky.
As long as you have floss in there that had ANY bit of precious bacteria on it...you want to keep that in there. (I like the Petnotsosmart...your'e right on there with THAT kind of advise
Kepp on doing small water changes...like 10% a couple times a week with fresh dechlorinated water and keep reading your stats. If the nitrite is showing up then for some reason cycling is taking a while, but nitrates are GOOD to see at this point!
I really wish you luck and you should be commended for your patience in trying to do things the right way. *thumbsup2
EDIT oh also, those shrimp pellets fouled up my water when I tried using them, creating extra bioload that you probably don't need right now. My cories clean up all the flakes they can find and really seem to like them. Wonder if it would be a good idea to not use the shrimp pellets right now? Or if you do, just one teeny tiny small one. You're fish will always look hungry, trust me, (the little buggers!) Once a day with flakes should be fine until the cycle is completed, then if you feel you need to feed them more then you could gradually start giving them more, although they really won't need it.
HTH!!!
Maybe try this: take out the carbon, as who knows?? it could have absorbed some of the zeolite's "special powers" and could be making your ammonia reading wacky.
As long as you have floss in there that had ANY bit of precious bacteria on it...you want to keep that in there. (I like the Petnotsosmart...your'e right on there with THAT kind of advise
Kepp on doing small water changes...like 10% a couple times a week with fresh dechlorinated water and keep reading your stats. If the nitrite is showing up then for some reason cycling is taking a while, but nitrates are GOOD to see at this point!
I really wish you luck and you should be commended for your patience in trying to do things the right way. *thumbsup2
EDIT oh also, those shrimp pellets fouled up my water when I tried using them, creating extra bioload that you probably don't need right now. My cories clean up all the flakes they can find and really seem to like them. Wonder if it would be a good idea to not use the shrimp pellets right now? Or if you do, just one teeny tiny small one. You're fish will always look hungry, trust me, (the little buggers!) Once a day with flakes should be fine until the cycle is completed, then if you feel you need to feed them more then you could gradually start giving them more, although they really won't need it.
HTH!!!
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Of course you can! What kind of a filter does your 10 have on it? If it has a HOB you can take "squeezings" from the filter pad and squeeze that onto your filter (which will transfer some bacteria over, even if it clouds your 55 a little). If you have a UGF you can take some of the gravel and add it to the filter bad (if its the kind you can put something inside of) or you can get something like a nylon and make a little 'baggy' of gravel and put it into your filter. This also transfers some bacteria to your filter.
I can't believe people who have no idea what they're talking about try to give advice like that. I dont use carbon in my filters generally speaking...unless you're specifically using it to get meds out of the water or working on a problem and planning on taking it out after a week or few days or whatever. Like Kelly said if you have something in the filter besides the carbon, try taking the carbon out. If you have the type of filter I have...the filter cartridge is like a 'baggy' that you pour the carbon into, I found that its really easy to put the cartridge in a bucket of water (dechlorinated or old tank water) and dump it upside down and shake it. Being underwater helps those carbon particles come loose.
How many ottos do you have? Have they taken care of your brown algae before?
I can't believe people who have no idea what they're talking about try to give advice like that. I dont use carbon in my filters generally speaking...unless you're specifically using it to get meds out of the water or working on a problem and planning on taking it out after a week or few days or whatever. Like Kelly said if you have something in the filter besides the carbon, try taking the carbon out. If you have the type of filter I have...the filter cartridge is like a 'baggy' that you pour the carbon into, I found that its really easy to put the cartridge in a bucket of water (dechlorinated or old tank water) and dump it upside down and shake it. Being underwater helps those carbon particles come loose.
How many ottos do you have? Have they taken care of your brown algae before?
Thanks Froggy Not sure if the ottos ever ate the brown stuff, I know they aren't now should I vacuum it up?
I think there is light at the end of the tunnel hooray!! I tested ammonia and it is signicficantly less today in fact almost to zero yay. The nitrites and nitrates were high. but once those go down I am cycled totally right? When can I add more fish? Another week or should I wait 2 (I want them now LoL) I think I will do a small water change for the fish that are there
Not sure if the ottos ever ate the brown stuff, I know they aren't now should I vacuum it up?I think there is light at the end of the tunnel hooray!! I tested ammonia and it is signicficantly less today in fact almost to zero yay. The nitrites and nitrates were high. but once those go down I am cycled totally right? When can I add more fish? Another week or should I wait 2 (I want them now LoL) I think I will do a small water change for the fish that are there
well...I was gonna say if they've eaten it before then they're probably just stressed out from the levels of ammonia/nitrite. Once the nitrites and ammonia are at 0ppm then your tank is cycled...the only way to lower nitrates is to do water changes. Usually you want to try and keep them under 20 ppm or so, but most of my tanks never get that high with weekly water changes. Right now the number you want to give your fish a break from is that nitrite level...which is why you need to be doing some water change every day or every other day.
Keep it up
Keep it up