Ten Gallon Death Tank

[BigFishSmallPond]

Hello! I recently posted a topic in the emergency forum relating to some african cichlids. Heres what happened: I had a 10 gallon tank with 3 african cichlids and a small pleco. Everything was fine til a month in my wife drastically over fed them (I looked up to see clouds of food in my tank to which she said she "only put a pinch in") Well after a week two of the cichlids died. Several water changes and still the Nitrite was high. My gravel vac was too big so it didnt really work. I decided to buy a 25 gallon tank and start over. So I set up that tank and put the fish in there(the last 2 remaining fish:1 cichlid and 1 pleco). They have been doing great ever since.
Now back to the old tank. I decided to try 'n' save it, so I emptied it to around 70% and stirred up the gravel. The gravel was FULL of rotting food and fecal matter. My gravel vac still too big so i sifted the water through a fine strainer to get all the crap out. Once i was satisfied most of the crap was gone, I dechlorinated some water and filled the tank back to the top. Several days later I tested it and it was still Nitrite through the roof.
So I waited another day or two and tested (today). It seems to have lightened ever so slightly. As in, before it was a dark purple off the charts, now its just a reddish purple from the very top of the chart. My question is will this tank eventually level out with time? Or is it too far gone, and I should just refill and start from zero? Thanks for any info you can provide.

-ak

 

[OohFeeshy]

For a start your tank was vastly overstocked(the 10 gallon), secondly you need to cycle the 25 gallon. Look at the pinned topics.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

Im well aware of the stock, and cycling issues. Since you brought up the cycling of the 25, I'll answer that. Overstocked or otherwise the 10 gallon was fine till my wife overfed them which was a month or more. After 2 fish died it was obvious the remaining fish were going to die in the 10g (the cichlid was turning black in the face etc). SO I had a choice of putting them in the 2 day old 25 gallon or leave them in the highly toxic 10 gallon. The concensus was to put them into the least toxic tank which was the 25g. Since I did that she looks healthier than I have ever seen her she is BRIGHT yellow and the black has left her face. Now if the 25 gallon spikes then I'll have an issue, But so far VERY good. SO to ask the question again: "will this tank (the highly toxic 10 gallon) eventually level out with time? Or is it too far gone, and I should just refill and start from zero?" IE: start the cycle over again with some used gravel etc and fishless cycle.

Thanks anyway,

-ak.

 

[FrAnK3333]

Im glad that you got a 25 gallon. A 10 gallon is way to small for any african cichlid, even one. Plecos are messy and thats adds to the problems your having with the 10.

 

[JamesTasker]

That doesn't really answer the question does it?

I would say that it will eventually come down, and it seems that has already started to happen. Because there is so much it will obviously take time to grow enough bacteria to deal with it.

 

[FrAnK3333]

I was giving him a pat on the back for a bigger tank.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

Hehe. Thanks for answering the question James. And thanks for the encouragment Frank.

 

[cometcattle]

I would do a large water change (75%) on the tank and vacuum it good.

I would then put some used filter media from your 25g, inside the filter on your 10g.

The water will probably turn cloudy from a bacteria bloom, but that should go away after a few days.

I'd then test the water.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

25 gallon has risen to about .8 Nitrite 10 gallon is still at the top of the chart (3.3+) Im going to go grab a vacuum that will be small enough to work in the ten gallon today hopefully. Then I will try the 75% water change.

 

[steelhealr]

Hi..maybe I can help a little. Since you've emptied your 10 gallon tank and it is now 'devoid' of fish, the bacteria will need ammonia to continue to survive. Maybe this is a good time to do a fishless cycle as pinned here.Then, restock it later with fish that will be good for a 10 gallon tank when all your parameters are good. An inexpensive small gravity gravel vacuum is all you need. Better yet, since you've purchased a larger tank....maybe you could convert the smallerl tank to a quarantive/hospital tank. SH

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

Hehe thats exactly what I'm trying (keyword) to do. I plan on using it for a quarantine tank. Im off to get a smaller grav vac in a few hours and im going to do a 70% change. The one i bought b4 was too big (oops). So ya, the plan is to fishless cycle which is what the 10 has been doing for the last 4 days after a 70% change. The nitrite is still 3.3+ but the grav vac/water change should help that. The filter is still the same from when the fish were in there so it should have bacteria growth by now. I assume the gravel is still too dirty (despite my rinsing it in tank water) so my money is on the vac. Thanks for the info

 

[pahansen]

Hi, BigFish. I posted to the other thread (emergency) with my two cents, just in case you want to check it out too.

Good luck,
Pamela

 

[sylvia]

So you're saying the 10 gallon doesn't currently contain fish and you are going to fishless cycle it? If that is so, don't vacuum the gravel or do a water change yet. The rotting debris should be all you need for the tank to complete the cycle and then you can do a gravel vac and a big water change to prepair it for fish (by reducing nitrAtes). That's when you'll need to worry about 'feeding' the bacteria with some source of ammonia - either add fish, fish food or pure ammonia once it's cycled to keep the bacteria alive.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

Thanks for the excellent info guys! Ya i plan to fishless cycle it and there is nothing in it.
So u figure i should leave it for now and wait for the Nitrite to balance out? I just fear too MUCH debris in the gravel is that possible?

 

[jflowers]

Not while your cycling, as sylvia said, leave it. It may look bad but you have no fish yet, so who cares. Once its cycled, do a good water change, hoover the gravel and add the fish.

Jon