Changed Filter Sponge = High Levels Of Ammonia?

[Nef]

Hello All,

Would appreaciate your help, my old filter sponge was collapsing so I bought a new one and placed it in the filter, next day all of my tetra's have died suddenly. I have added live bacteria to the filter just now but I forgot to change the water. Should I do a partial water change now (even though I just added the live bacteria) or wait until tommorrow??


1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp', Hardness etc) I don't have anything to check this with
2. A full description of the fishes symptoms. Hanging around the bottom of the tank, eating less
3. How often you do water changes and how much. every two to three weeks
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water. just the JBL filter start live bacteria
5. What tank mates are in the tank. Only 2 cory's, 1 tetra and one dwarf gourami.
6. Tank size, small basic start up kit size.
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish? Yes about two weeks ago

 

[Christine1014]

You really need to get a water test kit; the API Freshwater Master Test Kit will last you ages and it's by far the most accurrate (much more so than the strips, anyway).

You threw out your good bacteria by replacing the sponge. The bacteria you added (if any; those products are of dubious value, for so many reasons) won't be nearly as much as what was on the sponge. You're filter's going to have to cycle all over again, I'm afraid.

For a sponge filter, what I've done is cut both your old and new sponge in half. Put half the old sponge and half the new sponge in the filter. This keeps most of your beneficial bacteria in tact while allowing new bacteria to build up on the new sponge. After a couple of weeks, toss the remaining half of the old one and replace with the remaining half of the new one. OR if there's enough space in your filter, just stuff the new one right in with your old one for a while.

Oh - and WATER CHANGES! LOTS Of water changes! Probably daily, until you're cycled. Test the water every day and do a change (try like, 25% first and see what that does) to bring your ammonia/nitrite levels down. If 25% doesn't do the trick, do a larger change, or do multiple changes a day...

 

[Nef]

Thanks for your help, I still have the old filter but it has been out of the water all day. Is the bacteria dead by now?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yup, exactly what christine say's you are now cycling with fish, have a read of the link in my sig 'what's cycling?' which should explain it all

 

[Christine1014]

If the filter sponge has been out all day, the bacteria's going to be dead. Do you have any friends with tanks? Maybe you can do the cut-the-sponge trick with them? (even if they don't have sponge media in their filter, if they have *something * they can give you.... there's usually a way to cram various things in a filter, temporarily!)