Emergency!! Fish food dumped into aquarium. Please Help!

[Aquarist2020]

My little brother dumped an entire fish food container into the tank. Tank 30 gallon. Fish 5 with cleaners 10 about. Tank is 1 year old. Please help. Also does quick start work good enough? My lfs is closed and petco is my only option.

 

[FFGuest6357]

My little brother dumped an entire fish food container into the tank. Tank 30 gallon. Fish 5 with cleaners 10 about. Tank is 1 year old. Please help. Also does quick start work good enough? My lfs is closed and petco is my only option.

Use your net to scoop as much out as you can.

gravel vac and water change out the rest.

 

[Aquarist2020]

Use your net to scoop as much out as you can.

gravel vac and water change out the rest.

Did that. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[FFGuest6357]

did that is there anything else i can do?

Is all the food gone?

 

[Aquarist2020]

Is all the food gone?

Not really, It keeps coming

 

[FFGuest6357]

Well, first things first.

someone needs to chill out... panic never helps anyone.

so let start from here.... you scooped out as much as you can.

then you gravel vacuumed what fell to the bottom.

what %water change did you do when you did this? You need to replace that water with similar water parameters as you took out. Temp, ph, dechlorinated etc.

if you drastically change the water parameters too much, that will shock the fish faster than decaying food.

so let’s start there, how much water did you change?

 

[Aquarist2020]

Well, first things first.

someone needs to chill out... panic never helps anyone.

so let start from here.... you scooped out as much as you can.

then you gravel vacuumed what fell to the bottom.

what %water change did you do when you did this? You need to replace that water with similar water parameters as you took out. Temp, ph, dechlorinated etc.

if you drastically change the water parameters too much, that will shock the fish faster than decaying food.

so let’s start there, how much water did you change?

nearly all (around 5 to 8 gallons left

 

[FFGuest6357]

Also, what kind of fish food... that will help with advice on clean up.

 

[Aquarist2020]

Also, what kind of fish food... that will help with advice on clean up.

fluval bug bites, flakes

 

[FFGuest6357]

Okay. Did you match temperature and ph when adding dechlorinated water back into the tank?

or were you too panicked? Because you sound stressed out...

 

[Aquarist2020]

Okay. Did you match temperature and ph when adding dechlorinated water back into the tank?

or were you too panicked? Because you sound stressed out...

i didnt add water yet

 

[itiwhetu]

Move the gravel away from the front of the tank so the glass base is exposed ( you want about a two inch channel right across the front of the tank ) turn down the filter flow so that the food can settle, it will make its way to the channel where you can syphon it out ( don't turn the filters off tho )

 

[Aquarist2020]

also should i get bacteria

 

[FFGuest6357]

Okay, so you need to let us know what fish you have, how many.

then you need to start prepping the water to add back to the tank, make sure it’s treated for chlorine and chloramines with the conditioner, and temperature is as close as possible to what is left in the tank.

 

[FFGuest6357]

also should i get bacteria

Yes, but right now, the most important thing is to get water back in, and not to have too many differences in parameters to cause shock to the fish. So let’s focus on that.