Filter Has Crashed & Have Whitespot :(

[nurglespuss]

Hi all,

OK, I have a 106L aquarium which was fairly recently setup,
it was an upgrade from my 17L aquarium (which had 2 Eheim HOBs running on it) and was well matured.

I set up the new tank originally with the HOBs running at either end of the tank until my new external arrived (JBL e700), When I set this up I added the mature sponges from the HOB filters to the external.

The tank also has a Koralina power head at one end, and a venturi running power head at the other (so plenty of circulatation and aeration).

There was a slight blip in ammonia near the start (from 0 up to 0.25ppm) but this was sorted with a water change and som stresszyme, all tests since then have been 0 (in fact last test readings are in my sig).

Now however, I came home to find 3 neons and one corydoras dead, and my pitbull covered in whitespot (a very small version that you have to be close to see) and some other fish flicking.

I immediatly did an 80% water change, and treated with anti whitespot, also as a precaution, I took a sample of the old water and tested it, ammonia is now 1PPM!

This is the first time I've had white spot for a very, very long time, but I have no problems treating it, however, if (as I suspect the answer may be) my filter bacteria have somehow crashed I have a quandry...

I need to perform daily water changes to keep the ammonia down, but have to leave the white spot treatment in for 4 days...

The only thing I can think of that may have disturbed the bacteria, was adding some filter wool to remove particulates...

What would you guys do/recommend?

(0h and nitrite is still 0, nitrate up slightly to 0.1)

Thanks.

 

[cynic]

The one question that springs to mind is what fish did you have in the 17L tank.

 

[nurglespuss]

4 whiteclouds and the pitbull.

 

[Blubble37]

17 litres it a bit small for a pleco? nonetheless, you filters are struggling...

White cloud minnows?

LIGHTBULB...

You were running 2x HOB in a 17ltr tank right...

Now you are in a 100 litre tank right?

The filters are probably getting too little ammonia concentration in the water!


Think about it...

1ppm of ammonia in a little tank takes a lot less ammonia than in a bigger tank doesn't it?

soooo... your filters are conking out because they are struggling to scavenge enough ammonia to survive, and when they do go home the levels slowly creep up inbetween your tests. not sure about the cause of the whitespo though

 

[cynic]

What have your nitrate levels been in the past?, what was 'normal'

 

[nurglespuss]

Nitrate is usually rather low (0.05-0.02) as a result of light feedings etc.

Hmmm its an interesting point, though ammonia shouldn't have been in that short a supply (after setting up the new tanks and running with tests to check things were stable, I added more fish in 3 batches - bristlenoses, 3 more white clouds, cories).

I've just fished another bristlenose out of the tank, and I don't think the pitbull/a couple of the cories are going to make it...

I've never had things happen this fast.

Everything 'should' have ben OK what with the usual mature media change over etc.

The only other contributing factor (as I've put in other posts) is strange clouding in the water (not a bacterial bloom) Its beetter than it was now the filter wool is in, but its still visible...

But the main question is:

Water changes or whitespot treatment? - or, if I do water changes, can I add more treatment to replace what has been removed?

 

[Essjay]

What I would do if it was me is do your water changes and add enough medication to replace the amount you take out with the old water. If you need to add further doses of the medication, do the water change then add the next full dose of med.

 

[nurglespuss]

Cheers, good plan. Just lost another cory. I think barring the seemingly invincible white clouds, I might lose the lot before I get this fixed.

Even if u do things right it can go very wrong!

Cheers, good plan. Just lost another cory. I think barring the seemingly invincible white clouds, I might lose the lot before I get this fixed.

Even if u do things right it can go very wrong!

 

[This Old Spouse]

So sorry this is happening to you! It's just not fair.

But I think that's the plan to follow. Let us know how things progress.

 

[nurglespuss]

Thanks will do

 

[cynic]

Sometimes they just die, we have lost 4 corys. Pretty much one a day recently after medicating a fungus outbreak. One was suffering with fungus but the others weren't. We now only have 2 but they seem fine ATM.

 

[Brett_dale]

hard to tell what they died of without seeing the fish and knowing there symptoms, from my past experience whitespot doesnt usuall kill that fast and not usually in the first infection phase which is why its important to treat as soon as you see it (to prevent it getting worse).
Is it not possible that ur ammonia has spiked simply due to the dead fish?
Treatment wise i like to try more natural methods myself, takes some research as to if the fish can handle the methods but i use the increased temp method 30 C or in the case of livebearers and salt tolerant species i increase the salt to 3g per ltr.
With unknown mass system crashes if the water chemsitry is all ok (checked with more than one test kit) id be tempted to do a large water change and dose with dual meds such as esha exit and esha 2000.

 

[nurglespuss]

Hi there,

thanks for the advice, you are, I think, right...

I just retested the water (as I was going to do another large water change) and stats are pretty much back to normal (I expected to see some ammonia).

Your right the dead fish do decompose incredibly quickly, the pitbull passed away this morning, and he's the only one who exhibeted any whitespot symptoms (except for one or two cories flicking, but they have stopped/or died).

I myself, unfortunately now have the flu, so maintainance is difficult (sniff yes more sympathy please), but I'll test the water again this evening, and if its still OK will let it be (with testing) to let the white spot treatment do its thing, then I'll do a massive water change and double check nothing else has bought it...

I've not heard of the meds you recommend, but will check them out, thanks.