Filters - Please Help

[hopkigg]

Hi. We have a 3ft x 2ft x 1.5ft. 120l tank. In there we have one cory, 2 adult kribensis and 2 juvi kribensis. We also have a bgkf in there temporarily as it was being picked on in our other tank.

The amonia is 0
nitrates are 80 and nitrite is 5. We have been doing constant 50% water changes but the nitrites are not coming down. We had one fluval 4 internal filter which had old media in it from when we used to run the tank. We bought a bigger tank so the 3ft was put in our garage, then when the kribs and bgkf got sick we started it back up again.

As we have noticed the nitrites are not coming down we have decided to put another filter in there. This was is the fluval 3 internal, with new media straight out of the box.

The questions i have for you intelligent people is

a) is it better to have both filters or should one be adequate.

b) is it better to use the media that has been left in the filter in the shed for a year or start with new media, or a mix of both.

Please help as need to get these nitrites down. I have just done a 50% change and put some api stress coat in as the fish are looking really pale.

 

[rabbut]

I'm not supprised they look pale with 5ppm of Nitrite in there. It would be best to run both filters. I would use the old media if it's clean and not become deformed prior to starting up If it's deformed or has loads of dryed on dirt on it I would have started with fresh media, but it's too late now, you are going to caurse further issues replacing media at this stage

With sky high Nitrite, you need a very large, say arround 90%, waterchange fast or you will loose the fish, simple as. Match the temperature of the replacement water as best as possible when filling. I'd leave just enough water in the tank to cover the fish when you drain it down to change as much water as possible. If Nitrite remains at 5 (or more, as that is the limit of what a lot of hobby test kits will read) the fish have a few hours left at best

Once the nitrite is back under control, have a read of this thread to learn about fish-in cycling. That will tell you how to go on over the next few weeks

All the best
Rabbut

 

[petertr]

I'm not supprised they look pale with 5ppm of Nitrite in there. It would be best to run both filters. I would use the old media if it's clean and not become deformed prior to starting up If it's deformed or has loads of dryed on dirt on it I would have started with fresh media, but it's too late now, you are going to caurse further issues replacing media at this stage

With sky high Nitrite, you need a very large, say arround 90%, waterchange fast or you will loose the fish, simple as. Match the temperature of the replacement water as best as possible when filling. I'd leave just enough water in the tank to cover the fish when you drain it down to change as much water as possible. If Nitrite remains at 5 (or more, as that is the limit of what a lot of hobby test kits will read) the fish have a few hours left at best

Once the nitrite is back under control, have a read of this thread to learn about fish-in cycling. That will tell you how to go on over the next few weeks

All the best
Rabbut

There we go - do THIS!