Help!

[gaya]

I don't know what to do. I moved at the end of august. I brought bio media with me in an attempt not to have my tank go through a cycle. It did, and it still hasn't cycled!

I have around 4ppm of ammonia in the tank. NO nitrites and NO nitrates. I don't know what to do. I've had several tanks and have never experienced this. It's been two months and the readings haven't budged. I bought another ammonia testing kit to see if my new multi-test kit was defective. It's not. I have used bacteria in a bottle, clear water drops, etc.

I have to do my water changes with spring water because i detected trace amounts in my tap in the new apartment. that's the only thing different outside new gravel and decorations. The temp difference between the spring water and tank might be significant. I can't control the temp like i could when using the tap.

Please help.

btw, it's a 30g with two angels and a plec. the fish haven't shown signs of distress but they are hardy.

 

[thegnu]

If you really do have ammonia at 4ppm i would be very surprised that your fish are still alive let alone showing no signs of stress!
One answer is if the "spring water" is very soft it could "change" the ammonia into ammonium, a less toxic form, so where is the ammonia coming from? Could it be from source, could it be something has died, could it be your filter isn't working like it should.
The use of the spring water isn't working. Have you tested it for ammonia? How much ammonia is in your tap water exactly? I would go back to using tap water if it were me. By the way you could always buy another heater and use that to heat the spring water to the right temp

 

[thegnu]

By the way vitrifying bacteria find it difficult to multiply if water has too low a pH but it is very low, certainly under 4, but i think it is your spring water or the bottles, vessels you get it, collect it in, where do you get it? I would change all the water to tap

 

[gaya]

Thanks for responding thegnu. sorry it has taken me a while to respond. I'm totally at a loss. I switched to the tap a couple of weeks ago and still no sign of bacteria. I just did another water change but this time with heated spring water. I'm getting this water at the supermarket. I tested it months ago and it doesn't give an ammonia reading. the tap gives .5ppm.

One of my angels now has pop-eye. this is partly due to the other angel picking on her. I have a divider in the tank separating them. I think i will pull out a ten gallon and put her in there. I don't know what the deal is. I have the same filter i've always used. I took out a new decoration I bought when i set this tank up. It's supposed to be aquarium safe. Maybe I should just break the tank down? I'm gonna lose these fish at this rate. I've been trying to find someone who has a tank to get some biological media but i haven't had any luck. I've had these fish for years and I'm killing them. I don't know what to do. I'll test the pH again and report back.

Any one here in the Boston area? I'll pay you bucks to keep these fish temporarily or perhaps you could give me some media?

 

[ICEEGRL]

If you are willing to pay... get some bio spira. That will get the bacteria started in your tank.
Get some prime water conditioner, and use your tap water. The prime will take care of the bad stuff in it. (You can double dose it to be sure.)

How often do you do water changes?
How often do you clean your filter? How do you clean it? What media do you have in it?
What is your routine?
I am thinking you will find the problem somewhere in this area. We just don't have enough info to find the problem.

I would help with the filter material, but I am in Louisiana. That is a little too far.

 

[gaya]

By the way vitrifying bacteria find it difficult to multiply if water has too low a pH but it is very low, certainly under 4, but i think it is your spring water or the bottles, vessels you get it, collect it in, where do you get it? I would change all the water to tap

My pH cards only read to 6 and that's the reading i'm getting. it's possible that the pH is lower but i don't have an appropriate test. I'll stop by the store tomorrow and look for a kit that gives readings that low. what i have is a high range test kit (pH 7.4 to 8.8 and a regular pH color card (6.0 to 7.6). Given the high ammonia in the tank it makes sense that the pH is low. My ammonia is between 1 and 2 ppm. Nitrites ZERO.

 

[ICEEGRL]

You do need to get the right tests so you can get the right readings. That would be very helpful.
While you are having amonia show you should do frequent water changes to keep the levels down. That will make the cycle take longer, but it will be much easier on your fish.

 

[gaya]

If you are willing to pay... get some bio spira. That will get the bacteria started in your tank.
Get some prime water conditioner, and use your tap water. The prime will take care of the bad stuff in it. (You can double dose it to be sure.)

Ok, i'm doing some online shopping right now. I don't care what i have to pay. I really do love these fish.

How often do you do water changes?

normally i do weekly or every two weeks. i've been doing more since i've moved (obviously). It's hard for me to do daily water changes because I work pretty far from where i live and i'm not always home but that only disrupts daily changes, which would be the best thing to do.

How often do you clean your filter? How do you clean it? What media do you have in it?

I don't really clean the filter. I'll rinse it in the water i remove. I'm afraid to remove it and put a new one in right now because what if there's a bit of bacteria on it? Right now i have Penguin filters for a bio-wheel. they have carbon, which i rinse when new.

What is your routine?

My routine...I vacuum the gravel. I usually remove 20-30% of the water and replace. I've been doing the same thing for years. I've been keeping fish for 6 years now (or around there).

I am thinking you will find the problem somewhere in this area. We just don't have enough info to find the problem.

Ok, perhaps you're correct. Do you think i should put a new filter in? It's the same one since i set the tank up. maybe there's something funky in this batch of filters?

I would help with the filter material, but I am in Louisiana. That is a little too far.

thanks for taking the time. it's nice to talk with someone about it.

Also, my tap pH is above 8. what do you think about that? that's so high.

 

[gaya]

You do need to get the right tests so you can get the right readings. That would be very helpful.

When I moved i got rid of a lot of stuff. tons of fish stuff (testing kits etc). i bought one of those master kits thinking it would be enough. I thought the move would be a breeze because i moved them once before but i stayed in the same town and didn't have any problems. I haven't had a sick fish in years. eh.

While you are having amonia show you should do frequent water changes to keep the levels down. That will make the cycle take longer, but it will be much easier on your fish.

Yea, i need to figure out if i'm gonna stay with spring water and heat it or use the tap with the hgh pH.

 

[ICEEGRL]

That is high. What ph was your fish used to?
Don't change the sponge. Only rinse in old water like you have been doing.
The only thing I really see right now is that old carbon can leach the things it has absorbed back in the water if it is left in too long. I would remove the old carbon. What kind of insert do you have? Can you just poke a hole to dump the carbon and keep the insert just incase there is bacteria on it?

 

[gaya]

That is high. What ph was your fish used to?

It was around 7 in my old aparment. And another reason why i'm afraid to use this blasted tap.

Don't change the sponge. Only rinse in old water like you have been doing.
The only thing I really see right now is that old carbon can leach the things it has absorbed back in the water if it is left in too long. I would remove the old carbon. What kind of insert do you have? Can you just poke a hole to dump the carbon and keep the insert just incase there is bacteria on it?

hmmm....ok, i'll try that. good idea, Iceegrl.

I'm on the drs fosters smith site ordering biospira right now! I tried cycle and that doesn't work.

 

[gaya]

I have another question (sorry). I want to put the filter in water while i do this. i figured i could fill up a bucket with tap, use conditioner etc. but should i not do that because of the high pH?

 

[ICEEGRL]

I would use some tank water.
Also you have been using the other water with really low ph. Don't just jump to the high. You don't want shock them. Not right now. They are going through enough already.

That is a good site. I like them. Don't forget the Prime. It is the best thing I have found.

What kind of decor do you have in the tank?

 

[gaya]

I would use some tank water.
Also you have been using the other water with really low ph. Don't just jump to the high. You don't want shock them. Not right now. They are going through enough already.

That is a good site. I like them. Don't forget the Prime. It is the best thing I have found.

eh, i ended up changing the carbon in tap. i was freaking. I don't think that little bit of water will affect the tank pH but I hope it's not affecting the bacteria. tho thengu said lower pH is more of a problem for bacteria.

I washed the new carbon, removed the old the best i could and put in as much of the new as i could. my hands are black now.

Biospira is on the way. foster and smith site doesn't seem to have prime unless i missed it. I'll check my lfs tomorrow.

And bless my little babies. with all this crap going on they're still running to the surface looking for food when i come near them.
'

What kind of decor do you have in the tank?

well, now i don't really have any decor. I bought this cool looking budda statue at petco. i asked to make sure it was aquarium safe. now it's out of the tank. i have a coupld of aquarium safe rocks that i brought along in the move. i have two plants left and they're not looking good. i keep pruning them back because they're dying. the gravel is old eco-complete. i had it new but it sat for a year or so. i check with my lfs to make sure it was ok to use and they said yes. i hope the gravel isn't the problem. what a nightmare that would be.

 

[ICEEGRL]

They do have it. I have gotten it several times from them.
If you have trouble finding something... they have a search box on the top left (I think) where you can type the name in, and it will find it for you.
Another idea is to mix your carbon with white diamond. That is what I do. (When I use carbon) I don't use carbon much. I only put it in to remove meds or when I have an issue with the water.
using the tap to rinse shouldn't be a problem.
When you do decide to go to tap... You need to do it slowly. Mix it at first to let them get used to it very slowly. I would do it with very tiny daily water changes to let it come up slowly. (instead of bigger weekly water changes)

What decor do you have in there? I may have an idea.

Did you get the ph test?