I Just Want To Give Up

[rdd1952]

I have tried to read through the thread but pardon me if I missed something. What type of filter and filter media are you using? What chemicals, if any, besides Prime are you using? There are several different types of filters and media that say they remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you are using those, that would explain why they are all zero. It would also mean that the tank may indeed not be cycled even after a year. It still wouldn't explain all the deaths though. Those filters would, however, most likely remove any medication that you might be using.

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

Well you seem to be having a hell of a problem.

If I was in your position

Get a couple of 5 gallon buckets, fill them with mains water and place an airstone in each one. Add a water conditioner to remove the Chlorine and heavier metals and add a ph balancer. Leave them sitting for a couple of hours.

I would then clean out the filter in mains water (i know it kills the bacteria but i am starting fresh, just go with me for a few minutes). Ring them out and let them dry for an hour. Make sure an airstone is going in your tank.

Remove 30% of your tank water and replace with the freshly treated water. Remove a cupfull of your substrate - depends what you are using that is, only solid stuff like pea gravel works. Place this in your filter with the media. This almost restarts the cycling process, not completelythough, but it gives fresh media for your bacteria to propergate upon.

Thats all to be done with the water. Test accordingly each day and see whats happening.

Look at your fish and then search for the symptoms they have. When you have found something add the medication. NO CARBON otherwise its useless (gets absorbed)

Good luck and lets hear the progress

Chris

 

[rdd1952]

Get a couple of 5 gallon buckets, fill them with mains water and place an airstone in each one. Add a water conditioner to remove the Chlorine and heavier metals and add a ph balancer.

I would definitely stay away from the pH adjusters. Those are the absolue worst things you can put in your tank. They only put the pH in constant swing mode. Her pH of 7.4 is perfectly fine and definitely not a problem.

I would then clean out the filter in mains water (i know it kills the bacteria but i am starting fresh, just go with me for a few minutes). Ring them out and let them dry for an hour. Make sure an airstone is going in your tank.

Remove 30% of your tank water and replace with the freshly treated water. Remove a cupfull of your substrate - depends what you are using that is, only solid stuff like pea gravel works. Place this in your filter with the media. This almost restarts the cycling process, not completelythough, but it gives fresh media for your bacteria to propergate upon.

I don't think starting a new cycle is going to help. She at least doesn't have any ammonia and nitrite now (don't know where they are going since there isn't any nitrate either). Using substrate in the filter will only add a very minimal amount of beneficial bacteria as only a very small amount of the nitrifying bacteria are in the substrate. To support bacteria, there has to be water circulation and that is minimal at best in gravel substrate and non-existent in sand. The thought that there is a large amount of beneficial bacteria in the gravel goes back to the days of undergravel filters when the gravel was the media. It was true then but not any more.

Unfortunately, I think karmagl may have given up on this thread as she hasn't posted since sometime yesterday afternoon.

 

[Jozlyn]

ok I ws at 79 then everyone told me that was too high so I just turned it down. I have had my tank for over a year how could it not have cycled. No I don't have live plants I tried it and they died. I know none of my fish go together thank you pets mart I am trying to sort out what I have so I will have a compatable tank. The bacteria I put in says it eats amonia nitrates and nitrites. Fish guy said to use with every water change to increase good bacteria. Should I stop using it? Maybe this is my problem

Stop using the bacteria.

 

[Jozlyn]

Filters I change every three months like it says.

Don't change your filter inserts/media, just rinse them out in old tank water, sounds like your tank is constantly cycling along with having sick fish. Never mess with your PH you'll only do more harm than good.

When do you test your water? Before or after a water change? What sort of test kit is it, liquid or strips? Around 50% at a time water change is ok. How do you currently clean your filter media?

 

[karmagl]

Sorry I have not given up on post at all. I test before I do a water change once a week and it is the liquid test kit I change 10-15 gallons at a time I use prime and the bacteria but stopped using that so only prime now. When I clean the entire filter I rinse it with hot water. The actual carbon filters I get new ones every three months like it says on the box.

Filters I change every three months like it says.

Don't change your filter inserts/media, just rinse them out in old tank water, sounds like your tank is constantly cycling along with having sick fish. Never mess with your PH you'll only do more harm than good.

When do you test your water? Before or after a water change? What sort of test kit is it, liquid or strips? Around 50% at a time water change is ok. How do you currently clean your filter media?

 

[rdd1952]

Are you running anything like zeolite or nitro-zorb in your filter? A lot of those products can remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and would explain why your tank seems to have never cycled and has none of those elements.

 

[SamUK]

erm, noone else has picked up on this unless i missed something but in karmaql's signature theres freshwater fish listed and then it says 120g salt water tank.



you dont really have salt in there do ya karmaql?


cos that would be your problem right there.

 

[rdd1952]

I didn't notice that but I just looked in her profile and it says that there is a 120g SW tank with no fish yet so I think she is good there.

 

[SamUK]

ahh silly me!! i didnt notice the 75g FW on the line above.

 

[karmagl]

lol I at least know better than that. We have two tanks and so far the saltwater is soooo much easier maybe cause we don't have fish yet

 

[Darkehorse]

When I clean the entire filter I rinse it with hot water. The actual carbon filters I get new ones every three months like it says on the box.

Just an FYI, it's generally considered a no-no to rinse the biological portion of your filter off in hot water and/or tap water. You can harm the beneficial bacteria that lives in it. When performing water changes, after I do the last water drain into the bucket, I usually clean mine off in the the bucket. It's recommended that if you need to clean of the bio filter, just rinse it off in tank water.

-Darke

 

[karmagl]

Didn't know that I figured get it clean in hot water thanks