Can anyone on here help me? I am really at a loss here and feel as though my problem is going to go on forever......
As some of you regulars will know my external filter of 2 years suddenly died on me and I had to rush out and buy a new one. I have 250L tank and purchased an external Fluval 305 filter which is suitable for a 300L tank. Extremely better flow than the old one which had a very weak flow and sometimes went down to a trickle but all water readings were always fine.It is also more powerful as the old Interpet filter was only for a 250L tank.
I packed the 2 compartments of ceramics from my old filter into the new one and also put the x 3 new packets in that were supplied . I then cut up my sponges from the old filter and put those in, and of course it has its own new sponges in there too.
The new filter went in on the 13th feb (nearly 5 weeks ago now) and its still not caught up!!!! as you can imagine 30% water changes every day for 5 weeks is taking its toll on me and my pocket!
Ive been testing my water daily (API liquid test kit) and have readings of 0.25 or 0.50 ammonia on a daily basis for which I have been doing a 30% daily water change. I only had one day where my nitrites were 0.25 and I did a 50% water change that day and since the nitrite has stayed at 0. I was initially getting a reading of 0 Nitrates but now my Nitrates reading is 20 so the filter is obviously working to some degree or my Nitrite and Ammonia readings would be high and I would have no Nitrates.
Nothing has changed - not added any new fish. Ive tested my tap water - 0 ammonia. Ive even gone out an bought a new API liquid testing kit as i'd had my old one for a couple of years so I thought maybe it was out of date but still the same readings! Ive taken everything out of the tank and given it a thorough gravel vac so nothing nasty is hiding causing the problem, and ive cut my feeding down to a bare minimum of every 3 days but im still getting that ammonia reading.......
SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME BEFORE I GO MAD!!!!
As some of you regulars will know my external filter of 2 years suddenly died on me and I had to rush out and buy a new one. I have 250L tank and purchased an external Fluval 305 filter which is suitable for a 300L tank. Extremely better flow than the old one which had a very weak flow and sometimes went down to a trickle but all water readings were always fine.It is also more powerful as the old Interpet filter was only for a 250L tank.
I packed the 2 compartments of ceramics from my old filter into the new one and also put the x 3 new packets in that were supplied . I then cut up my sponges from the old filter and put those in, and of course it has its own new sponges in there too.
The new filter went in on the 13th feb (nearly 5 weeks ago now) and its still not caught up!!!! as you can imagine 30% water changes every day for 5 weeks is taking its toll on me and my pocket!
Ive been testing my water daily (API liquid test kit) and have readings of 0.25 or 0.50 ammonia on a daily basis for which I have been doing a 30% daily water change. I only had one day where my nitrites were 0.25 and I did a 50% water change that day and since the nitrite has stayed at 0. I was initially getting a reading of 0 Nitrates but now my Nitrates reading is 20 so the filter is obviously working to some degree or my Nitrite and Ammonia readings would be high and I would have no Nitrates.
Nothing has changed - not added any new fish. Ive tested my tap water - 0 ammonia. Ive even gone out an bought a new API liquid testing kit as i'd had my old one for a couple of years so I thought maybe it was out of date but still the same readings! Ive taken everything out of the tank and given it a thorough gravel vac so nothing nasty is hiding causing the problem, and ive cut my feeding down to a bare minimum of every 3 days but im still getting that ammonia reading.......
SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME BEFORE I GO MAD!!!!
