Please Help - Not Sure What To Do?

[Amycus]

Hiya

So here's the story...

I have a 5 gallon tank containing 4 male guppies.

The tank has been set up since October any unless I change 50% of the water every 24 hours I'm getting massive amounts of ammonia??

I had to leave the tank for 3 days in April and when I got back the ammonia and Nitrites were off the charts?! I don't understand it???

I used to have 5 guppies but one died 2 weeks ago - he was eating but spending most of his time hiding, lying on the bottom of the tank and wedging himself places. I noticed some deterioration in his tail before he died and now I'm seeing the same thing with 2 of the others.

I have no testing solution left but I know for sure that the ammonia level will be at least 1.0 and the Nitrite will be around 1.0 too!

2 are now showing rapid deterioration in their tails although they're still eating any swimming.

I know that the answer here is going to be plain and simple - Bad water is killing the fish - but why?! How can a tank that has been set up for 6 months+ still have water this bad???

Where do I go from here? What is the best thing to do for the remaining guppies?

Any help would be great! Thanks x

 

[minxfishy]

What kind of filter are you using? Do you dechlorinate the water? 5g is too small for guppies, but we can deal with that later.

What kind of test kit are you using?

 

[Amycus]

What kind of filter are you using? Do you dechlorinate the water? 5g is too small for guppies, but we can deal with that later.

What kind of test kit are you using?

What do you mean, what sort of filter is it?? Like what Brand?

I'm dechlorinating the water and I've tried adding ammonia remover...?

I've been using the API Master Test Kit.

I just tried calling the LFS but they told me I was doing too many water changes

 

[youngfisher]

Yeah - The brand name and model number.

 

[Amycus]

It says it's an Elite Stingray Filter??

 

[minxfishy]

Was wondering what filter it was because clearly there is a problem, could be the filter or perhaps the media in it.

Another ? is there any chance there is something rotting in the tank, dead fish, plants, food??

 

[youngfisher]

Also - How often do you clean the filter out? I'd check it - Might be somthing wrong with it. Have you check that its still cycling the water round?

 

[Amycus]

Was wondering what filter it was because clearly there is a problem, could be the filter or perhaps the media in it.

Another ? is there any chance there is something rotting in the tank, dead fish, plants, food??

I'm thinking it's a filter problem too - the thing is the tank was bought for my son, it's a kids one with a filter included - I thought fish would be an "easy" pet - yeah right!!

I have artificial plants and I'm using a gravel vacuum everytime I change the water so there shouldn't be anything rotting in there??

Could the LFS be right? Am I changing the water too much??

How do I get rid of the ammonia if I don't do frequent water changes??

 

[youngfisher]

what declor are you using?

 

[Amycus]

what declor are you using?

Interpet Stresscoat.

 

[minxfishy]

How often are you cleaning the media inside the filter, if I remember correctly an elite stingray has two carbon trays in and a small black sponge?

The tank should have taken approx 4 weeks to cycle with the fish in once it was set up, after that ammonia and nitrIte shouldnt have risen past 0, so clearly the tank either didnt cycle or something has happened since to cause these spikes.

 

[Amycus]

How often are you cleaning the media inside the filter, if I remember correctly an elite stingray has two carbon trays in and a small black sponge?

The tank should have taken approx 4 weeks to cycle with the fish in once it was set up, after that ammonia and nitrIte shouldnt have risen past 0, so clearly the tank either didnt cycle or something has happened since to cause these spikes.

Yeah that's right!

I've been rinsing it in tank water about every 2-3 weeks...?

 

[saz326]

As its a fairly small tank and the fish have already been experiencing ammonia etc in the water- Id be tempted to try afresh. Im wondering whether the carbon in the filter has been "sucking" up all the ammonia etc since october but finally been saturated. So you never actually had a cycled tank.

Here's what Id do:

Buy a new set of filter cartridges/sponges for the filter. Remove the old sponges from the filter and throw away. dont put new carbon sponges in teh filter - stick to "normal" ones.

Put some of the tank water into a container (plastic jug would do) and net the fish out putting them into the container.

Remove some water then use whats remaining to clean the gravel (any good bacteria in the gravel would be left alive to help in the next stages). Then remove all the water in the tank, replacing it with dechlorinated tapwater. This would give you a clean filter, and a clean tank so nothing to cause problems.

After the water in the tank has been left for a few hours to warm and dechlorinate, tip some of the old fish water from the container away (down the sink) and add a little new tank water. Do this a few times over an hour to acclimatise the fish to their new water (just like when adding new "bagged" fish from a shop).

When the fish have been added to the tank, turn the filter on and prepare to start going through a "fish in" cycle.

Test the water every morning and evening, and change 30% to 50% of the tank water when the ammonia or nitrite readings get greater than "close to 0ppm". You should have a cycled tank in a few weeks.

 

[mwood2]

I think I know the filter problem. Sting Ray filters use Zeolite in there media. It contains a very small sponge and 2 containers of zeolite+Carbon. You will defiantly need to take out those cartridges and some filter floss in its place. You can buy them in small packs. I tend to buy Fluval replacements and cut them up to fit my filter. I learned this the hard way myself. Also keep in mind that the fin problem may be due to the guppies rather then the tank condition. From what I hear guppies tend to fin nip and are very active fish. They tend to be recommended to 10+ for this reason. Also larger numbers tends to ease fin nipping. If you have the money upgrading to a larger tank may be a good tank because not only does it give the fish more room but it also deludes the amount of ammonia because of more water. 10 gallons can be bought for 12 bucks without a hood and 30 with hood. Since you already have a filter and heater just move them over. Also make sure to buy no more fish until the tank is cycled. But if you dont upgrade the tank size if would not recommended any more fish.

 

[Jazzzz]

Buy a new set of filter cartridges/sponges for the filter. Remove the old sponges from the filter and throw away. dont put new carbon sponges in teh filter - stick to "normal" ones.

please don't do this no need to thro wthe non carbon sponges away as they will only help the fish not hinder them = much worse off without them