Preventing Ammonia Spikes During Filter Change

[RobberyinCSharp]

Hi all,
I recently changed my filter in my 10-gallon fishtank. It was cycled and doing wonderfully at keeping the water parameters great. However, it was 6 weeks old, so it was long overdue to change the filter. I added a new one, and a few hours later I checked the water parameters and the ammonia read 2ppm!!!!! I immediately did a 60% water change and added 2 ammonia removing tablets by Tetra (which is double the dose), as well as priming their new water. What can I do to keep this from spiking again until the filter grows bacteria? How long does new bacteria take to grow?

 

[fluttermoth]

There's nothing you can do, unless you still have the old filter cartridge you can put back in, I'm afraid.

You don't ever need to change the filter media; that's just a ploy by the manufacturers to get more money out of you; I've got filter sponges that are 20+ years old and still fine.

You've basically now got an uncycled tank and will have to do a fish-in cycle, testing every day for ammonia and nitrite and keeping them under 0.25ppm with water changes; will take maybe 6 weeks ro so. If you're lucky, there may be a biofim on the body of the filter that will seed the media.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

There's nothing you can do, unless you still have the old filter cartridge you can put back in, I'm afraid.

You don't ever need to change the filter media; that's just a ploy by the manufacturers to get more money out of you; I've got filter sponges that are 20+ years old and still fine.

You've basically now got an uncycled tank and will have to do a fish-in cycle, testing every day for ammonia and nitrite and keeping them under 0.25ppm with water changes; will take maybe 6 weeks ro so. If you're lucky, there may be a biofim on the body of the filter that will seed the media.

+1

If the filter ever becomes to the point that it is falling apart, then you may just want to cut the filter up and keep it moist, and put the pieces in with the new filter, that way the bacteria from the old destroyed filter seeds the new one. It's really the only way to change your filter without uncycling your tank.

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

OH NO!!! I have removed my filter in such a way that the bacteria might still be alive - I threw out the filter by putting it in a sandwich bag (so it didn't stink up the room) and it did have some water in it. Is there a way to remove the gunk on it? The filter is a gross brownish-green color! Once it's cleaned up I'll put it right back in the tank. Darn it all!

 

[fluttermoth]

That 'gross brownish-green' colour is the bacteria; you can't keep animals and have everything perfectly pristine! Give it a rinse in some tank water to get rid of the actual dirt and put it back in, you may well have a lot of the bacteria still alive if it's been kept damp.

 

[CrazyAirborne]

good luck.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Don't rinse it in the current tank water ... do a water change and rinse it in the tank water you take out. Then put in nice, clean, dechlorinated and temp matched water.

You can get most of the mulm (poo and food) off the filter by swishing it around in the old tank water. Just be gentle because you don't want to dislodge all that bacteria you worked so hard at developing!

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

Just rummaged through my garbage and found the filter. Ew. It's still mildly brown-greenish though. I took your advice, used some clean water not from the tank, gave it a few swishes to break up the mulm, and put it back in my filter. Wish me luck that all my bacteria aren't dead!!!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Just rummaged through my garbage and found the filter. Ew. It's still mildly brown-greenish though. I took your advice, used some clean water not from the tank, gave it a few swishes to break up the mulm, and put it back in my filter. Wish me luck that all my bacteria aren't dead!!!

It was dechlorinated water I hope. Chlorine will kill the bacteria

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

Just rummaged through my garbage and found the filter. Ew. It's still mildly brown-greenish though. I took your advice, used some clean water not from the tank, gave it a few swishes to break up the mulm, and put it back in my filter. Wish me luck that all my bacteria aren't dead!!!

It was dechlorinated water I hope. Chlorine will kill the bacteria

I have well water no chlorine present!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Just rummaged through my garbage and found the filter. Ew. It's still mildly brown-greenish though. I took your advice, used some clean water not from the tank, gave it a few swishes to break up the mulm, and put it back in my filter. Wish me luck that all my bacteria aren't dead!!!

It was dechlorinated water I hope. Chlorine will kill the bacteria

I have well water no chlorine present!

I wish I had well water. I got worse than chlorine in my water. I have 1ppm of ammonia present in my tap water at all times

 

[This Old Spouse]

I wish I had well water. I got worse than chlorine in my water. I have 1ppm of ammonia present in my tap water at all times

Then you should be calling city officials immediately!

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

I wish I had well water. I got worse than chlorine in my water. I have 1ppm of ammonia present in my tap water at all times

Then you should be calling city officials immediately!

Agreed!!! That's dangerous for YOU, especially if you have small children!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I wish I had well water. I got worse than chlorine in my water. I have 1ppm of ammonia present in my tap water at all times

Then you should be calling city officials immediately!

Agreed!!! That's dangerous for YOU, especially if you have small children!

I buy filtered water at the store. I have a 10g jug that I fill...its pretty cheap too I won't drink the tap water myself, so you know I don't give it to the kiddos