Bio Filter problems

[Fish Heads]

I'm just trying to understand what's going on. I had what I thought was a
fungus problem (turned out to be the so called "Rainbowfish Lip Disease"
which I guess goes away on its own)...anyhoo...4 of 10 with the problem so I
treated the whole tank. My hospital tank isn't big enough for 4 rainbows.

I used a Jungle Labs "Fungus Clear Tank Buddies", which has BACTERIAL
TREATMENT TO PREVENT SECONDARY INFECTIONS. I just completely overlooked
that part. Well, it looks like my Biological Filter has taken a hit. My
theory is that I just damaged it rather than destroyed. I'm doing 10% daily
water changes (after a few big ones after the treatment). My amonia and
nitrates just aren't comming down though. Amonia keeps hanging in right
around 1 ppm and nitrites at about .25 ppm (both had been zero for quite a
while). I guess if I've still got nitrites, I must have bacteria taking
down the amonia...just not enough of them. So now what, do I just keep with
the water changes until they zero out again? I guess it's been about a week
now.

Regards!

[Racf]

"Fish Heads" > wrote in message
...
> I'm just trying to understand what's going on. I had what I thought
was a
> fungus problem (turned out to be the so called "Rainbowfish Lip
Disease"
> which I guess goes away on its own)...anyhoo...4 of 10 with the
problem so I
> treated the whole tank. My hospital tank isn't big enough for 4
rainbows.
>
> I used a Jungle Labs "Fungus Clear Tank Buddies", which has BACTERIAL
> TREATMENT TO PREVENT SECONDARY INFECTIONS. I just completely
overlooked
> that part. Well, it looks like my Biological Filter has taken a hit.
My
> theory is that I just damaged it rather than destroyed. I'm doing 10%
daily
> water changes (after a few big ones after the treatment). My amonia
and
> nitrates just aren't comming down though. Amonia keeps hanging in
right
> around 1 ppm and nitrites at about .25 ppm (both had been zero for
quite a
> while). I guess if I've still got nitrites, I must have bacteria
taking
> down the amonia...just not enough of them. So now what, do I just
keep with
> the water changes until they zero out again? I guess it's been about
a week
> now.
>
> Regards!
>
>

What I would do:

1. Buy an Ammonia Alert (Seachem)
2. Buy and use Amquel (which will neutralize the ammonia, but keep it
available for your biofilter.
3. Add freshwater aquarium salt (rock salt). 1 tablespoon per 5
gallons of water (prevents nitrite from poisoning your fish) This is
fish only tank advice as it would screw up any decent live plants. For
plants add less.....look up what they can handle.

4. Do 50% water changes every other day...... for a week or so. or
forever.

5. Buy a TDS meter and start using it.......

6. Don't worry about your pH....


Really any medicine with a blue or green dye is gonna newk your
bio-filter. Others that have no dye will also. Probably no treatments
are the best treatments except doing more and more water changes and
perhaps for really stressed out fish add something like PolyAqua
(Kordon).......

Good luck......

[Fish Heads]

Thanks...I already did 1 & 2. The amonia alert is what tipped me off. I do
have live plants. I've actually upped the water changes to 10% twice daily.
The only thing I don't know about is a TDS meter. I've got no idea what
that is.

Thanks again!