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Old July 16th 03, 09:55 AM
Racf
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Default Bio Filter problems


"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......