# Problems Need Help!



## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

As you could read in earlier posts I had switched from a 90 to a 225. Everything seemed good for the first week and starting Sunday all is going down hill. Ph is stable at 8.0. Ammonia shot to 3ppm now. Nitrites are 0ppm and nitrates are around 20 to 25 ppm. The water has turned very cloudy now. I did treat the tank with Prime to detoxify the ammonia. Just dont know what to do at this point. The fish still seem very active. My tap water does read for ammonia right out of the tap which the prime should take care of from what I read and after speaking with Seachem. What should I do at this point?


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I would do a large w/c and keep an eye on the amonia. Possibly daily water changes if it keeps showing up.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

noddy said:


> I would do a large w/c and keep an eye on the amonia. Possibly daily water changes if it keeps showing up.


Did you add more fish when you switched over?


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## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

I did not add any new fish!


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

As part of your tank change, did you also move to a new location?

What about your filters, did you clean them at the time you swapped tanks? Are you using the same media? Are you using the same filters? Same substrate?

We'd have to have a link to your other posts to be helpful.

What exactly did you do when swapping tanks? Any of this information would be helpful - otherwise we are all just speculating.


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## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

The tank is in the same location. The only thing from the old tank is the established filter. I did not clean it. It went right from the old tank to the transfer tank.to the new tank.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

What is your new substrate?

Are there any other new decorations, driftwood or other stuff in the tank?


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## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

I put Caribsea cichlid sand in. The rocks I used are different but are t he same as a friend of mine uses all the time in his tanks.


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## Loume (Dec 27, 2014)

G-Wiz are the ammonia levels coming back down? I think you mentioned in a prior post that you were putting in a new background and were inquiring what to use to fill in a couple of holes. What did you use and did you allow everything to fully cure?

There seems almost certainly to be some factor here beyond just an ordinary change over.


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## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

The levels are not coming down or if so slightly. I used the product from Aquascape called Waterfall foam to fill some gaps on the bottom. It was fully cured. I spoke to the company to make sure it was safe before I used it. My tap water reads on tests 1.0ppm for ammonia straight from the tap. I did use ammolock about a week ago when I first noticed this. I also dosed the tank with Prime on Monday when the levels went higher. My fish don't seem to be showing any signs of any problems though. They are active. No heavy breathing. There is even a baby rusty in there that seems fine. I'm wondering if adding the just the filter from the old tank was enough to keep the new tank cycled?


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## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

I also did a 50 gallon water change yesterday.


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## Loume (Dec 27, 2014)

That's all a bit baffling to me, and it complicates matters that you have the ammonia straight from the tap. Have you always gotten ammonia readings from the tap? The sudden very cloudiness is also troublesome, has that cleared up? Hopefully your biological fauna in the old filter hasn't died off for some reason.

Considering that your test kit is good and the readings are indeed that high, your fish would have definitely shown it if it were in a toxic form, so the conditioners must be doing their work. I believe you have to continue adding them regularly to keep them in non-toxic form if it is not getting reduced/eliminated biologically?

You put the old filter straight into the new tank, is your old filter getting good flow through, not plugged?

You might also consider trying reseeding the bacterial fauna with a product like tetra safe start.

I've been on deep well water for past 20 years so have not had to deal with such things as chlorine/chloramines/ammonia etc. out of the tap. What I have to deal with is higher than should be nitrates and gas supersaturation.

Hopefully you can get this sorted out very soon, and others can continue to supply some more input/help/suggestions.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'm wondering if the carib sea substrate is causing cloudiness? Is it one with live bacteria?


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## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

I never noticed if the ammonia reading from the tap was ever present. I think the smaller tank just dealt with it because of the smaller water changes. The sand is not the one with bacteria. I did rinse the sand before it was put in the tank but it did get cloudy and cleared up pretty much within a day. I just did another water change just now. The readings before the water change were ph 8.2 amm 3.0 ppm nitrites 0 nitrates 30ppm. It does seem that the nitrates are increasing slowly. The ammonia reading seems to be dropping slightly. Just not sure if its the water changes doing it. The fish again today seem happy. The are swimming eating and responding to me when I come to the tank. Again thanks for the replies guys.


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## Austinite (Jul 27, 2013)

Any updates?


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## G-Wiz (May 28, 2014)

Just checked on the tank which is at my business. It actually seems to be getting better. It is clearing up. The ammonia levels are down to 1ppm.0ppm nitrites. Nitrates are 40ppm. The fish still seem happy.


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