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On a whim I tested my tank for ammonia this evening and shockingly I had it register at .25ppm

I know how tests can be, but ammonia clearly was registering. I'm now trying to figure out why.

My first thought was that perhaps the tank is going through old tank syndrome and a mini-cycle. It's a year and a half old, so I don't know if I qualify for old tank syndrome, but if anyone thinks this is the case I'd like to know what to do about it, and why it happens for that matter.

My other thought is that I may have killed off my bio-filter. The tank went through a treatment (at 1/2 dose) of Maracyn, basically erithromycin, which as you all know kills bacteria. I'm wondering now if i destroyed my bacterial colonies in the filter and gravel bed... and I'm going to feel like a real idiot if this is what did it.

I can't imagine it's just general overstocking: 46 gal. with 14 harley rasbora, 6 sparkling gourami, 4 yoyo loaches and a BN. Plus it's pretty heavily planted.

Any ideas anyone? I'm stumped and confused and pretty miffed.

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Back in the saddle!

I just looked up the maracyn,

Used alone for 5 days, maracyn will not harm a healthy biological filter

Here is the link I followedhttp://www.everythingfishy.com/43.html, it explains maracyn and it's effects. It must be something else.

When in doubt add some cycle and a double dose of prime and give it a really good gravel vac. It could just be a build-up of mulm somewhere, I have spots that are very hard to get to in both my tanks, they need special attention every now and then.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

NowherMan6,

Yeah, I also don't think it is the Maracyn. But just in case, describe the dosage. Did you get the tablet form or some powder (I think that exists as well)?

As you know, I treated 2 tanks with it, with only a positive outcome.

Did you count all your fishies? Did you overfeed recently, or was any uneaten food left in the tank?

In any case, a water change cannot harm.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks for the info

After posting I did another test and, though it came out still registering ammonia, it was a lighter color. So thought the test kit gave two different results both still showed ammonia present.

I thought about some possible scenarios and it could be either:

1.) Overfeeding. I've been trying new staple food lately and I've been making sure that everyone got their share, which necessitated some overfeeding

2.) Decaying plant matter. There are sections of my tank that cannot be reached by gravel vac or my hand for that matter. There are no doubt some dead leaves that were pushed down somehow that I can't get to.

But agree, a water change is in order

p.s. what is old tank syndrome anyway? The search function on the site is down.

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Back in the saddle!

NowherMan6,

Maybe This Article can help explaining Old Tank Syndrome.

And yeah, overfeeding may have been the issue. But - this gets me to another topic then again - if ammonia is prefered over nitrate by plants as "food" then you would have to have loads of nitrate (if you currently add any) as not even all ammonia can be comsumed.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

You just added a bunch of fish not too long ago didn't you? Maybe you just haven't caught on to the extra poo in the tank causing issues.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

LF,

Thanks for the article. It doesn't really sound like what I have because I take pretty good care of my tank. I do large weekly water changes and gravel vac the bottom, I have a large filter for lots of bacteria colonization, I keep pretty good water flow throughout... plus the tank just went through a major overhaul only 4 months ago, which I somehow forgot about - so the tank isn't a year and a half old, it's really more like 4 months old.

But that is a very good point you raise about the nitrate, one which I did not think of

I'm quite anxious to test the tank, but I can't since I'm at work but when i get home I'm definetely going to test NO3 a few times and see what the main readings are. Truth be told, I'm not sure what I'm going to make of these tests since we know how inaccurate they can be. But just for a general idea I want to make sure it's not off the charts. I have been adding a little less than 1/4 tsp every three days. Crud

Wings,

Yes that's right, I added several sparkling gourami to my tank a few weeks ago, 6 remain. However, since they are currently smaller than my harley rasboras I don't think they could be adding so much waste as to trigger ammonia readings like that. It's possible though, but for now I'm guessing plant matter and fish food.

And I'm also going to reconsider my tank stock, I have too many heavy poopers. Anyone interested in a BN or yo-yo loaches?

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Back in the saddle!

Replace the BN's great big long poops with the much finer and more delicate oto poops!

You may need to see if you can get into those hard to reach areas every so often, and try not to overfeed! I feed small bits once or twice a day, the barbs are pigs so they eat on one side and the danios on the other, the krib and SAE eat wherever they can get a bite.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

Replace the BN's great big long poops with the much finer and more delicate oto poops

Actually, I would very much love to, but I have a feeling I'm going to have a hard time finding an LFS to take a BN...

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Back in the saddle!

Is your test kit a year and a half old like your tank? This may be as simple a case as your test kit is old and just plain unreliable. Maybe take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it? A new kit may give a very different result.

Meanwhile, there is virtually no harm you can cause by doing a water change. Its probably best to go ahead and do one anyway just in case there is ammonia in the tank.

Test kit is pretty new, about 2 months old. I plan on doing a WC tonight, and do them a few times a week rather than one big one.

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Back in the saddle!

Are you near a Big Al's store? The one here in Edmonton will take fish as a donation as long as they have the space for it, and they usually do.

Some of the other stores will also take fish, some will give a discount or a credit.

Yes more frequent water changes may be helpful, move some of the driftwood and rocks occasionally too, I find I get a lot of gunk from under them.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

NowherMan6,

I don't know about the multiple water changes per week. What influence would that have on your ferts? I think this would also require a change in your EI routine.
EDIT: Did you measure your Nitrates last night?

luvmykrib - The nearest Big Al's here in the US (if we don't drive to Canada) is in Florida. If I am not mistaken then this is also the only one so far in the US. If NowherMan6, tetratech, and I get together and drive in shifts then we could be there in maybe 20 to 24 hours .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hey I want in! Met you guys in VA? Give me about 14 hours to get there...

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

LF,

I did a 30% WC last night for the heck of it. Before and after I did some tests. After thinking it over I agree with you on the WC routine, I'd rather not add to my problems by screwing with the EI dosing. The 50% per wekk will stay, but it will be altered somewhat.

Tests showed ammonia was quite low. Lower than the other day. Maybe I was getting a false reading then, or maybe I am now. It still registered, but it didn't match the 0 color, so it's still showing up.

As you suggested, LF, Nitrate was high, but not harmfully high. On the chart it was probably in the 20-30ppm range, which is real life is who-knows-what, probably a bit lower, but still higher than needed. The change in EI will be less KNO3. Not a ton, but less than the 1/4 tsp I've been doing. Other macros will stay virtually the same. I'm also going to cut back on feeding amounts and see if I can find a taker for my BN.

The big thing that shocked me was my pH test. pH was low, VERY low, looked to be around 6.2 or a little lighter. With my KH of 3 this puts CO2 in quite a high range. Fish showed no distress, but it still can't be good. I think I'm going to hook CO2 up to a timer and have it go off with the lights. The plants have even been showing slower, not as full growth... but I don't know if CO2 that's too high can cause them to slow down. I'm sure Bensaf would tear my head off for suggesting it, but I guess I'm just trying to connect dots here.

EDIT: Oh yes, Wings, you're in too. Look for the silver accord with the green bay packers bumper sticker

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Back in the saddle!

Who knew that the only one would be in Florida, I figured the place must be crawling with them for there to be one HERE! But it sounds like a nice road trip, I'd love a trip to Florida, just not when the weather's bad, or hot, or cold. I think I'll stick to the BA here in Edmonton.

Nowhere, have you boosted your KH? That may help to keep the pH from dropping, either in the tank or in the CO2 mixture. If you've done this then I am sorry I can't help more, I'm so new at this CO2 business, now I'm glad my KH is so high to start with.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

I was just guessing that there needed to be another young guy to keep the old men on there toes!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

My guess would be it's a combination of overfeeding and add'l waste. Some of your fish especially the BN are tremendous waste producers. I'm sure the yo-yo's aren't easy on the colon either. You did add 6 gourmais those are probably teh eqivilaent of what 3 cardinals each, so that's like adding 18 small tetras. The BN is like 100 tetras (and I'm not kidding). The plant mass I see is good, but it doesn't look that dense that it would prevent algae from finding a nitch. Dump the BN and add like 15 cherry shrimps. From what I understand they eat a wide variety of thread like algae. I put my BN in my son's newt/guppy/white cloud tank that is loaded with BGA and it's as happy as a pig in ........

Remember the most trouble free tanks are the ones that have minimal fauna and maximum flora.



My Scapes

I know what you're saying about the waste. Exept for the gouami part, as they are quite small and from what i've seen, produce the same amount of waste as the harlies. They're about the same size, after all. I'll see what I can do with the BN, see if any LF will take him... or the yo-yo loaches for that matter, though I'd probably have mor eluck looking to aquabid. I guess the solution right now is more plant mass and more efficient and thorough gravel vacs.

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Back in the saddle!

Didn't realize the gouramis where that small, but there's probably a waste mass thing going on here. I wouldn't look to the ferts as the problem unless the plants are showing problems.

My Scapes