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Hey everyone,
Its been around 6 months or so since I've had my 10 gallon tank running and everything has seemed to be fine.. all of my fish have survived, and the tank looks great reading wise.. however lately, I just took the latest readings, and my ph levels are low (around 5), my total ammonia levels are sky high, and my nitrates are a bit high.. I'm just wondering what you all suggest? My nitrites are okay and it my tank cycled fine, so I'm just wondering what I should do?

I haven't changed my filter cartridge in awhile, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.. plus once a week or two, I take out about 50% water, refill it with the ph liquid to keep the chlorine out of the fresh water.
Would syphoning help lower those levels? I haven't really tried doing that, because I'm worried how the hose will work with all the water and the gravel.. I also have an algae eater and he seems to do a good job with the algae, but there seems to be a lot of debris, food, etc. lingering around, and I would like to possibly clean the tank but wondering how? Like, is it okay to take some of the rocks out or how do you go about doing that?

*Any help would be appreciated*!!

Hello! Yes, you should use a siphon vaccum to clean the substrate. I clean mine once a week with a 25-30% water change. Not the whole thing mind you. I think it was Frank that clued me in to splitting the tank up into fourths and vaccuming 1/4th each week. This cleans the tank but does not clean it too much to maintain the good bacteria in the substrate. Do not be afraid to reach in there and remove any larger rocks and give them a good scrub every now and then, though I would expect your algae eater probably keeps them algae free. Siphon vacs are cheap and you do not need one of those fancy motorized ones for a 10 gal. tank. this is the one I have for my 29 gal.http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3889&N=2004+113164 Anyways, if you have never vaccumed the ditreous out of your gravel in six months then this is most likely why your parameters are off. Also, I change my filter cartridge once a month to month and a half and clean the filter itself (in a separate container of my siphoned aquarium water) every 2 months. Now this is just how I do it, but I think I am doing pretty good considering my paramaters are always rock steady. Just make sure you do not over clean all at once. Spread your cleaning out throughout each month so that you do not kill the beneficial bacteria and start a mini cycle on your tank. Any one with more experience explaining these things please do! Good luck!

"Talk is cheap. Action can be almost as affordable"

The rotting debris in the bottom is likely
the cause of the ammonia.
Optimally, you should change 35-40% of the water
once weekly, and each time you do so, you should
suction thoroughly 1/2 of your gravel.
Alternate side to side weekly.
If you dont suck the gravel clean all the crud
and poop and food will just rot in the bottom.
You should definitely try to get the ammonia
under control as it is way way more toxic in soft water
than hard water.
Dont take the rocks out of the bottom,
just buy a gravel vaccuum, they cost 5-10 dollars
at most shops and they make cleaning a tank much
much easier.



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Also... What kind of algae eater is he. Unless it is an otto it will probably get to big for your tank. A SAE or a CAE will get around 6inches, and if you have a pleco, the common pleco gets 24" and a bristlenose will get 6-8". If it is one of these it may be contributing to the bad water levels ands the large amount of waste ontop of the gravel.

-Vincent

I would check to see if your ammonia testkit it working properly. Do a test on your tap water. Are your fish behaving normal? All eating? If ammonia was truley sky high then it would be affecting the fish, no doubt about it.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Vaccumming the gravel is a very easy thing to do, and the debris there are most likely your culprit if the ammonia readings are indeed high. Get a siphon going and insert the large tube into the gravel till it hits the bottom. sometimes this takes a little jiggling but you'll soon get the hang of it. You will see the water in the tube get all nasty dirty. Wait for it to clear and then move the tube to a spot just next to where you inserted it the first time and repeat the process until about one third to one half of the gravel was cleaned. Be prepared, this often takes much of your tank water but you'll wanna replace it anyways.
ALso, do test your tap water. pour a glass and let it set overnight then test it. It may perhaps be the problem too.

Hi there,
The algae eater I have I think is an otto, I made sure that it wouldn't grow to big( is supposed to only grow 2-3 inches)
Also, are you supposed to keep the fish in the tank while syphoning? I guess kind'ove a stupid question but I was just wondering.
I do change my water normally, and now that I do the syphoning, I'm sure it will be back to normal. My fish are behaving as normal.. I've had them for 6 months now, and all seem to be fine. Just wanting to know the details of the syphoning process if I can?

That is actually a good question. It has been asked before so don't feel strange. Your fish will really not mind your arm (hand in 10gal) too much. The ones that do will stay clear of it or hide in a corner. Some IME, like Zebra Danios will actually come up and kiss your arm sometimes. Be sure to wash your arm with mild soap and rinse it well before you place it in the tank. You do not want to get any unknown chemicals in the water. Oh, and I take my watch and ring off as certain metals can affect fish as well.

"Talk is cheap. Action can be almost as affordable"

Hi there,
you keep the fish in the tank while siphoning.
The gravel vac is pretty easy.
You put the vaccuum end in the tank, and suck on
the tube end till it gets going, then drop that end
in the bucket.
Then you dig the vaccuum end down into the gravel as far
down as you can get, and allow it to suck until the gravel
is clean. Move the vaccuum over to the next spot and
repeat.
Its best to do 50% of the gravel each week, alternating
sides, or if the tank is heavily planted, do only in the open areas and around the plants but not too close or deep
to damage roots.
A couple times a year in my planted tanks I stick my fingers down under the plants and wiggle a bit to
lift any crud from under them without hurting
the plant.


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I forgot,
you say 2-3 inches for your algae eater.
Otos usually reach 1.5 - 2inches max.
So, just to be sure, heres a pic of an oto,
to see if yours is the same.




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Certain types of dechlorinator will make the ammonia test give a false positive reading. (Ammo Lock and I think Amquil +)

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
~ Mae West