My first Newbie mistake

[one-fish]

Just made my first, Fighting GHA in the main display. Last week I did a 4 gal WC in my 55 gal manually removing the rocks that were covered and washing them in the siphoned WC water. Cleaned substrate growing GHA trying not to disturb it much....hard to do with a gravel cleaner....Bad decision...not using that again..has to be a better way...but after 4 months not cleaning the sand it was building up and unsightly. Next morning tank looked great.. nice and clean removed 90%of the GHA. Removed filter sock/media used to collect debris stirred up and checked water para. water/livestock all look good. Decided to reducing lighting to 2 hrs a day to feed/observe and help kill off remaining GHA. 4 Days later (today) couldn't find a fish but it does hide while searching found one of my larger (2in) turbo snail dead.. all other livestock looked normal.. so checked water para. Amm. was up <.25 ppm...Bad...I just finished 8 gal WC will retest and do another one if needed in the morning. So been thinking what went south.. I have come to the conclusion by doing all that maintenance in 1 day I crippled and overloaded my biological filtration capacities,, I did to much to soon I should have spread it out over a week or so like I first planned. Finding the dead snail didn't help but it didn't look like it was dead long wasn't rotting hermit crabs were not eating escargot yet. I spend a lot of time and effort trying to keep my little buddies happy need to learn to slow down. The bad thing is I know not to do what I did but some how I got crossed up and crossed that line....Live and Learn...

 

[Shilpan]

Hey buddy! Ahh that's upsetting.

And yeah you're bang on, washing all the rocks and cleaning sandbed would have destroyed too much of the ammonia converting bacteria. As an emergency prevention you can go add that ammonia guard or whatever, or a bottle of store bacteria. In addition to water changes. The bottled bacteria if you follow the dosage on the guide should help manage your tank while the biofilter regrows

 

[kirshman]

When I had a cyano outbreak in my last tank I used a turkey baster to clean my sand bed and rock. It was slow, but it was precise. Only grabbed what I wanted and didn't make a huge mess.

 

[one-fish]

Thanks Shilpan...Not much of a change in Amm. level Going to do another 8 gal WC. Need to get more salt so going to LFS today Will look at Amquel while there. Not a fan of chemical additives but under emergencies better than losing you fish. Fish have been under close surveillance and i haven't seen any abnormal behavior, but I know they must be uncomfortable which is stressing me too. Not a fan of making stupid mistakes but I also know S Happens and it will just don't like being the culprit.

 

[jay0705]

Water changes will be your best bet. Watch how much u feed during this time aswell

 

[one-fish]

So been testing then retesting haven't seen much of a change Ready for another WC. Retested again this morning .....feeling something is not just right tested the new batch guess what same results. Now thinking my test kit has gone or going bad. Oh well like I said above Live and Learn .....

 

[jay0705]

What type of kit?

 

[one-fish]

Don't Laugh API Freshwater kit read online in forums that it was the same kit as the saltwater one .....just being honest.

 

[jay0705]

Your fine. Api sucks in general. I read the same thing but its not an accurate reading. Red sea is a better kit. Your tank is probably fine

 

[one-fish]

That's the one I am looking at getting. Couple of LFS's are having their annual get together with the vendors lots of free give a ways, door prizes,raffles and up to 25% discounts this weekend

 

[jay0705]

Ah very nice stock up

 

[2quills]

I won a free Flipper (mag cleaner) from my LFS a few days ago. Was pretty stoked.

Coincidentally I just spilled a bunch of skimmate on my shoes a few minutes ago.

 

[one-fish]

Smell Like what the cat drug in.......wife hates me when I clean mine Since that clean-up skimmate not as dark think need to clean the whole skimmer crud building up below cup line. Sump needs cleaning too GHA everywhere main goal is to replace the GHA with Chaeto once the GHA dies out..... 4 month old tank....Like your Chaeto factory..