what is wrong with my tank? help!!!!

[bunk97]

I have been haveing problems with my tank. it is about 2 months old it was fully cylcled according to the test kit 3 weeks after I set it up by useing nitromax, established crushed coral and other bacteria start ups. the tank was doing good for a while then one day I noticed that my fluval 404 was unplugged (all bio media) I cleaned it out with aquarium water and added a eheim wet/dry from one of my other established tanks and a emporer 400 also established ever since the ammonia has been sky high at first I was told to do water changes so I did. It lowered it for a day or so then slowly went all the way back up off the color chart. then i was told that since i was showing a little bit of nitrite and nitrate was at about 40 that it is possible that it is not cycled either due to the filters or it never fully cycled properly. so I do not know what to do. Water changes or let it go and see. I have been testing for the last week and the ammonia is still off the charts the nitrites are at zero the nitrates are at 20. again water changes to lower or wait to see if it cycles? I think that the tank is cycled already due to all the filter changes and problems that it has caused a huge ammonia spike and I should do water changes to lower but I don't want to do that if it is not cycled then it will just take longer. please help somebody! I would so much appreciate and be in debt to you for ever.
humahuma

 

[holacanthus]

IN my opinion your quickest path would be to drain the tank and start over with some new ro water and salt mix! Wash te cruched coral in fw and start all over. You won't need a big starter culture of bacteria in the tank just a small one, as long as the are introduced they should grow pretty rapidly, Good Luck

 

[fishymissy]

If you have no fish or inverts in the tank that you want to save, then just let it go.......it will cycle......

 

[bigbonedee]

ditto

 

[karlas]

your tank may have never cycled. water changes may slow down or depending on how large they were could have started over. best thing is to leave it go throw a piece of table shrimp or 2 in the tank that will cycle it for you. as far as the bacteria helpers like nitramax they can take up the ammonia and actually give you a false reading. in a couple of days wear off and go back to where the water was i wouldnt reccomend using them. throw the shrimp in let it go and they will dissapear as the bacteria grows in the tank.

 

[kpogue]

Agreed - it sounds as if the tank did not cycle, or was just begining to when you began the water changes. Do not do a water change UNTIL the cycle is complete. Everytime you change the water before this happens your starting @ square one again. My rule of thumb when establishing a new tank is not to do a water change until I can test 0 on all for 5 days after I suspect the cycle has completed.

 

[bunk97]

thanks a lot for your suggestions. I just tested my water and my ammonia is still sky rocketed nitrite 0 nitrate 60 isnt my tank established since it is showing high nitrates. according to my test that I have taken a month ago my tank has been established my only concern was the fluval being unplugged I am not sure how long it was unplugged for I don't know what to do Some say let it go and some say do water changes I am confused on what to do. any suggestions would be great.
thanks again
humahuma

 

[fshhub]

do no water changes, until it has cycled and is stable.
in fact, i would not even filter either, jsut run the pumps for circulation, without media.

 

[dogman]

If your ammonia is high then the nitrites will end up rising. Nitrite spikes follow ammonia spikes and if thats the case then your cycle is not complete. Crushed coral is not as preferred as a DSB with the appropiate grain size, long term you may have a nitrate problem with crushed coral.
The shrimp cycle method works but at some point you should remove the shrimp, I think after the nitrites start to rise. Then once everything goes to 0 then start adding LR and fish slowly.
Good luck!

 

[bunk97]

my nitrates are high like 60 doesent that mean that the tank has cycled is it possible that it has and I have had a ammonia spike. I still detect no nitrites at all 0 it has been like that for weeks now I have scrubbed my fluval 404 very good and my eheim wet/dry 2227 I have tried the water changes infact right after the water change it was immedialy back to off the charts I have tested with two test kits fast test and some other kind. I don't like them that much though. I also have lots of algea growing now so from what I remember that is a good sign that the tank is cycled. what can I do ?
I appreciate all responses
humahuma

 

[kpogue]

With trates that high I would say your tank still is cycling. What kind of algae is growing? That more than likely is a sign of something no right. Usually a diatom bloom is a sign that the tank has cycled. Again, when you can test 5 days in a row w/ all zeros -then - your tank has cycled. AND - no water changes until it has cycled.
keith

 

[fshhub]

no, no, and no
high nitrates means nothign, you can have water that has not even beeen used yet have nitrates taht high
algae also does not mean the cycle is over, diatoms could mean that you may be nearing the end of the cycle.
i agree with keith here too
I hopwe that this is not what your lfs was telling you, if so, then I would highly reccomend doing some major homework before asking them any more questions, "even how much is that doggie in the window"
ANY at all

 

[itchy]

I would leave this alone and let the tank cycle itself. Your nit. can have several cycles. When you test do you chart the results so you can see how your cycle is going and where you are? Do no water changes yet. Your lights can cause an algae growth if on all the time. Try to cut back on the time you leave the lights on and see if this helps and LEAVE THE WATER ALONE FOR NOW.

 

[holacanthus]

LIke I said in the beginning, and you're still having problems right! Drain the tank wash the cc in fw and start over with a good quality salt mix and some ro/di water! Within 2-3 weeks your cycle should be over ! another thing leave your lights on during the cycle, i think it was bob fenner or mike paletta who told me that leaving your lighting systems on would help the cycle on a ittle, encouraging the growth of something but i can't remember that far back!

 

[kpogue]

WHAT!!!??? If it were me, I would disregard the above post!

 

[fshhub]

leaving the lights on will encourage the growth of algae, which does help with nitrate reduction, but by cycling you are concentrating on bacteria growth not algae.
now, as for the rest, i agree to disregard teh post,
by washing everything thoroughly, the one thing you would gain, IMO is clean everything, which is NOT what you want, you want the bacteria which you would be washing off, esp if you use fw or any bacteria free water(free of the colonies of bacteria you are trying to grow). THIS WOULD PROBABLY START YOU ALL OVER AGAIN, from the beginning
AGAIN, I would advise to ride it out. It will be over soon enough and you will find that it was worth it all.

 

[holacanthus]

HOw many times is one supposed to cycle? This man has went from ammonia to nitrates back to ammonia and starting and nothing you guys can say has helped him yet! If it was me thats,s what i would start over but thats just my opnion keep listening to these guys and keep going from ammonia to nitrate back to ammonia.

 

[fshhub]

ONE TIME
sorry, but if it is doing that again, either something has died and is decaying or the cycle never fully completed
if the tank never stabilized, then it never fully cycled,
did you use dry rock or dry sand?? if so, then this is not un-normal. Until the sand or rock has established bacteria colonies, it can go up and down. When we first started we had this problem too, and later found out why. It was the rock we used, being unlive was the problem. Until the rock fully cycled and colonized and stabilized, we could not keep things in line at all
and you are right, you only want to cycle once, and a drain and refill would almost guarentee to restart things all over again. So, IMEO, either take my advice and finish it out and be fine, or drain and refill, so as to not cycle again(thus almost certainly re-starting the cycle all over again and only wind up back at this point again)

 

[itchy]

what do you use for a base? Live sand, crushed coral, gravel what? do you have any live rock? the LR and the LS can help you cycle faster because bacteria already lives in it. If you have base rock this might be a problem, anything porous you are creating nitrates. If you have live sand you only need enough to cover the bottom of your glass, I found this out the hard way. Everyone thinks more is better but not the case at all. If none of this applies to your tank just leave your water cycle alone and wait! Nothing in this hobby happens over night. I dont think starting over is an answer just yet.

 

[fshhub]

Just out of curiosity, what did you learn the hard way about such a small bed?
A bed of that depth would offer ZERO help in nitrate reduction. And is no easier to care for than a properly stocked DSB.
My guess would be taht maybe you were still maturing and a lfs told you that it was bad, but I am curious to hear about this hard lesson, just for reference if nothing else.
I am taking care of 3 beds, and none under 3.5", all with great success. But I am always interested in learning something new.