water parameters out of control...

[supadave]

Mark

When you cleaned the existing filter yesterday... could you have accidentally killed off the bacteria in that filter? I know that you are an experienced fish keeper but sometimes even the most experienced fish keeper will make newbie mistakes. Did you by any chance clean that filter in straight tap water? The reason I ask this is because I don't see how adding a new filter to an existing filter system woulsd cause your tank to go through a mini cycle. Also, check the date on your test strips... I've heard that these things can expire and give false readings.

[supadave]

BTW... Did you add any new fish to this tank?

[CichlidFan]

Wet Dry Filter.....

Can't say I know what your using, but trust only the name brands of Ammonia removers....

Stress Coat...my personal choice
Prime
Amquel +

Do look into obtaining a wet dry....and no...you do not appear to me to be overstocked...

[fshfrk]

Do not cause another problem on another tank! IMO use a w/d,hob & canister on every tank. so when you clean one the others are established and you avoid this problem ever again. The w/d is the key. Super oxygenated water and well established bacteria.

[mark razmandi]

yes, i have added new fish, yes, i cleaned it with straight tap, i use a master test kit, not strips, and im not that experienced LOLOLOL....i think youre right, i killed the bacteria

[CichlidFan]

note to self...i maybe color blind ...check into that...

CF

[TaTeR ToT]

Mark

When you cleaned the existing filter yesterday... could you have accidentally killed off the bacteria in that filter? I know that you are an experienced fish keeper but sometimes even the most experienced fish keeper will make newbie mistakes. Did you by any chance clean that filter in straight tap water? The reason I ask this is because I don't see how adding a new filter to an existing filter system woulsd cause your tank to go through a mini cycle. Also, check the date on your test strips... I've heard that these things can expire and give false readings.

+1
check the date on the strips.

also, if it does turn out to be a mini cycle, then feed very lightly for a few days, let the filters catch up to the bioload.

also, are you feeding feeder fish?
this can raise ammonia levels high.

i am just wondering because i see in your signature that you have a feeder fish tank.

the fish you have dont require feeders.

feeders do much more harm than good and can cause a buch of problems.

[mark razmandi]

i do use feeders for my birchir...damn lol it seems like EVERYTHING im doing is wrong haha EPIC FAIL

[TaTeR ToT]

yes, i have added new fish, yes, i cleaned it with straight tap, i use a master test kit, not strips, and im not that experienced LOLOLOL....i think youre right, i killed the bacteria

AHAH!!!

THE MYSTERY IS REVEALED:lupe:

like i said, feed lightly for a few days, this will help give your filters time to catch up.

[TaTeR ToT]

i do use feeders for my birchir...damn lol it seems like EVERYTHING im doing is wrong haha EPIC FAIL

bichirs like feeders, but they will aslo go for just about any frozen foods and some pellets.

my old ornate and dino bichirs loved frozen bloodworms, brine shrim, mysis shrim, frozen whole krill by sanfransisco bay and frozen whole silversides by sanfransisco bay.

and once in a great while, like once a month as a treat, i would get live nightcrawlers from wally world and cut them into 1/4s, they would still wriggle, and the bichirs went nuts for them!

[mark razmandi]

ok well my brain is officially melted with shame of completely screwing up my aquarium....can someone do me a favor and make me a list like this

ALL THE THINGS I DID WRONG
.
.
.


WHAT I NEED OT DO TO FIX IT
.
.
.

WHAT FILTRATION I SHOULD GET
.
.
.

and anything else

[TaTeR ToT]

in order

you did nothing wrong, we all make mistakes, you didnt destroy anything,lol
its a little mini cycle not amrageddon.

feed lightly for about a week
stop feeding feedrs and get quality forzen foods

get a wetdry and a emperor 400 and let fshfrk, aka john show you how to modify it to clean your tank like none other.
and you should be good.

[supadave]

yes, i have added new fish, yes, i cleaned it with straight tap, i use a master test kit, not strips, and im not that experienced LOLOLOL....i think youre right, i killed the bacteria

Yeah my friend... you have killed your bacteria. But don't worry too much. First thing you need to do is stop feeding.....no food means less poop. Secondly, do a large water change and add an established filter to your tank. Unless you have another tank at home, you may want to take John (fshfrk) up on his offer of the filter. After you do this, I would continue to halt the feeding for a couple of days.

[newb]

you cleaned your filter with tap which killed the biggest majority of your good bacteria causing a "mini-cycle". You feed feeders...just avoid this...more problems than good. You did a big water change at the beginning of the new cycle causing it to start over yet again.

Dont clean your filters in tap water...unless you have a few other filters supplying a lot of good bacteria. you can feed frozen foods such as krill, bloodworms, etc. Add more filtration or give the other Rena time to establish itself. You can add a w/d and get good amount of O2 and good filtering. Or you can keep your Rena's and add one or two Aquaclear 110's. Either way will get you ALMOST the same result. This way if you need to clean your filters real good you can use tap on them and still have others supplying the tank with their bacteria. Clean one filter a per week. each week clean a different filter till all of them have been cleaned. wait a month. clean one filter per week again...just keep the cycle going. make sure to properly rotate which filter you are cleaning.

[mark razmandi]

THANKS EVERYONE SO FAR FOR THE GREAT HELP AND ADVICE

now here are my thoughts.....im gonna get an HOB and wetdry for my tank..until then i need to get the biological balance back in my tank...what i want to do is a very large water change tomorrow and add live bacteria so that will instantly get it back in order...then i want to look into a DIY wet/dry and should i use both xp3s, HOB AND wet/dry??????