Trouble in Paradise...need advice

[clikens]

Hi everyone, I got my two 20 gallon tanks set up, cycled, and added my beginning fish in each. I added 6 Sunburst Platys to one and 6 long-finned zebra dannios to the other about 5 days ago. They have been doing great and my water has been crystal clear until this morning when I noticed that my bio-wheel wasn't turning in my bottom tank (with the danios).

I tried to reseat the wheel but that wouldn't work. Investigating further, I noticed that the water that usually flows through and spins the wheel seemed restricted and pulled up the carbon filter (which Is due to be changed as I think I am supposed to change it once a month but haven't because I was cycling and was afraid of disturbing the cycle). When I lifted the carbon filter the bio-wheel would start spinning again, when I put it back in, it would stop. So decided to pull out the filter and replace it. As I pulled it out, the trapped water in it rushed into my tank, and my tank immediately took on the look of thick fog. I rushed and put in a new filter and the bio-wheel is spinning perfectly again.

Are my fish in danger until this water clears? Should I net them and put them in the other tank until it does?

Sheesh, I thought all of my reading would prepare me for the responsibility of fishy parenting, but I'm such a newbie!!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! Connie

[ct-death]

As your tanks are newly cycled AND you just taxed the established bacteria by adding fish (assuming a fish-cycle here), by far and away the vast majority of your beneficial bacteria resides in that filter media!!!! By replacing it you may very well have put your tank back into a mini-cycle...

Test your water as soon as you are able to and regularily for nitrItes and Ammonia spikes

Usually, we simply rinse off the build-up of material on the media filters in old tank water once every 4-6 weeks during Water Changes (WCs). It's not the end of the world by anymeans, but keep vigilant on the readings and keep the results under 0.25 with fish.

As for the bio-wheel 2 things: Ensure that the hang-on-back (HoB) tank filter is level (the wheel will not spin properly if it is not), and 2nd, the bio-wheels are actually known to spin slowly or slugishly (periodically stopping for brief periods); this is normal. I use bio-wheels in 2 of my tanks and love them.

As for the water cloudiness, that will filter out in probably 2 hours or so as the released "gunk" from removing the old filter is filtered back up and trapped in the new media filter

[clikens]

As your tanks are newly cycled AND you just taxed the established bacteria by adding fish (assuming a fish-cycle here), by far and away the vast majority of your beneficial bacteria resides in that filter media!!!! By replacing it you may very well have put your tank back into a mini-cycle...

Test your water as soon as you are able to and regularily for nitrItes and Ammonia spikes

Usually, we simply rinse off the build-up of material on the media filters in old tank water once every 4-6 weeks during Water Changes (WCs). It's not the end of the world by anymeans, but keep vigilant on the readings and keep the results under 0.25 with fish.

As for the bio-wheel 2 things: Ensure that the hang-on-back (HoB) tank filter is level (the wheel will not spin properly if it is not), and 2nd, the bio-wheels are actually known to spin slowly or slugishly (periodically stopping for brief periods); this is normal. I use bio-wheels in 2 of my tanks and love them.

As for the water cloudiness, that will filter out in probably 2 hours or so as the released "gunk" from removing the old filter is filtered back up and trapped in the new media filter
I can rinse the carbon filter and put it back in along with a new filter (I am only using one if you think that will be beneficial. I just remembered that it said to change the filter once a month and I hadn't because I was cycling.
If it would be best to put the filter back in, should I rinse it in tank water?

[hitman12131976]

If you want to keep your cycle consistent, then it is best to keep using the same filter. You stated that is was almost time to replace the filter. If this is the case, then just take out the filter, empty out the carbon (if you are using any), rinse the filter in syphoned-out tank water (squeezing and removing any fish poop, veggie material, etc.), replace carbon (if you want), close it up and place it back into your filter.

I use two HOB's, one has an established bacteria colony (the filter is going on it's third month) and the other is going on it's first month (bacteria is now growing on it now. I do this so that when I replace my old filter, I just replace it with the newer filter and then place a brand new filter in the 2nd HOB again. It helps so that my tank doesn't go through a mini-cycle again.