Am 1 Ni .5 !!
- Thread starter IceH2O
- Start date
About to pull my hair out!!
Took another reading.
Am .25 Ni 1!! So AM is dropping but NI is rising. Its like I'm cycling again. What the hell caused this?
I did nothing different in filter cleanings, nothing different in pwc, nothing different than anything I've done in years of fish keeping. Only thing different has been adding Excel.
Has anyone noticed Excel affecting their parameters?
The plant growth is great! But I like my fish more than I do plants. I'm about ready to trash the plants and go strictly rock and fake plants. Won't look as good but I won't need to add Excel.
Come on people, someone posted we have like 40,000 members and I can't get a AC regular to help me out?
Took another reading.
Am .25 Ni 1!! So AM is dropping but NI is rising. Its like I'm cycling again. What the hell caused this?
I did nothing different in filter cleanings, nothing different in pwc, nothing different than anything I've done in years of fish keeping. Only thing different has been adding Excel.
Has anyone noticed Excel affecting their parameters?
The plant growth is great! But I like my fish more than I do plants. I'm about ready to trash the plants and go strictly rock and fake plants. Won't look as good but I won't need to add Excel.
Come on people, someone posted we have like 40,000 members and I can't get a AC regular to help me out?
I've read the whole post, and really can't figure out what the problem is. I don't think it's a factor here, but at lower ph, ammonia is locked up as non-toxic ammonium. If the ph rises quickly (maybe after a water change with high ph well water), then this ammonium is converted into toxic ammonia. This is one reason people with Old Tank Syndrome, where they're ph has dropped significantly, are advised to do several small water changes to raise the ph slowly, so that an ammonia spike doesnt occur.
I don't know why I'm bothering to post this but I tested again today and Am is 0 but Ni is still near 1 though it seems to be closer to .75.
I noticed my biowheel is spinning faster than it has this week. I'm thinking when I replaced the cover somehow I was impeding the biowheel. It wasn't stopped but it wasn't spinning quickly like it is now. Hopefully this fixes the problem.
One thing I noticed and thought was strange. High Ni causes difficulty is processing O2 right? 6 out of my 9 fish can breathe air yet none of them hang near the top of the tank. There is no laboured breathing or anything. You'd think after almost a week of higher than normal Ni they would all gather near the outflow or be at the top of the tank taking in airborne O2.
I noticed my biowheel is spinning faster than it has this week. I'm thinking when I replaced the cover somehow I was impeding the biowheel. It wasn't stopped but it wasn't spinning quickly like it is now. Hopefully this fixes the problem.
One thing I noticed and thought was strange. High Ni causes difficulty is processing O2 right? 6 out of my 9 fish can breathe air yet none of them hang near the top of the tank. There is no laboured breathing or anything. You'd think after almost a week of higher than normal Ni they would all gather near the outflow or be at the top of the tank taking in airborne O2.
Ice,
Are the ceramin rings bio or mechanical? If they are mechanical, they should go in the first layer, then the coarse sponges. If not, ignore this
Roan
Are the ceramin rings bio or mechanical? If they are mechanical, they should go in the first layer, then the coarse sponges. If not, ignore this
Roan
IceH2O said:
I noticed that you have poly over your bio layer. I've read that nothing should be above the bio to impede the flow over it. It mabe that the poly is possibly impeding the flow. Maybe moving the poly into the middle and the ceramic below the lava.
What does everyone think about the layering?
Roan, I use them as biomedia so I'll ignore your post as instructed :laugh: I must ask though, what is considered mechanical media? I thought all media was bio. I guess poly fiber and sponges could be considered both.
wtpdosa, I just added the poly fiber so it wasn't teh cause of the problem. The poly fiber doesn't sit on the lava rocks as there is a divider over it. I've read you could/should have poly as a last media to help polish the water. I could pull it out of the canister as i have some in the HOB.
If this setup can be improved I'm all ears. I want to do whats best for the tank, but with what I have currently not going out and buying other stuff.
How do others with canisters stack their media?
wtpdosa, I just added the poly fiber so it wasn't teh cause of the problem. The poly fiber doesn't sit on the lava rocks as there is a divider over it. I've read you could/should have poly as a last media to help polish the water. I could pull it out of the canister as i have some in the HOB.
If this setup can be improved I'm all ears. I want to do whats best for the tank, but with what I have currently not going out and buying other stuff.
How do others with canisters stack their media?
Ice,
I've been reading this with interest.
I recently had a nitrate spike in my tank with no explanation..nitrates went from 20 to 120 in 1 week.
the only thing different in my tanks was seachem flourish..seachem says it doesn't add to nitrate.
ammonia 0, nitrite 0 but nitrates 120
I did 20% changes at least once per week usually twice..I tested my nitrates from the source<10..I was stumped..I did 20% changes everyday..to get the water back in balance..
as to bio media and mechanical..I'm stumped there..I know there is bio filtration, chem filtration and mechanical filtration.
ed
I've been reading this with interest.
I recently had a nitrate spike in my tank with no explanation..nitrates went from 20 to 120 in 1 week.
the only thing different in my tanks was seachem flourish..seachem says it doesn't add to nitrate.
ammonia 0, nitrite 0 but nitrates 120
I did 20% changes at least once per week usually twice..I tested my nitrates from the source<10..I was stumped..I did 20% changes everyday..to get the water back in balance..
as to bio media and mechanical..I'm stumped there..I know there is bio filtration, chem filtration and mechanical filtration.
ed
Been doing daily 50% pwcs with no effect on Ni. Still at/near 1. Am is back to 0 and steady.
I will continue the pwcs but am stumped.
I want to dose my ferts! Its been a week and my plants are starting to show deficincies which if they continue and start dying will just start the Am, Ni cycle all over again.
I will continue the pwcs but am stumped.
I want to dose my ferts! Its been a week and my plants are starting to show deficincies which if they continue and start dying will just start the Am, Ni cycle all over again.
