I have a 36 gallon bow tank I know my fish load has gone way down. I was planning on starting to increase my fish load by setting up my QT this week and slowly add one school at a time and then if healthy after 4 weeks for each school add them slowly to my 36 gallon. Last month I was a little lazy and didn't do my usually 2 week partial wc and let it go another week when I tested the water got a small ammonia spike and had to do 2 back to back wc's but got the ammonia to 0.
I should have more than 7 fish in this tank but some had died over time due to age the water conditions had always been pretty good. I didn't have the time to set up a QT until now. I was feeding lightly or so I thought Wed I checked the tank water and the ammonia level was at 1.0 so I did 2 large back to back water changes and gravel vac with no change the ammonia stayed the same, did one more and it actually went higher. Nitrite was 0 so Thursday I did another partial wc and now today Friday the ammonia level is higher at 4.0 nitrate is 0 ph is 7.6 nitrite is 0. What could be going on? Did I lose my cycle? I dechlorinate the water I use to put back into the tank so is this tank mini cycling? Besides water changes what can I do to decrease the ammonia and why is my nitrate that has always been between 10-20 now at 0? The tank is not planted and is freshwater.
I know I have to increase the schools of fish in this tank but before adding any new fish they have to go through QT anyway. Any ideas to help? I know I went too long between water changes but last month 2 back to back water changes did the trick and now my levels are bonkers. Any advise would be appreciated in the mean time am doing a water change now.FYI I have the original filter in my peguin 200 and a small waterfall filter that I put in there for my QT if I remove that filter am I going to have a huge problem because my larger filter doesn't look like it has any good bacterial stuff on it. I know that there is some in the gravel but with such a light fish load will removing that other fish sponge cause a big problem for me? Need advise big time the things is my fish look ok and are swimming around. I have one cory 4 cherry barbs 1 bleeding heart tetra and 1 rasbora I know pretty pathetic.
I should have more than 7 fish in this tank but some had died over time due to age the water conditions had always been pretty good. I didn't have the time to set up a QT until now. I was feeding lightly or so I thought Wed I checked the tank water and the ammonia level was at 1.0 so I did 2 large back to back water changes and gravel vac with no change the ammonia stayed the same, did one more and it actually went higher. Nitrite was 0 so Thursday I did another partial wc and now today Friday the ammonia level is higher at 4.0 nitrate is 0 ph is 7.6 nitrite is 0. What could be going on? Did I lose my cycle? I dechlorinate the water I use to put back into the tank so is this tank mini cycling? Besides water changes what can I do to decrease the ammonia and why is my nitrate that has always been between 10-20 now at 0? The tank is not planted and is freshwater.
I know I have to increase the schools of fish in this tank but before adding any new fish they have to go through QT anyway. Any ideas to help? I know I went too long between water changes but last month 2 back to back water changes did the trick and now my levels are bonkers. Any advise would be appreciated in the mean time am doing a water change now.FYI I have the original filter in my peguin 200 and a small waterfall filter that I put in there for my QT if I remove that filter am I going to have a huge problem because my larger filter doesn't look like it has any good bacterial stuff on it. I know that there is some in the gravel but with such a light fish load will removing that other fish sponge cause a big problem for me? Need advise big time the things is my fish look ok and are swimming around. I have one cory 4 cherry barbs 1 bleeding heart tetra and 1 rasbora I know pretty pathetic.