Please Help: Cyclying question about changing water

watermelon

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Jan 5, 2006
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I had my tank for about 3 weeks...I have a full load of fishes in a 55 gallon tank....I put bio spira in 3 days ago and it dropped my ammonia and nitrites from how I had it before...My water tests is this .25 ammonia, 0 nitirites and 12.5 nitrates...The ammonia was that level for 3 days...Should I do a water change to get that small amount of ammonia down or do you think the cycling, will bring it down by itself?
 
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The biospira has had enough time to attach to the tank walls and filter media now. Water changes won't hurt the cycle and can only benefit the fish.
 
I'm sure you know this, but dose the entire tank with dechlorinator before adding new water after siphoning out the old.

Yours truly pulled a genius move and refilled with out dechlorinating the water. It was a fishless cycle, so no fish were hurt, but I bet I killed a bazillion bacteria. Luckily I think I had enough in my filters biomedia that the small amount of fish I added a few days ago will be fine. I'll test and do more water changes if I see ammonia or nitrites.

bogey77
 
Yikes, yes good advice. Sometimes the simple things escape our attention.

My friends cousin couldn't figure out why his fish died so often and I couldn't figure out what he was doing wrong either until I learned he wasn't using dechlorinator. He has a much simpler time keeping fish now.
 
bogey77 said:
I'm sure you know this, but dose the entire tank with dechlorinator before adding new water after siphoning out the old.

Yours truly pulled a genius move and refilled with out dechlorinating the water. It was a fishless cycle, so no fish were hurt, but I bet I killed a bazillion bacteria. Luckily I think I had enough in my filters biomedia that the small amount of fish I added a few days ago will be fine. I'll test and do more water changes if I see ammonia or nitrites.
Quit beating yourself over the head! Seriously. We've all made some boner mistakes here and there. I did the same thing and killed one of my favorite fish :( At least you didn't kill anything.

Roan
 
I've recovered mentally Roan. I just look at my happy school of black neons and all problems fade away....

Seriously, this is not the first or last screw up I've pulled, but everything is running smooth now.

Now I just need some cool piece of driftwood and some more fish after the weekend.

:dance:
bogey77
 
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