Jstkpswming

After successfully cycling my tank with TSS, my water parameters were kept at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5 nitrate for months. I was feeling good about my crystal clear water and happy fish. During one weekly water change i decided to gravel vac ALL the gravel (first mistake). About a week later i changed out my filter cartridge (from an aqueon, oops again). I now realize i probably got rid of 90% of the BB. Shortly after, I felt it safe to add some minnows (water quality was still reading 0,0,5).

Going through a LFS the next week, I saw a GBR, and after talking to an employee decided to add him to my "mature" tank. After adding him i was nervous about having impecable water quality given their track record. So i was testing often and got 0,0,5 initially.

Given the high stock for my tank size i purchased an AC 30 and cut some of the old cartridge and placed it inside of the new filter. Just before adding the new AC30 to the tank, i noticed my water had gotten ever so slightly cloudy, and also the last test i did before upgrade i got a hint of ammonia. So i think what happened is i removed most of the BB and then the straw on the camel's back, new filter. Also i def. added too many fish at one time. I noticed when i was washing out my old filter that on the inner walls there was a lot of sludge (probably more BB).

At any rate my current readings are .25, 0, 0! My water is slightly cloudy. Is it like starting from square one now? Does a crashed cycle recover quickly? I really dont want to chance losing any fish, they are all acting normally now, and i have been performing daily 50% WC with stresscoat+, but im going on vacation soon and they will be without WC for 4 days. My only option to add TSS again?

Side note: when i had my old filter running, just before adding the ac30, i got .25 ammnia reading, 0 nitrite, and 5 nitrate. once i switched over, nitrates disappeared.

LilMan

I think it might be a good idea to add TSS if you are going away, but someone else may have another idea.

Good Luck

(bump)

aquarist48

Hello. You are probably and hopefully just going through a mini cycle. I suggest doing some daily water changes of 30 to 50% until your readings get back to normal. Add some Prime or Amquel + (or stress coat if it's meant to detox ammonia I haven't used stress coat before) to detox the ammonia for a 24 hour period until it's time for another water change. You sound like you've already learned from your mistakes. Evidently you cleaned too much and did lose some of the BB. I never clean the filter box itself and only vacuum 1/3 of the substrate at a time.

If you're going on vacation it may be a good idea to use the TSS. Depending on what other chemicals you've added I'm not sure if it will help at this point or not. I'm sure you'll get some more responses soon.

ccb04

At the very least, you're likely going through a mini cycle.

Given that you're going away and will be unable to change and monitor your water ... I'd dose with TSS again.

Jstkpswming

thanks for the input! looks like i will be doing more WC, monitoring parameters and hopefully finding a bottle of TSS locally, it seems like no one carries the stuff