fizz08

Hi guys, came across this great forum by chance while trying to find a solution to a strange problem i've encountered in the last few days.

I’ve had my 350ltr trigon 350 corner tank for around 6 weeks now. Before I had to move the thing and do a 100% water change I had the following readings:

Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrates - 20ppm

So the tank had definitely cycled. (Ammonia & Nitrites etc were monitored along the 6 week period and they did appear then disappear)

Now that I’ve refilled it with 50% RO / 50% tap water and put just my oscar and 2 cichlid convicts back in I’ve started to get a read of 0.5ppm of ammonia. This has been the same for the last 3 days, even though I’ve used Seachem stability. The nitrates are showing @ around 10ppm at the moment and nitrites are still on 0.

Not sure if adding a new addition external tetratec ex700 canister filter to the setup has caused it but this has been added as I eventually want to keep stingrays which need good filtration.

I've monitored the Ammonia and it just seem to be going down. Anyone had any similar experiences or have any ideas on why it is occurring as it’s driving me crazy? When using the tap water I used Seachem prime to get rid of the Chlorine and Chloramine just as when I was using 100% tap water. Thanks for looking.

Fizz

Peterpiper

Hi Fizz and welcome to fishlore!
when you say you changed the filter, did you keep the old filter media?
Most of the bacteria from cycling the tank would have been in this filter, and should have been transferred to the new filter..

capekate

Welcome to fishlore Fizz!

Along with Peter, that would be my question as well. I dont know how large your Oscar and the two convicts are, but your tank may not have had a huge amount of beneficial bacteria after only 6 weeks, and its possible the bio load of your three fish pushed you into a mini cycle. But if you added new filter media to the new filters rather than using your other media from the filter you replaced you have lost a large amount of your b.bacteria.

fizz08

Thnx for the quick replies guys

Sorry, I meant to say that I added a new external filter as an addition rather than replacting the Fluval 404. so now I have the original fluval that originally cycled and the new tetratec ex700.

Peterpiper

IMO you have lost some bacteria in one way or another with the move and water change. Why would you have a reading for ammonia?
Water changes is all I can think of to get the readings down, or add some Bio Sp to help.

COBettaCouple

Welcome to Fishlore!

kra-z-fishmumm

Welcome!

Muffymouse

greetings and welcome =)