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View Full Version : stoopid newb mistake caused a cycle...help, please?


dinthbrgh
09/03/2012, 04:19 PM
previously posted the details about my stoopid newb mistake, so not gonna relive the gory details. it has caused a cycle and amm and n02 are spiking.:headwalls:
ph is still a little low at 7.6-7.8
alk 2.6 meql
amm .5 yesterday 0
no2 2.5 same as yesterday
n03 2.5 true reading 0

did a 10g wc and siphoned sb again last night and treated with amquel and added an airstone. blenny looking a bit better today, not shaking like he was last night before amquel. have another 10g prepared. will another 10g wc and siphoning the sb be helpful? it should help lower the amm and no2, right? or should i just treat again with amquel and let it run it's course? will the amquel really protect the blenny?

took out what i'm pretty sure was a dead cerith. the hermit is still hanging in there. the nassarius seem to be hanging also.:headwallblue:

slapshot
09/03/2012, 04:23 PM
The best and fastest fix is to borrow or buy a bunch of live rock and put it into the tank. Syphoning the sand bed will make it worse as you removing the good bacteria.

dinthbrgh
09/03/2012, 04:25 PM
have live rock. was fully cured but i guess it isn't anymore?

chrisfont23
09/03/2012, 04:28 PM
Did your tank finish cycling? Sorry - I am not following you.

dinthbrgh
09/03/2012, 04:35 PM
the short story is i accidently dumped almost a whole small container of spectrum pellet fod into the tank 2 days ago. this is the after effect. been trying to get as much food out as possible, but there is still a bit in there.

thegrun
09/03/2012, 04:50 PM
50% water change, add Amquel to neutralize the ammonia. Make additional 50% water changes if the ammonia gets at .25 or higher.

chrisfont23
09/03/2012, 05:16 PM
the short story is i accidently dumped almost a whole small container of spectrum pellet fod into the tank 2 days ago. this is the after effect. been trying to get as much food out as possible, but there is still a bit in there.

How much is "a bit?" 5 pellets...50?

dinthbrgh
09/03/2012, 05:20 PM
i don't know..alot is under the sand now. a tablespoon...maybe, still. that's why i was siphoning the sand. so i have 10g ready for a 30% wc. should i siphon again or just suck off what i see on top? and is the amquel really going to help the blenny? also...will i get false amm readings now because of the amquel?

chrisfont23
09/03/2012, 07:02 PM
Personally, I would forget about it. What's done is done.

nbgen12
09/03/2012, 08:29 PM
50% water change, add Amquel to neutralize the ammonia. Make additional 50% water changes if the ammonia gets at .25 or higher.

Yep amquel will definitely help the blenny because it neutralized the harmful effects of the ammonia on their gills. Just follow what thegrun said with waterchanges and amquel when needed. Keep a close eye on the ammonia level.

Carsonsig2012
09/04/2012, 10:33 AM
whats that cliche..?

dillution is the solution to pollution...

siphoning is probably a waste, and as said, sucking up good stuff....

sounds like a lot of $ for salt, and lots of water changes is the key...

dinthbrgh
09/04/2012, 04:25 PM
it turns out that, according to Kordon, manufacturers of amquel, the testing reagents i use will react to the amquel to give a false high amm reading. it may not be nearly as bad as i thought. the only way to know for sure is to stop dosing the amquel and then test again. what the manufacturer doesn't say is how long it will take to get an accurate reading again. the dose life is 24 hrs so i don't know if it gives accurate readings after that or not.

the blenny appears improved. lavender is back in his cheeksand he is eating algae. still skittish. can't say i blame him. trying to just go slow and let him destress. no signs of flashing.

dinthbrgh
09/04/2012, 04:27 PM
what really doesn't make sense to me is that i've been told the sb needs to be siphoned every weekly wc, but now siphoning is suddenly removing biofilter. what am i not understanding?