# need help fast!!!!!



## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

My 55 gallon tank has been cloudy white for months now. I have a 11" pacu and a small pacu in it. I have 2 large hob filters and just added a large canister filter the other day. The tank has been setup for 5-6 months. I do 50% water changes twice a week by vacuuming the gravel. And only clean filter media once a month in tank water in a bucket. I took a water test with the test strips and the ph is highly acidic, the nitrite is 3 and the nitrate is about 100 !!!!! This sucks- how can the nitrate be so high when im constantlly doing water changes. Someone said to add baking soda to raise ph- should I do this? If so how much and how often, please help.


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

also if anyone has an idea of whats going on in my tank i would love for an explenation- thanks all!


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## Blue (Mar 23, 2005)

Try testing your tap water. What does it show? I would think adding baking soda to your tank isn't advisable, because it would quickly upset the situation that the fish are used to.

fixed double negative


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

tap water shows very high ph-alkaline, hardwater,no nitrites, small trace of nitrates


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## Piraya33 (May 26, 2005)

50% water changes twice a week sounds like too much to me. I would recommend doing only about 25% once a week. Also, how much of the gravel do you vac? Don't vaccum it all! Some of your good bacteria forms in the gravel and if you vaccum it all out, then it's like starting your tank all over again.

What is your ammonia like? If that is too high, add some Ammo-Lok to neutralize it.

Add some water clarifier to clear the tank up. I would go ahead and do a 25% water change now and let it run for awhile.

Do you use anything that neutralizes the chemicals in your tap water before you put it in your tank. If not, try using AquaSafe. This is what I use and it is a very good product IMO.

How are those Jebo canister filters working out for you? I am looking to get a couple to put on my 125.

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me. Good luck!


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

I use water conditioner every water change,I dont have a ammonia test, I just ordered a master test kit. But In the jebo canister theres a whole sack of ammonia chips and carbon chips, I just changed the water last night about 25% this sucks - how in the hell can my nitrates be so high??? The fish poop everywhere thats why I have to do so many water changes. The jebo canisters work good except one was damaged and is getting replaced. Man I dont know what to do about this damn tank.


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## Piraya33 (May 26, 2005)

Did you wash the media before you setup the new filter?


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

rinsed everything


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

my tanks been cloudy like this for a while- is it from being overstocked?


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

I just dont understand how the nitrates could be so high when i just did a water change lastnight and did a 50% one a few days before. I know the nitrate reading said 100 but im too damn tired to do a water change right now.


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## Piraya33 (May 26, 2005)

Honestly, yes. That is a pretty big pacu. I think he should be in there by himself. Sure plecos keep the tank clean of algea, but they also sh*t a lot. Not too sure about the shark though. IMO if you want to keep the big pacu, keep him by himself. You won't need a pleco to keep the tank clean because you sound like you keep up with tank maintenance pretty good.


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

the shark is gone I fed him to my altuvei, the pleco does sh*t up a storm but i like plecos for some reason. Well its only another week or two max before my 240 gallon is done and hopefully leakfree and setup. I just dont know if the 2 jebo canisters will be enough for 2 pacu and 6 reds. I might have to fill one of the canisters up will only bio balls but that still might not be enough .


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## Piraya33 (May 26, 2005)

I would add another Jebo canister to the mix for the 240. They are cheaper than getting an AC500 or Emperor 400.


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## Piraya33 (May 26, 2005)

Is the company you bought the Jebos from good? Did they hastle you when you told them one of them leaked? I am really looking at buying two of them soon, just nervous if something happens to one of them. Thanks!


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

i Told him the pump head was leaking and he said send it back and hell replace it.


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

Another member on here just bought 2 of them also and had no probs. We wrote a small review in the tank equip. section under cfs4 filters.


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## Blue (Mar 23, 2005)

acidic is a number lower than 7 on the pH scale.. if your tap water is very high alkaline (>7), it's very puzzling to me how your tank would be the complete opposite unless you have alot of wood/peat and are adding nitric acid (







that could be why you have so many nitrates j/k)... do you think that your nitrifying bactera culture is strong? have you rinsed your filter using chlorinated water and killed them off by accident?


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

I always use old tank water to clean filter media-and only clean bio sponges once a month. Ive never changed my hobs filters before - but i always clean them- could that be a problem?


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## Blue (Mar 23, 2005)

deezdrama said:


> ...I took a water test with the test strips and the ph is highly acidic, the nitrite is 3 and the nitrate is ...[snapback]1178854[/snapback]​





deezdrama said:


> ... I just ordered a master test kit. But In the jebo canister theres a whole sack of ammonia chips and carbon chips, ...[snapback]1178900[/snapback]​


I haven't ever used test strips but how accurate are they? It might not hurt to take some water in a bag to your lfs and ask them to test it for you to verify your test results. take some tap water with you too.

Has the tank been clear before? is there some alternative reason it is cloudy other than a bacteria bloom? Is it possible that the tank is just cloudy from suspended sediment churned up by the pacu? (for example)


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

that may be why, it seems clear from the front.


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## DonD (Mar 11, 2004)

A few things here. First, always vacume the entire gravel bed. You are not going to lose any great number of the bacteria that happen to be there. They adhere to the gravel quite nicely and you wont dislodge them. This is an old wives tale type of thing that came around when UG filters first came out.
Next, the cloudy water is due to heterotrophic bacteria. Check the article pinned at the top of the forum here on bacteria blooms. You have a vastly overstocked tank and it is highly unlikely that it will go away. Just too many nutrients in the water.
Third, the more water changes you can do the better. NOT less. Especially in a tank like this. I would highly suggest 50% every day if you can swing it. The longer you go between water changes, the more the water parameters such as KH, pH and nitrates change. Again especially in an overstocked tank. Therefor, the more frequently you change the water, the more stable the tank will be and you may be able to get the nitrates under control as well.
And a quick note. While you will be able to house the Pacu for a bit in the new tank, but he WILL outgrow it, and fairly quickly. These guys are basically swimming manhole covers and anything short of about 1000 gallons wont support an adult.


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

My local fish store has 2 adults around 2 feet long and 3 other large fish in a 220 gallon. Now I know thats way too small but for the mostpart they look happy, In a couple years I will get them a 10' x 3' x 3' tank. Thanks for the water info.


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