Help! More filter troubles...

[eastofthesun46]

Basically, my filter is shot.
I have taken it apart and cleaned it five times in the last three days. I can find nothing wrong with it, but it is not blowing bubbles and the water flow is very poor. Essentially, it is now just doing a very bad job of agitating the water.
Over the last three days, I have performed three 30% water changes. I also did two 50% water changes today, eight hours apart, after the filter stopped putting out even the occasional bubble. With each water change, I have added 10ml Stress Zyme, and, until my test strips ran out two days ago, the nitrogen levels were fine.
The fish appear to be behaving normally, although they are breathing very quickly.
I will do another 50% water change in about 8 hours, before I go to pick up a new filter - should this be enough to keep the ammonia levels sufficiently low?
In the tank (19gal), I have five danios, three neon tetra, two honey gourami, a small featherfin catfish and a 2" clown loach.
Also, when I pick up the new filter, I will get Tetra Filter Start - are there any more products you would recommend to help maintain the health of my fish???

[Diana]

Float the filter media from the dying filter in the tank. Not the best way to circulate water through it, but better than having those bacteria sitting in a filter with no water flow. They will have access to ammonia and oxygen in the tank. Rinse the filter media, first, in used tap water to get rid of the worst of the debris, but keep the bacteria alive.

Bubbles are not needed for the health of the tank. Good water movement is needed.

http://www.seachem.com/Library/Articles ... tionPrimer
Scroll down to 'A Primer on Aquarium Filtration'
There is a lot of info in there about the optimum arrangement of filter media for the best filtration. Discusses flow rate, thickness of the media and many other things.
Based on that article I would not get any filter with a cartridge style of media.

Tetra Safe Start will boost the population of beneficial bacteria. Good idea! You could also keep the old filter media in the new filter for a couple of weeks.

[eastofthesun46]

Thanks for the advice!
Ok, so I managed to buy another filter this morning. In the end, they only had two suitable, so I ended up with a Fluval U2 filter - this has clay beads in a basket within the filter, I hope this isn't what you meant by a filter cartridge, Diana? I have both filters running concurrently in the tank, and will leave the tank running like this for the next week, until the new filter has had a chance to develop.

I picked up Nutrafin Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement, since my lfs did not have Tetra Filter Start. It came recommended in the filter manual, so fingers crossed it will work. I have poured a 60ml dose directly into the filter, plus 20ml Stress Zyme, after a 50% water change.

I also managed to pick up a test kit, and did a quick test of the water levels before and after the change:
Before the water change,
Ammonia - 1ppm
Nitrite - 1.5ppm
Nitrate - 10 ppm

And after,
Ammonia - 0.5 ppm
Nitrite - 7.5ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm (??)

I know these levels are still a little high, but I want to give the tank (and my fish) a chance to settle before I do another change. I will test the water again first thing tomorrow, and if conditions have not improved, I will perform another 50% change.

On the bright side, though, none of my fish have died, and they seem to have perked up since the last water change. Their breathing is now down to about 80 breaths per minute, and Eric has already done his loachy dance all over the new filter! As I write, he has gotten bored of it, and is back to shredding the last of my live plants!!

Next step, I think, will be to replace some plants and treat the tank for algae.

[eastofthesun46]

So after approx. 8 hours, water conditions are as follows:
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrite - 0.5ppm
Nitrate - 20ppm

This is definately a step in the right direction!!

[Diana]

Looks like you were able to save a lot of the nitrifying bacteria.
Cycle does not have the proper species of nitrifying bacteria. Nitrospiros is the proper species.
Test results are sure moving in the right direction!

A cartridge filter is one that has a grid of plastic covered with a thin sheet of floss, and some activated carbon between the plastic and the floss. Most often seen in hang on back style of filters. The instructions say to throw away the dirty cartridge monthly and buy a new one. Quite a lot of money for the company that makes the cartridges, and you are throwing away all the nitrifying bacteria that has colonized the cartridge. Also, not a very efficient filter set up:
Water flows through the thin layer of floss so fast that a lot of the debris is knocked off, to end up back in the tank.

Sounds like you have a canister filter? Biological media like you are describing is more common in canisters, though it is available in some HOB filter.

[eastofthesun46]

It's good to know I'm doing something right! From now on, it's two filters in every tank, no matter what the size!!

Did a further water test this morning...
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrite - 0.25ppm
Nitrate - 20ppm

Have dosed the tank with another 20ml of Nutrafin and Stress Zyme, hopefully this will do the trick! If ammonia levels haven't dropped to 0 by tomorrow, I will do another water change.

The tank definately looks healthier, though! Which is great, because it means I can finally stop stressing and get some sleep!!

[Diana]

I am not sure if either of the products you mention will help by locking up the ammonia.
I know Prime, Amquel Plus and certain other dechlorinators will lock up the ammonia so it is not toxic to the fish. If you have already used one of these products then the ammonia you are reading might already be locked up, not a problem. (Test kits vary in how they respond to locked up ammonia) Best way to use these is to do a water change to get the ammonia as low as possible, then use one of the ammonia locking products to deal with the remaining ammonia. Nitrifying bacteria can still use the ammonia when you have locked it up with Prime, Amquel Plus or similar products.

Your tank is ready for a water change, anyway with nitrate at 20 ppm.