liveforphysics said:
IMO, tanks and fish to best with a hands off approach. If the tank had at least some bacteria in there (and its impossible not to), I would just sit back and let things stabilize naturally. A tank getting constantly waterchanged to remove ammonia and nitrite is going to take much longer to reach a functional natual ballence.
If I were in your situation, I would likely do something like move all the livestock into a quarenteen with just NSW and a couple of sponge filters over the intakes of powerheads to filter things, perhaps a dribble of a live bacteria solution wouldnt hurt.
Then I would dump in a few teaspoons of household ammonia into the display tank (depending on size). This is going to cause your ammonia processing bacteria to skyrocket, and hours later your nitrite processing bacteria will do the same. After that, I would let ammonia and nitrite reach zero on there own, while makeing sure to keep feeding the tank the same amount of food you do when its stocked. This shouldnt take long. Then I would add the fish back to the display.
Luke, the discussion is about a QT with fish currently being treated for C. Irritans. I know your trying to be helpful but it's confusing the situation.
Kitteness, I would suggest you completely ignore the above info in regards to your QT. You'll have a tank of dead fish.
Kitteness said:
in a couple of days the lights will be here so i can start the setup process.
You don't need the lights to cycle the tank. Get it started now. By the time the fish in the QT are finished the treatment, the 210 will be close to cycled.
Do not use anything from the 55 gal if you can help it. You will add an additional 2 months before it can be used. If you can keep the 210 parasite free, it and the fish would be ready in just about 4 weeks.
I don't understand do i put the water in the bucket with the copper all in or am i using it as a measured amount to add to the tank a bit at a time?
Add only the amount to the bucket so it tests at 0.4-0.5 ppm Cupramine. When you use this method instead of dosing the QT, your numbers will be more accurate and you'll use less regent from the test kit and it will last longer.
I just tested my QT tank again and got pH 8.2, ammonia .6ppm , nitrite .25ppm , and nitrate 10 ppm and copper at .4
0.4 is fine on the copper but you have to get that ammonia reading below 0.1 ppm. Do at least a 50% water change ASAP and then another 50% before you go to bed. You'll most likely need to change that amount twice a day. Your problems are being created by the nitrogen proicess, not the copper or the parasite.
The instructions on the Hagen ammonia test kit say that if the results are under 1.2 then to just keep adding their nutrafin (some sort of bacteria supplement I assume and I don't have it and am not adding it of course) but it has a chart for if it does go over 1.2 and to measure the pH with to get the results of true ammonia but i have not had to use that chart yet.
Ammonia is pH dependant and there are two types. NH4+ which is ammonium or ionized ammonia and not a concern at higher pH values like that in marine aquaria. The one your concerned about is NH3- or unionized ammonia. The higher NH3- gets relative to pH, the more toxic it becomes. An example would be an ammonia level of 1.0 @ a pH of 8.0 would be less toxic than if the pH was at 8.2. Hagen makes two different test kits, one for FW and one for SW.
Here is the chart...
http://www.novalek.com/kpd66.htm
Another thing I am wondering is if I am doing the water changes don't I still need a bit of ammonia to get the cycle process going? Which it seems it is going but not leveling out so I am a bit confused on how long it will take with all the water changes going on?
Not so and often misunderstood. You do not need large amounts of ammonia, nitrite or nutrient to cycle a tank. As long as the numbers register on the test kit, the bacteria have a fuel source. Minimal readings are what you need. If you allow the ammonia (especially) or the nitrite to get too high the fish will not survive. This is especially important while using a copper treatment.
So if my coral catfish died in the main tank what happens if he released any venom?
It won't, just be sure you dispose of it carefully (do not handle) and soon.
Cheers
Steve
