Bacterial Imblance

[Gwenda]

I have a backterial imblance in my new tank it is three weeks old. It was good until I add fish and about 2 and a half cups of water from my old tank. The water got all cloudy and what comes from my skimmer smells. I did a water change this morning about twenty two gallons. But it didn't help. Can someone help me.

[Myka]

If the tank is only 3 weeks old it shouldn't have fish in it yet. Does it have live rock or dry rock? How many lbs? How big is the tank? How did you cycle it? Have you tested ammonia and nitrate? Th cloudy water is probably due to ammonia. If the fish remain in this water they will get ammonia burn on their gills, and will probably succumb. What fish and how many did you add? The skimmate from the skimmer should be green and smell awful.

[Gwenda]

Originally Posted by Myka

If the tank is only 3 weeks old it shouldn't have fish in it yet. Does it have live rock or dry rock? How many lbs? How big is the tank? How did you cycle it? Have you tested ammonia and nitrate? Th cloudy water is probably due to ammonia. If the fish remain in this water they will get ammonia burn on their gills, and will probably succumb. What fish and how many did you add? The skimmate from the skimmer should be green and smell awful.

It is a 120 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. We put about 25 pounds of live rock in the sump from an existing tank. I also used thr 3 day cycle when I started it. The sump water is brownish green. I have two yellow tailed damesls and a clownfish in there.

[Gwenda]

Originally Posted by Myka

If the tank is only 3 weeks old it shouldn't have fish in it yet. Does it have live rock or dry rock? How many lbs? How big is the tank? How did you cycle it? Have you tested ammonia and nitrate? Th cloudy water is probably due to ammonia. If the fish remain in this water they will get ammonia burn on their gills, and will probably succumb. What fish and how many did you add? The skimmate from the skimmer should be green and smell awful.

The ammonia was 1.2

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Gwenda

It is a 120 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. We put about 25 pounds of live rock in the sump from an existing tank. I also used thr 3 day cycle when I started it. The sump water is brownish green. I have two yellow tailed damesls and a clownfish in there.

Why is the live rock in the sump and not in the display tank? What do you have in the tank for decoration? Sand? Did you wash the sand? What is this 3-day cycle? Sounds like a gimmick product. Do you mean the skimmer water is brownish green...or the water in the sump? The sump water should be the same color as the display tank since it is all running together.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Gwenda

The ammonia was 1.2

Oh dear! That is huge. You need to get those fish out of the tank right away. They will die in that level of ammonia. That is very toxic. Ammonia is lethal at that level. Your 3-day cycle didn't work. Take them back to the store if possible.

Please read the link in my signature about cycling the tank.

[Gwenda]

Originally Posted by Myka

Why is the live rock in the sump and not in the display tank? What do you have in the tank for decoration? Sand? Did you wash the sand? What is this 3-day cycle? Sounds like a gimmick product. Do you mean the skimmer water is brownish green...or the water in the sump? The sump water should be the same color as the display tank since it is all running together.

We have 10 pieces of livr rock in the display tank.And we ouy a !00 pounds of sand which we washed.The three day cycle is called Bacter Vital. And the water from the skimmer is brownish gray.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Gwenda

We have 10 pieces of livr rock in the display tank.And we ouy a !00 pounds of sand which we washed.The three day cycle is called Bacter Vital. And the water from the skimmer is brownish gray.

The live rock in the display tank is "fresh" rock from the LFS? If so, it needs to be cured. The curing process releases ammonia as there will be die-off from the rock, when the nitrifying bacteria have reached a high enough population the ammonia level will drop. This will usually take 6-8 weeks. I have never heard of this Bacter Vital product, but it is obvious that it didn't work because there is ammonia in your tank. Your cycle isn't over until the ammonia is at zero for many days. The cloudiness in the tank is from the really high level of ammonia, and those fish will die if they aren't returned. Please call the store you got them from and ask if they will take the fish back until your tank has finished cycling in several weeks. It will take at least another 3-5 weeks for the tank to cycle with the ammonia level so high. Don't let the LFS tell you that it is ok to leave the fish in water that contains 1.2 ppm ammonia. If they DO tell you it is ok, please start shopping somewhere else!

It was a bit of a mistake to add the rock from the existing tank to this tank before the tank cycles. The ammonia from the new rock will kill a bunch of the life on the old cured rock you already had. The pod population and many worms and small critters like that will likely perish. In the future, the new rock should be cured (cycled) before adding the old cured rock.

[Gwenda]

Originally Posted by Myka

Oh dear! That is huge. You need to get those fish out of the tank right away. They will die in that level of ammonia. That is very toxic. Ammonia is lethal at that level. Your 3-day cycle didn't work. Take them back to the store if possible.

Please read the link in my signature about cycling the tank.

I have tried but the link comes up blank. the tests that I did last night were the ph was 8.0 the ammona was 0.06 I went to 1.2 because thats what it showed on the chart if I read it right. on the chart it shows it in the yellow with those two numbers.

[Reef_kid]

I have had that happen, back 14 years ago when i started my first tanks.
i suggest you make up a batch of freash salt water , in a large rubbermade tub.
put airstones in it and a heater.(make sure the pH matches your tank) The airstone will help evolve the ammonia in the tank. put the fish in the tub.
for the tank get some nitrate remover, and phophate remover. ferric oxide. this can go in a filter bag in any area of water flow. and chyto macro algae is a essential in my mind.
do a large water change on the main tank, and run it for a few days.
the fish should be fine in the tub water, if possable you can have someone take them off your hand until the tank has ballances.

what happens is the bacteria grow exponentally, then they crash, resulting in a tank crash.


when you do add the fish back to the tank . limit the amount of food you feed them.

the macro algae and phosphate remover will remove a lot of the chemicals in the tank.

this hobby is about balanced and patients

(dont use ammonia filter mediums in reef tanks)