The Puffer Forum

Here's the problem, I haven't figured it out. I cleaned all the tanks, then I cleaned the filters in tank water as I always do.
Community tank: amm.0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0 (as always) it's heavily planted. Cleaned their filter in their tank water.
Elvis' tank: amm. 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5-10 (normal) cleaned his sponge in his tank water. No problem with his water either.
Now the problem:
Annabelle's tank: Amm. .5-1.0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0 (nitrate always 0 becuase it's planted also) cleaned her filter in her tank water one week after treatment. For the last week I have been fighting amm. in her tank. All I can think of is either I cleaned the filters too well or the medication I used for the worms had an effect on the BB. Although it's had been two weeks before amm. showed up. This leads me to believe I cleaned her filters too well. I ordered tetra safestart and it will be here in a few days. I have to treat her again today for the worms and I cannot do a water change for two days after treatment. I'll be doing a 90% this morning and start the treatment.

1) Should I wait to add the BB after treatment? Or should I add it when I get it and still do the 90% water change that I'll need to do when treatment is finished? I'll have to do the water change on Wed. I might be getting the safestart tomorrow. I'll be using Levamisole hydrochloride again for this treatment. I've been doing 50% + water changes on her tank every two days to keep the amm down. I think it will be ok to do the treatment then do my 90% water change again on wed. and add the safestart after that. This should help the cycle and then I can begin my weekly 50% water changes again.

2)Only problem is that I will need to clean the filter again in 3 weeks after treatment. I have two canister filters on her tank and I have 4 bottles of safestart coming. One bottle treats 30 gallons. Should I add two bottles, clean her filters in 3 weeks then add the other two bottles or should I add all four and take the chance of another cycle? Need your advice: What would you do?

I just got confirmation that the tetra will be here Wed. therefore I dosed her tank with the meds. On Wed. evening I'll do the 90% water change and add the tetra. Still don't understand why the filter cleaning, if that is the problem, had an affect on her tank and not the overstocked community tank. I clean the canisters once a month in the same routine.

Only thing that has been added to her tank is:
1) Week 1: Levamisole hydrochloride (put in the tank for three days then removed with a 90% water change)
2) 3rd day of Week 1: Aquarium salt (1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons) added after the 90% water change, and replaced when water changes were done. She was thrashing and I didn't want to take a chance of her getting ich with her immune system down.
3) Every day now on week 3: Vitamins added to food (feed every other day), beta gulcan also added to food and vitamin c added to tank to help her recovery (1 tsp once a day)
4) 3rd day of Week 1: Melafix for 3 days after the Levamisole hydrochloride treatment. Her eyes had started to cloud over and I was worried about a possible secondary infection. They cleared up within the 3 days. Removed with two 50% water changes 2 days apart.
5) Cleaned filter at the end of Week1
Amm. started to show in water test on Week 2 (.25 amm) started testing daily, amm. on the rise. Did 50% water change every two days after feeding. Syphoned all the little pieces of food floating around the sand. Also decided to take out all of the dying plants, thought that might have something to do with amm. levels.

I also noticed that she's been blowing sand and the root tabs (flourish) have been above the sand instead of buried. I read somewhere that if the root tabs disolve about the substrate that could cause an amm. spike. Has anyone else head of this? As she finds them I re bury them in a different place. Do you think I should just remove them and see if that stops the amm. spike?

I would definitely remove the root tabs before I make any huge changes to the tank and before the next treatment starts. I've heard the problems that the Flourish can cause and I stopped using them and switched to a liquid supplement, I can't recall the name right now, coffee issue again but I'll go look later.