filtration issues
Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 4:31 pm
Hello,
I have a 75 gallon tank with a healthy adult yellow-bellied female. In the tank is a foot or larger pleco and 20 or so fancy guppies that Charlotte does a decent job of controlling their population. She has been in this tank for 2.5-3 years. When I first put her in the tank I got a Cascade 1000 and it worked great. About a month or two ago, I noticed the tank was cloudy after a filter/water change. I was not too concerned. Waited about a week, did another water change and it cleared up a bit, but became murky and cloudy again. I did some online research and thought maybe I had done too many water changes and had caused bacteria levels to rise too quickly and supposedly the fix was to let it be and eventually the levels would return to normal and the tank would clear up. Not the case. The tank began to stink. So I did more filter/water changes. Bought a water test kit and ammonia levels were off the charts. During this entire time, I have not lost any fish and Charlotte's behavior (i.e., eating, sunning, sleeping) is normal. My Cascade has dropped in production, so I purchased a Fluval 306 to help. I have had the Fluval going for about a month and nothing has changed. The water is still murky, it stinks if I wait too long to change the water (I can go about a week before it starts smelling up the room it is in), ammonia levels are off the charts, and all inhabitants of the tank are acting like nothing is wrong.
Any suggestions/advice?
Do you think my Cascade is shot? Should I get another Fluval 306 or should I get a 406 to go with the 306? Should I get another Cascade? Should I go with a different brand? I have had Charlotte for probably 5 years and when I rescued her she came in a 55 gallon.
Thanks for any help.
Aaron
I have a 75 gallon tank with a healthy adult yellow-bellied female. In the tank is a foot or larger pleco and 20 or so fancy guppies that Charlotte does a decent job of controlling their population. She has been in this tank for 2.5-3 years. When I first put her in the tank I got a Cascade 1000 and it worked great. About a month or two ago, I noticed the tank was cloudy after a filter/water change. I was not too concerned. Waited about a week, did another water change and it cleared up a bit, but became murky and cloudy again. I did some online research and thought maybe I had done too many water changes and had caused bacteria levels to rise too quickly and supposedly the fix was to let it be and eventually the levels would return to normal and the tank would clear up. Not the case. The tank began to stink. So I did more filter/water changes. Bought a water test kit and ammonia levels were off the charts. During this entire time, I have not lost any fish and Charlotte's behavior (i.e., eating, sunning, sleeping) is normal. My Cascade has dropped in production, so I purchased a Fluval 306 to help. I have had the Fluval going for about a month and nothing has changed. The water is still murky, it stinks if I wait too long to change the water (I can go about a week before it starts smelling up the room it is in), ammonia levels are off the charts, and all inhabitants of the tank are acting like nothing is wrong.
Any suggestions/advice?
Do you think my Cascade is shot? Should I get another Fluval 306 or should I get a 406 to go with the 306? Should I get another Cascade? Should I go with a different brand? I have had Charlotte for probably 5 years and when I rescued her she came in a 55 gallon.
Thanks for any help.
Aaron