new filter.. changed water parameters?

Sarah84 · 12-19-2006, 09:15 PM

Hey all

a few days ago i put a marineland 350 bio wheel (good for 75 gals) on my 55 tank. before I was running my topfin 30 on it (temporarily), and i tested my water, and i had
amonia .25 ppm
nitrite .25 ppm
and nitrate 5ppm

and I added my biowheel two days ago,
and now I have all readings of 0....... why would this be?
Did i put my tank into a new cycle? even though it has benefical bacteria in the gravel etc. (I hope not) as i just added 10 tetras :S
tank includes
2 mollies
2 otos
3 kuhlie loach
4 white clouds
5 glowlight tetras
2 neon tetra

I'm confused.. and worried now that I did something wrong and stupid!
Sarah

dlee9707 · 12-20-2006, 04:19 PM

having no ammonia nitrite and nitrate is a good thing, but going from no having ammonia to no ammonia nitrite or nitrate is weird. only thing i can think is that with the new filter you put in new carbon in the filter and it yanked it out. very new carbon can do that.

Sarah84 · 12-20-2006, 05:57 PM

well maybe it's good news then! heh. only time will tell I guess.The filter I had on the 55gal was too small for it (topfin 30) was only a temp arrangement and now I put marineland biowheel 350.. which has two turning wheels, and two carbon filters (its meant up to 75 gal) boy is the water clear!!

Sarah

Tommy Gun · 12-20-2006, 06:33 PM

I would think something is wrong with your tank based upon the lack of any nitrates in the tank. While carbon can suck up some nitrates, I doubt it could keep up with that many fish for very long at all, if it even could remove your tank of everything all at once. I would keep testing, and double check all those items.

A filter shouldnt have that large of an impact on the tank as far as completely 'un-cycling' it in a day or two. In fact, I wouldnt think it possible at all unless you have a completely bare tank. Just in case, I would put the old filter back on and run both, if you have the space. Even if you have to hang the old one on the front of the tank, it would be better to err on the side of caution here.

In a cycled tank, one would want to have 0 ammonia and nitrite levels, but nitrates are almost always present in low amounts, especially if the tank is stocked up.

Sarah84 · 12-21-2006, 12:27 AM

okay so I tested tonight again, it's been 4 days, nitrites and amonia are stilll at 0 and I have almost 5ppm for nitrates. I will keep an eye out.

when I got my 55, i basically emptied my 29 gal contents into the 55, gravel..water.. and all. then just topped up the tank and ran the same filter for 2 weeks (topfin 30), the readings stayed the same until i put the new filter on.

Unfortunitly Tommy, I returned my 29 gal tank along with the filter (As it was a kit), I wasn't happy with the topfin 30 (as the tank always seemed to be on the silty/dusty looking side) and they happen to have a lifetime garentee. So i bought this new filter, and added the new fish the same day ( i got the fish before (at a diff store.. a small LFS family ran..healthier fish..I knew i could return the tank/filter later that day to petsmart)

I only lost 1 neon tetra, (that was on the second day) , but out of 10 fish thats pretty good I think. as before i said only 2 neons.. typo.. i added 5 neons and 5 glowlight..

So one can only hope things stay o0k... i'll just keep watching at letcha guys know.
Sarah

BJP · 12-22-2006, 06:18 AM

Ammonia gases off into the atmoshere very easily. The bio-wheel is a good way of accomplishing that plus it dumps directly onto the surface increasing agitation of the surface water even more. They're also pretty good at releasing CO2 into the atmosphere which is why planted tanks with CO2 supplimentation avoid them.