Habitat - Indoor :: Water Quality Crash! **UPDATE**

[SpotsMama]

My water quality has tested perfect since my XP3 filter finished cycling back in September. I just tested, though, and it's totally messed up - ammonia and nitrites are high. Nitrates are low.

Also, the ph is the lowest it's ever been. I've been working for months to gradually lower it and it's now between 6.6 and 6.8. I've been trying to lower it to help Spot's shell. He has trouble shedding. Now I'm wondering if I've killed some of the good bacteria with too much acid.

Or could my test supplies be out of date and giving false readings? I don't find an expiration date on the package.

Maybe I've been overfeeding and the filter's not handling it.

The water is clear and not stinky. The minnows are fine. Spot has not wanted to bask as much these last few weeks, but don't know if the two are connected.

Any ideas?????

**UPDATE 1-14-07**

Thanks for all the good suggestions. As of today, the water quality readings are almost perfect (I still see just a trace of ammonia, but not enough to calibrate). I'm pretty sure the culprit was an over indulgence in PH down. The PH is still low - around 6.6. I won't put any more in until it starts to rise above 7, and if I do it then, I'll put it in VERY slowly.

[SpotsMama]

I last cleaned the filter a few days before Christmas. I guess I replaced ab out 2/3 of the water at that time. Last week I changed out about 1/3 to 1/2 of the water.

[grey goose]

Could be your bio-rings (or stars) are clogging up. I had a similar problem, only with a fluval. I have no experience with XP's, but the way I resolved it was to rinse the rings real well then used some of that poly-wool (AKA filter floss) in the stage before the bio-rings. It seems to trap the stuff that gets past the sponges. It was a tan-brownish gunk that coated the rings. I also stopped using that waste degrader stuff that some folks swear by. It made my sponges all muddy. I'm not sure what effect a lower Ph would have on bacteria counts, if any......but I've read somewhere that some of those exotic fish keepers push the Ph much lower.....

[SpotsMama]

Thanks. I just replaced about half the water and put in some conditioner. I put in some more ph down, too. Until I find out it's a problem I'm going to keep using it. I'll test over the next few days and if the readings aren't good I'll go ahead and clean the filter.

Last time I cleaned it, the rings were pretty clean. I rinsed them in tank water. In fact, everything in the filter looked pretty good except I needed to replace the very top micro filter, as usual. I replaced the bio chem zorb. I cleaned the sponges but they weren't that bad. It hadn't been quite a month since I last cleaned.

I use the waste degrader but last time I cleaned the filter I had only a little left so didn't put in as much as usual.

I'm thinking over feeding. I've been giving Spot a lot of lettuce and other veggies in addition to his pellets. He had a pretty big hunk of shrimp at Christmas time. Also, he's been ravaging his anacharis and there were lots of bits and pieces of that on the bottom of the tank. (I just vacuumed them up). Then there are the four big minnows in the tank. Maybe the load was just too much. I thought an XP3 would be able to handle it, though.

We'll see.....

[grey goose]

Keep us posted, I'm courious as to what you'l find in that filter.

[SpotsMama]

Will do.

[steve]

I've been neglecting water testing here. I have been doing about 50% changes almost weekly, but I never go longer than 2 weeks without changing at least 50% of the water.

[SpotsMama]

Maybe I just need to be more diligent about water changes. I'll try that too. It was just so good and easy for such a long time, I thought it was going to be a cake walk.

[steve]

To be honest, with all the water changes I do, I sometimes wonder if it's worth going the extra step and using bio media. Having a Python makes it so much easier, so I wonder sometimes...

[SpotsMama]

Well, honestly, for awhile there I was thinking that I didn't need to be changing water as often as I was. It was always clear and the tests were always clean. I was crushed to find I had a problem tonight.

[steve]

The kits do have an expiration date, so it really could be that. I would test it again and maybe a "fresh" sample too.

[CountryGirl68]

Chlorinated water can kill beneficial bacteria as will the use of chemicals. Most fish enthusiasts do not recommend using PH Up and PH Down because it can completeley wipe out the bacteria - even if the product says it won't. Also, levels of less than 6.5 of ph can kill this bacteria.

The PH Down has probably decreased or killed off your bacteria causing your ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels to go crazy.

For aquatic turtles, I've read that the best ph is actually between 7.0 to 8.0.

[SpotsMama]

OK. I'm going to try this: (1) get a fresh test kit (I doubt this is the problem though) (2) clean the filter and see what I find, then if nothing else pans out, (3) I'll let the ph rise up.

I use Reptisafe for chlorine so that shouldn't be the problem.

I changed out about half the water last night and got the same bad test results today.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll post the solution if and when I find it!

[steve]

Oops, I missed the part with PH Down. Thanks Lary

[SpotsMama]

Another Update: For the last week or so the water quality has been perfect. I cleaned the filter tonight and there wasn't anything unusual in it. It was pretty clean. Maybe a dozen tiny snails is all. So I think the problem that I had with my water quality several weeks ago was an excess of ph down.