My 90 Gal tank appears to have lost its cycle
here is a time line. All I have for filtration is a penguin 350. Thats all that was on it before I got my canister. I have also determined that i have about 7.5ppm Nitrates in my tap water.

3/1 Put in 2 large pieces of LFS wood.

3/4
Installed Fluval 405 Canister

3/6
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrate 20ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
pH 6.7
Did a 40 Gal water change

3/7
Ammonia .75ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
Did 40 Gal water change

3/8
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
Did a 40 Gal Water Change

3/12
Ammonia 2.0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
pH 6.8
Did a 50 Gallon water change


My Nitrate doesnt seem to be raising. I have no idea what I could have done lose my cycle but it appears to have happened, or has it?

I put in 5ml Stress Coat for every 10 US Gallons. I calculate how much Gallons im taking out using math simply 48(Length)x18(width)x(water level removed) so today I did

48x18x13.5= 50 Gallons.

I am completely lost. Anyone one have any advice?

Also I would like a recommendation on what chemical filtration media I can add to my 405. I know chemical filtration isn't recommended but I'm worried about this prolonged exposure to ammonia.

James, Just keep up with the water changes. It may be the added filtration. Your PH is also low enough that the ammonia, however scary isn't as harmful as if your PH was 8. So just keep the water changes going and you will be alright!

How would adding the filtration increase the ammonia. Also wouldnt I see an increase in Nitrite? None of this seems to make sense!

right now you are having a mini cycle. Overload on new media.
The ammonia is up, it will in time drop and the nitrite will rise,
Then the nitite drops.

Give it time

So is 40G to much for a daily change on my 90? So I have 4 trays in my 405 currently I only have 1 tray filled with bio media. I would like to add 2 more trays of bio media. I have been told eheim's media is better than fluval's. I was looking at some online.

www.petsolutions.com/Bio-Balls+I96300791+C10271.aspx
www.petsolutions.com/Fluval-Bio-Max-Cera...15511455+C10271.aspx
www.petsolutions.com/Marineland-Canister...47490319+C10271.aspx

Try only doing 30% or 30 gallons!



in best answer to your question, I have an FX5 and several other canisters, I have the bottom trays filled with BIO MAX, and the other trays filled with the plastic dish scrubbies. They are 6 for $1 and they last forever. They will not only hold the good bacteria, but they filter out the smaller crap too. I swear by them and several other members will tell you the same thing.

Here is a pic




I got mine at Dollar General!

prolly do 2 with BIO MAX and 2 with scrubbies? How often do you clean though things? or do you just replace them?

I take mine out about every 4-6 weeks and give them a squeeze in a bucket of dirty tank water. They will last FOREVER!

And 2 and 2 would be fine!

cool now I just have to find some of those. about how big are the across?

they are about the size of an orange. If you are in the US, as I am old and have forgotten, any dollar store will have them.

Im from Oregon. If your "old" you dont show it =P