# Troubleshooting Dead Pleco/Ammonia Spike



## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

Finally found the fact sheet on the pleco I got a couple of weeks ago. Got home and noticed my tank was slightly cloudy and my pleco was out in the open. Took a closer look and he didn't scurry away like it does normally. Sure enough, when the net approached it and it didn't move, I started to say my prayers. The tiger barbs and cories were gasping so I knew right away it that the ammonia had spiked, but why?

Tank running for about a month. Cycling with fish (added biozyme once a day for the first 7, then once a week).
Last week tank was in mid-cycle: ph 7.0, ammonia was dropping from 6ppm to 4ppm, nitrites were kicking in at .25ppm, no signs of nitrate yet. Temp averaged at 80degrees.

Yesterday:
ph 6.6 - dropped
ammonia 8.0 - spiked
nitrite - 0 dropped???
temp - normal

So after removing fish/testing water, I swept the sand and changed about 30-40% of the water. I rinsed out the 404's and added some carbon and a little bit of ammonia rocks to one of the 404s. Changed the filter pads in my skilter400 but did not rinse out the biomax (in bags in back of filter), and added a power head to increase oxygen. Tested water immediately, nothing changed. Waited 2 hours to test again, nothing changed, but the other fish started to gasp less.

I saw the pleco swimming and eating algae about 18 hours before death, the night before. I noticed a few blackworms were in the sand when I swept, but they were alive. I've been feeding blackworms since saturday, once a day. This morning it is just as cloudy, tank didn't cloud up more or less. The fish were breathing normally, running late, didn't have time to test water, will test again tonight.

When I first got into fish keeping back in the day, I had help from a friend who gave me used filter pads to boost the biological filter, never had any problems. This time I started from scratch, so it's like a new experience. Yes I admit it, the first time it was like lying on a resume and getting a job I didn't deserve. This time I'm putting in the work.

Maybe there's something I'm missing that you all can help me out. I've tried to provide as much info as I can. 
My questions are:
1) So the water was starting to cloud... due to the dead pleco?
2/3/4) Did this incident prolong completing the cycle? where did my nitrites go? Do I have to start the cycle all over?
5) Did the small amount of blackworms have that much of an impact in my bioload?

TIA, C


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The cloudy water is the result of a bacterial population explosion brought on by the abundance of ammonia.
The nitrite either got converted into nitrate, OR, it got reduced back into ammonia again on account of something being very, very wrong with your system. That could account for both it's disappearance and the ammonia surge.
This could be either the sign of a stalled cycle, or of an about to be suddenly accellerated one. I don't think you have to start over by any means, and the stuff you already did should get things going again.

Biozyme is crap. You're better off without it.


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

TheOldSalt said:


> Biozyme is crap. You're better off without it.


Couldn't find a LFS with biospora...

I got a bacterial bloom after the first week, went away in 3 days.

Just to add, i inspected the pleco, no signs of parasitic or fungal infections. Must have died from the toxicity from the high levels of ammonia. Inspected other fish for over an hour after water change, no signs of abnormality other than rapid breathing.

I noticed some blackworms in the sponges of the 404's, don't know if they were alive or dead. The internals of the 404 didn't smell funky like dead rotting debris though.

Thanks oldsalt, again (bows)


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

You did not get the tank properly cycled looks like. Then you added or started with too big a fish load. Plecos are not good cycling fish at all.

Next tank I suggest you try a fishless cycle which lets you fully stock the tank when it is completed.

While ammo rocks etc. will detoxify ammonia, they do not block the cycle. They throw off ammonia test kits making most useless and then the cycle goes on, producing the nitrites which are even worse than the ammonia.


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

DavidDoyle said:


> You did not get the tank properly cycled looks like. Then you added or started with too big a fish load. Plecos are not good cycling fish at all.
> 
> Next tank I suggest you try a fishless cycle which lets you fully stock the tank when it is completed.
> 
> While ammo rocks etc. will detoxify ammonia, they do not block the cycle. They throw off ammonia test kits making most useless and then the cycle goes on, producing the nitrites which are even worse than the ammonia.


Thanks for the input, DD.

The pleco was introduced last. The barbs cycled the tank. The cories were introduced to help with the uneaten food that hit the bottom. I ended up switching to live food because the cories couldn't find the food before it broke down. I agree, the pleco was introduced to early.

I started with 6 barbs in the 125 with two Hagen Fluval 404's, a skilter 400 and 2 power heads with sponge pre-filters.

The ammonia rocks were a quick fix to detoxify the ammonia, knowing that the ammonia would be readable on the tests. WHY the ammonia spiked the way it did is what puzzles me. The highest nitrite reading I've gotten was .25ppm, then it dropped to 0 yesterday. No traces of Nitrates. I'm going to remove the ammonia rocks tonight.

I have a 20L doing a fishless cycle now.

Going to do either a brackish or salt with fish only in the 55. I'll inquire in the SW forums when I'm ready. Got all the equipment but a stand. Once the 125 is straight then I'll be building the stand. The 55 is "her" tank. She likes puffers because they're attentive and cute. She has no idea, but I'll keep whatever she wants. I suggested 6 red tail barracuda in a 300, but she wouldn't go for that.


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