elevated nitrate

[Goes to 11!]

No need to wait, Do at least another 50% WC [This will bring your trAtes to 20, A 75% WC would bring them to 10 btw.]

BTW - When Lady Hobbs said do larger water changes she meant closer to 40 or 50% at a minimum.

You can pull those plates but be very prepared to do some more heavy vacuuming and WC.

[emster1]

is there any harm that can be done by too much water change and vaccuming at once? I have only had the two hang on filters for about a week. I just added another sponge and some bio balls to the penguine bio wheel filter. i did water change two days ago also and this am.

[Goes to 11!]

Provided you match temps and use dechlor, A WC is nothing but beneficial. Some discus owners do 80% WC daily in fact. Vac is generally done in sections but since you are pulling the UGF anyway...

I have only had the two hang on filters for about a week.

:!: Am I to understand that you are cycling this tank with discus in it? Is that correct?

[emster1]

no, i have had this tank running for 5 years, but just recently put discus in it. the discus would not eat, so i was feeding them worms several times a day in small amounts to coax them. now they are eating well. i would prefer to transition to pellet food but with the gravel in the tank they dont seem to look at the pellets. i was thinking of having no substrate, but not sure how todo this without disturbing the biological filter

[Goes to 11!]

AH - Thanks for the recap [I skimmed above and it shows ]

Ok, A bare bottom tank would be far easier to keep clean yeah and provided you have adequate filtration losing the gravel would be a non issue.

When your new filter additions are fully cycled I don't see why you couldn't pull the gravel out.

[emster1]

so you think i could start with the undergravel plates first, then after a few weeks pull the gravel out? i have penguin 350 and an aquaclear 50, i could add more filtration if you think i should. I had a reef tank 15 years ago, and discus, but have not had such touchy fish, etc for many years. My discus look really healthy, but I know how quick things can change and at my local fish store they tell me to quit reading on the internet. i keep water at 85. should i add peat to a filter? i was told that my nitrates spiked cause i did too aggresive of a gravel vac few days ago. also told add chemi pure. so much advice, and not sure what to do...

[Goes to 11!]

Personally I would be tempted to do it all at once [as soon as your filters are cycled] and be done with it.

IMO you are underfiltered also, I have never used peat or chemi pure so I can offer no advice there sorry.

I agree your trAtes spiked from all the funk stirred up during the vac, This is a no-brainer. I do not understand why they didn't tell you to ditch the cause of the buildup --> The UGF.

I would def not support a shop that tells me not to research info, Correct me IF I am wrong sure... BUT - Telling me to not seek out info is something else altogether.

[emster1]

i agree. i believe they actually said dont believe everything i read. i feel the more i read the more i will learn, i will get another filter today as well. what do you recommend. Thank you for your help

[Goes to 11!]

They are right in that respect but that's hardly news lol.

I would keep what you have on it & either get an AC110 or a canister filter such as an Eheim 2213 [or 2215 if the budget allows]

I would most likely get the canister actually and use it for Bio while the HOBs do primarily mech filtration.

[Lady Hobbs]

Hi emster, I noticed the part where you just added new filters a week ago. Does this mean those filters were not cycled?

Gravel vac's and large water changes remove the nitrates so they should not increase but go down. That's how low nitrates are maintained with our water changes. But I see no where that the size of this tank has been mentioned............OK.......60 gallons.

You definately should have a canister filter and a HOTB for this tank. The AquaClear 50 is probably sufficient for about a 20 gallon tank.