dealing with a massive amonnia spike

dealing with a massice ammonia spike:

so here it is, i added an external filter to my tank, i was running the juwel standard internal bio box and a fluval u3,

i took the u3 out and used the sponges in a tray in the external filter,

14 hrs later......

massive ammonia spike,

so...

i did a 50% water change and gave the tank a good clean, i originaly had noticed the pleco's swimming to the top, taking air and diving back down, they have since stopped this but a couple of them are still around the bottem breathing really franticly....

its been about 5/6 hrs since the water change and i am still showing signs of ammonia, so goig to do another 30 ish% water change,

barring this,

anyone got any helpful advice to offer.......

DONT DO THE EXTRA CHANGE!!!!

All you will do is freak out the fish and prolong the issue. Ammonia spikes caused by changing filters are almost un-avoidable. Dose the tank with some prime and let the filter ride it out. Make sure that there is plenty of O2 in the water too otherwise the fish will get slammed on 2 fronts.

excessive water changes will cause the tank to stay in a state of cycling and unless you want to go down the road of discus breeders and do 50% daily just ride it out.

thanks doug......

i already made the call last night not to do another one.....

i added in some more mature filter sponges from another filter.....

the levels have come down to about 0.2 amonnia and trace nitrite bit it all was a little to much for my breeding male pep

RIP chunky monkey looks like the xmas pic was his last photo...

i'm really annoyed with myself for this but have learn't a very valuable less.......... when setting up an external or new filter don't just through the old filter media in and think it will be ok !!!!!! run it side by side for a while !!!!

as an update, the tank it was in had 2m and 3f l181 adults and about 12 fry, 120l tank running the juwel bio filter and a fluval u3, there is now only the resesive male and the 3 females left..funny enough all the fry where ok too ... ?

maybe just a little to much stress to go on top for the male.......the other male had been competing for the gravid females but they had always chose the other....now might be his time...

slightly sad on this xmas day......

Dave

Hi davew

Very sorry to hear of your loss davew unfortunately it does happen just when you think your have a spurt of good fotune and luck and everything is going right and fish are getting with it....things like this happens, it happened to me with my new tank and lost 4 of my adult bn.

Things will be back to normal soon mate.

Sorry to hear of your loss Dave , it's hard way to learn a lesson but hopefully this post will help and prevent other people when thinking of doing something similar.