Ammonia spike

[M0oN]

So I'm treating with hexamit, I've got two magnum 350's and two aquaclear 500's on a 100 gallon tank with an air pump rated for 100 gallons powering two airstone strips. Temp is around 90 degree's, about 3 hours after the first treatment my ammonia levels spiked to .5 so I'm wondering, aside from large water changes (which I have done) if there are any suggestions to help keep this down?

[Carol_Roberts]

That is an awful lot of filters - are there any quiet areas in the tank? How long have the filters been on the tank - are they all fully cycled?

Two AC 500's is plenty for that size tank - if the media is cycled. (Uncycled filters aren't doing anything but moving water while they grow a bacteria bed)

The temp needs to be at 92+ for the metro to be most effective.

Do you have a hospital tank? It must be hard to heat 50 gallons of change water to 92 degrees for your water changes.

[M0oN]

After adding the magnum 350's the discus seemed to get happier, they've shown healthier colors and their fins are constantly flared out, they also come to the front of the tank for food more readily. There are quiet spots in the tank, believe it or not, because of how I have the filters set up.

I don't have a hospital tank, unfortunately my hospital tank is already being used for somthing else. I simply mix hot and cold water together in large rubbermaid trash cans until I get the temperature right.

Everything but one magnum 350 is cycled. I believe the hexamit is what's causing the spike, but who knows. I'll probably just add a bag of BioSpira after I'm done with treatment.

[Steve_Warner]

Hi all,
MOoN, how long has this tank been up and running with fish in it? Also, we need more specifics on the filters, such as how long they have been running, did you clean them out recently, etc.? Anyone know if Hexamit will deplete the Oxygen levels in a tank? 90 degree water also limits the amount of Oxygen saturation in the W/B. Bacterial filtration die-off possibly?

Steve

[M0oN]

Well, odds are it's bacteria die off, the filters are all cycled aside from one magnum 350, but I did remove a cycled emperor 400 before adding the 350, so the bacteria is probably trying to cycle through the magnum right now.

[Carol_Roberts]

Metro itself may impact the biological bed - especially if there is not much there to begin with.