HELP!! DID I KILL MY BACTERIA??

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xDestro

xDestro

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Aug 15, 2016
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I noticed the fx4 on my 75 wasn't pushing much water so I decided to clean it? I filled up a 20 gallon tote with 10 gallons of tank water and to get a bit more I added 5 gallons of tap water, well I added what I thought was declorinator to the 5 gallon bucket before I added it to the tote but it was acually Flourish excell... I didn't notice until I cleaned all my media in the water. Suggestions??? Please???
 
rinse, should be fine. Flourish is just nutrients, carbon primarily which shouldn't harm the biocolonies, and any chlorine was diluted because you mixed tank water. Just don't overclean the media, especially if that is the only filter on the tank. Maybe increase your WC routine for a few weeks in case of a mini cycle. Use a test kit and keep an eye on things for a few days. Definitely add the correct conditioner now.

Does the tank have another filter?
 
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I cleaned the media fairly well... it has a sponge filter on it
 
Just test and keep an eye on things, maybe sneak a few extra water changes in if you're worried. You can dose with prime or safe to give you an ammonia buffer per label instructions.

Shoud be okay
 
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Hello; It is my understanding the bio-film the bb forms sticks well to surfaces. I guess it can be scrubbed off but a strong rinse does not seem to have ever removed much. I do from time to time take a round brush to the insides of the tubes on a filter and scrub away the film that builds up and interferes with water flow.
My guess is that as long as no disinfectant was used that the bb will re-colonize the filter fairly quickly. It is also my take that the bb colonize many other surfaces in a tank so those will still be in place.
I guess that some think the filters and mainly the media are the only place where bb colonize. At least this is the way many comments seem to read in various posts since I joined the forum a few years ago. I can see filters being a place for bb due to regular water flow, but not the only place for sure.
I have given filters and all the parts a good scrub cleaning many times over the decades. Sometimes they just need a good cleaning. Try not to panic. Do a couple of extra WC if you get a mild ammonia spike. Maybe you will not. Good luck
 
skjl47 said:
Hello; It is my understanding the bio-film the bb forms sticks well to surfaces. I guess it can be scrubbed off but a strong rinse does not seem to have ever removed much. I do from time to time take a round brush to the insides of the tubes on a filter and scrub away the film that builds up and interferes with water flow.
My guess is that as long as no disinfectant was used that the bb will re-colonize the filter fairly quickly. It is also my take that the bb colonize many other surfaces in a tank so those will still be in place.
I guess that some think the filters and mainly the media are the only place where bb colonize. At least this is the way many comments seem to read in various posts since I joined the forum a few years ago. I can see filters being a place for bb due to regular water flow, but not the only place for sure.
I have given filters and all the parts a good scrub cleaning many times over the decades. Sometimes they just need a good cleaning. Try not to panic. Do a couple of extra WC if you get a mild ammonia spike. Maybe you will not. Good luck
Click to expand...

How often should I clean my canister tubes?
 
xDestro said:
How often should I clean my canister tubes?
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Personal preference. If it isn't excessive it does not need to be cleaned at all unless it bothers you. I don't think I've ever cleaned mine. It does bug me on the eheims though.

As others have stated you bacterial colony should bounce back very quickly. It's highly unlikely that your entire colony was impacted. They are more resilient than most think.
 
xDestro said:
How often should I clean my canister tubes?
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Hello; I do not have a good answer. I keep an eye on things in terms of flow and such. Sometimes some other reason comes up like a snail jamming an impeller or needing to move a tank.
I do try to clean in parts. For example if there are two or more media chambers I clean or replace only one and then another later. If I decide to clean the filter body I may only give the old media a slight rinse and reuse it instead of putting in new replaceable media.

Tubes can go for a long time, many months, between cleanings.
 
If I did that, I would cut feeding by 2/3rds for a couple days and gradually ramp it up over a number of days. If it was damaged, you'll see it in tests before the fish suffer a great deal.

Conversely, since under good conditions, BB can double every 24-48 hours, you'll provide ample recovery time.
 
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A lot more lives inside of the actual aquarium than we realize. I had a fairly stocked 55 gallon that had a canister that crashed while I was between jobs. The aquarium sat without a filter for about 2 months and I never lost a fish. I found an old Powerhead and kept it pointed to the surface to promote oxygen exchange and never had a problem. But I did what Drstrangelove Drstrangelove said as well and went to a 3 times a week feeding cycle as well.
 
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