My Fishless Cycle

[Twinklecaz]

Yeah I give them a really tiny pinch though, I was worried I wasn't feeding them enough. My Platys are like that, complete pigs but my female Gourami eats the tiniest amount.


Lol yeah I spose they wouldn't know!

 

[PDSimon]

I would just say its faulty and wasn't working, don't mention sand at all. If you leave it too long you won't be able to return it for any reason though

 

[FishyWishie]

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180522155255&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

im debating this one connects to a air pump (which i have already) so no motor to clog ?

 

[Twinklecaz]

Oh yeah that's a thought!


RIGHT someone help me PLEASE!

Numpty here just got home and I found my filter was bubbling a bit again. I was worried some sludge etc might be stuck in the motor (which I think it was) so I thought bum I'm gonna do a quick 10% water change, rinse out/check the filter and syphon some of the crud up whilst I'm at it*. WELL I did it and now there is loads of what I can only presume is filter crud floating around in the water!!!!! Please tell me......will the fish be ok with this until Saturday when I can do my proper clean and water change? The filter seems to have cleared a lot of it back out again already (I'm talking in about 20 mins) and I have to say the fish don't seem the least bit bothered...........is this ok? Why has it happen too, is it coz I loosened the dirt in the filter but didn't rinse it off properly or something?




*and while we're at it can someone tell me how they syphon without sucking up their smaller plants!!!!!!!

 

[PDSimon]

Smaller plants.. even my tiniest of carpeting plants won't get sucked up so not sure how you're managing that! With sand, you don't push the syphon into the sand, you hover it above plants and swirl it in a circular motion.

I'm not sure how much 'filter crud' is floating around. I opened my filter very partially in the tank and some muck went somewhere but wasn't much so I didn't do anything about it but when I cleaned my filter I just stuck it in a bucket of tank water and pooured it over the filter a bit. then take the filter out and leave all the muck in the bucket.

most of the crud should get sucked up but i'm not sure how much is there so I can't really voice my opinion..

edit: I was interested in that syphon that fishie linked too, but I couldn't be bothered getting a water pump. It was my back up choice..

 

[Twinklecaz]

It's mostly all gone now. I actually was consisdering taking the morning off work to do a 50% water change!

I don't stick it in the sand! . The leaves just get caught in the suction and it pulls it up!

God my plants do look awful at the moment. I just used some Easy Carbo and some TPN+ which I hope will help. I've just realised that I was meant to mix the TPN with some tank water before I put it in though!

 

[PDSimon]

I put my TPN+ straight in Not sure what you're meant to do there.

You must have a strong syphon or weak plants

 

[Twinklecaz]

Oh god probably both knowing me!


You know as soon as I clean up the sand I swear they **** all over it again on purpose! I wonder if it's possible to train them to go in one corner? No didn't think so.

 

[waterdrop]

Plants are slow (does this sound like a theme in this hobby? ) A new tank can be a sterile environment for new plants if you've not already dosed up the water column for a while with plant nutrients. Later on there will be enough left-over debris (that hasn't been picked up by your filter or your cleaning techniques) that the plants can find food. This might be why the plants currently are struggling a bit. I would not overfeed the nutrients, despite this. You've been advised correctly: anyone in the UK with access to TPN+ should use it (wish I could!) Easycarbo is the same as the Flourish Excel I use, so at least that part is available to us US people.

More to say but whoops, gotta run (Brunches for kids going off to college!)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Twinklecaz]

Ha hi WD, bye!