A Few Questions From A Beginner

[Barlet]

Hello, as you can see I've just joined the forums, and am fairly new at fish keeping. I just have a few questions that I've wanted to ask.

How fast does tap conditioner work? I use API Stress Coat and also their Tap Water Conditioner. Usually I fill a cooler that I have with water and then I pour the right dosage. Then I wait about 5 minutes and stir the water as well. I've seen some people pour the water right in the tank without treating it and then they dose the conditioner. I just pre-treat it beforehand to be safe.

Is it necessary to remove the carbon filter media from the filter after a certain period of time?

Is it ok to have a little algae on the bottom of the tank? I've read that having algae is somewhat beneficial. Before I knew about this, I would see green all over the bottom of my tank, and I would try and clean it all up.

Also is API's Stress Zyme necessary after a tank about 5 months old is already cycled?

 

[toshapetriji]

Welcome to TFF

Water conditioners work immediately, some prefer to dose the first bucket of water and not dose subsequent buckets when changing water.

The carbon filter works well for 2 or 3 weeks and then needs changing, however it is normal practise to run a tank without a carbon filter at all. They really are only used to remove medications when used, some use them to remove tannins from the water if present.

A little algae is quite normal and nothing to worry about unless it is getting out of hand.

I wouldn´t bother with stress zyme, no need really and just an added expense.

 

[BethK]

Full water change, I add the de-conditioner after I have filled the tank. When I am only changing, say 20%, I add it to the jug I am changing the water with.

 

[Barlet]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have another question on aquarium salt. What if the fishes eat it by accident or something?...because when the aquarium salt hits the gravel, sometimes my goldfish dig into the gravel and suck it into their mouth (looks like they're chewing on it a little, and then spit it back out).

 

[toshapetriji]

Why are you adding salt?

 

[Barlet]

I guess that should be my next question.

When should I add aquarium salt? Is it only for when the fishes are ill?

 

[waterdrop]

I agree with all of toshape's advice up above. Salt is somewhat like carbon, a good thing to have on the shelf but not something to be used on a regular basis. In almost all cases salt is not good for tropicals but there may be a few medication situations where its needed.

In the past it used to be recommended in a blanket way for mollies but that was usually coming from people who did not understand how hard (high mineral content) the water needs to be for mollies. And I believe there is still one type that may truly benefit from brackish (some salt) water.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

Your use of chemicals with a semi-mature tank is limited to only dechlorinator. Any other chemical additive is ordinarily not needed if you have the right fish for your local water supply.
You add salt only when treating an illness. The best way to do that, when it is needed, is to dissolve the salt in a sample of tank water and then add the solution slowly to the tank over a period of hours.
Water conditioner is very fast acting. When I do a water change, as I did right before I got on line today, I temperature match the water as it is going into my bucket. When I get the temperature right, usually during the first quarter of the bucket fill, I add my dechlorinator. When the bucket is full, I add the water to my tank immediately, with no added time for the dechlorinator to act. I am adding it right now using a siphon set up because today I decided to add water that was about 2 degrees warmer than the tank water. (I had let the tank temperature get down to 62F, 17C.) Even though my fish in the tank tolerate very low temperatures, that number bothered me.
I was doing that water change because a 3 day old clone was not quite holding the ammonia at zero although it was doing fairly well.