Advice Needed

[Rickster]

Hi all,


Just a couple of questions I need help with if poss.

I am in week 4 of my tank cycle, I currently have 3 danios and 4 cherry barbs, all are doing well, as of 18.24 I am in middle of a 50% water change.

1. The water always seems to be cloudy after a water change, I have mixer taps, but the hot water tap clouds the water, but settles after about 30 secs, should I just use cold water? and should I change water daily?

2. When should I change the filter media, if at all?

I have a 90l tank, 60cm x 30 x 45, and a fluval 2+ filter


Any feedback to the above would be most appreciated.


Thanks

 

[Pleccy]

It's either something to do with a bacterial bloom or just the disturbance to the substrate. You should replace the filter media after a year or so, give it a good squeeze, if it doesn't change back to it's originally shape it will need replacing. However don't replace the filter media all at once, cut the sponges into three equal sections and replace one section every four weeks.

 

[Truck]

has anyone ever told you never to make a cup of tea with water from the hot tap. its because this water goes through your tank which has a heater, and the water is standing and becomes cloudy. personally id use cold water fill your kettle and pur boiling water into a bucket of cold water. i test using my elbow but you can use a thermometer if you like

change half of your filter media every 4 -6 weeks. and then you can keep from losing bacteria. just remember to alternate which side you change

 

[Davo86]

has anyone ever told you never to make a cup of tea with water from the hot tap.

really? i always use hot water for tea, tastes nicer IMO .

 

[Essjay23 138]

Do you have a hot water tank that's topped up from a tank in the attic? I was always told that you should never use water from this source for cooking etc as you never know what's in the tank in the attic. There have apparently been cases of dead mice, birds etc in the attic tank. Mind you, I wouldn't even use if it only had dead spiders in it!

It's for this reason that I would never use water from the hot tank for my fish tanks either. Call me paranoid, but better safe than sorry!

 

[rabbut]

I only replace my filter media when it literaly falls appart, or gets colgged and can no-longer be un-clogged. The record so far is 5 years, and those sponges are still going strong in a friends tank today

Medias like ceramic and bioballs will last indeffinately.

Sponge will last many years (some report as long as 15)

Carbon will last a week at most (On the rare ocasion that I use it)

Floss is replaced whenever it cloggs.

In short, if it ain't broke, don't fix it When you do eventually replace your media, only do 1/3 at a time. The recomendations of regular replacement made by the LFS and the filter manufacturer are profit motiated. When you buy media, some of your cash lands in their pocket, so obviously they want to encurage media replacement on a regular basis

I would not use the hot tap for waterchanges if you have a traditional copper boiler cantainer with a heater in it somewhere. Combi-boilers are fin to use the water from though IME

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Truck]

yes as rabbut says if you have a combi boiler your safe

 

[Rickster]

yes as rabbut says if you have a combi boiler your safe

Thanks for all the input, I do have a combi boiler, its only about 3 years old though. I think I will stick to the cold water, and add hot from a boiled kettle. Should I be changing the water daily though until it has fully cycled?

 

[Truck]

no theres no need to boil the kettle as you have a combi boiler. the cold and hot water comes through the boiler and doesnt sot still so you ok it is probably just detrius from the left over poop and food add some shrimps theyll eat it.

no you dont need to do them every day id say 20% twice a week

 

[rabbut]

When cycling, you need to waterchange as much and as often as the test kits tell you. Test twice daily, and everytime you get a reading above 0.25 for ammonia or nitrite, waterchange

Remember, strips are as useful as asking your non-fishkeeping neibour to guess the numbers for you. You need a liquid regent based test kit

If you don't have an accurate test, carry on with daily waterchanges untill you do have such a kit. It is better to be safe than sorry

All the best
Rabbut

 

[OldMan47]

As Rabbut said, if you have a test kit, it will guide your water changes. If you don't, I would do at least a 30% daily change until I could get the kit. It might be a little more or less than you need but it will be better than no testing and no water changes. You could be nearing the end of establishing your cycle but without the test kit you won't know. If you have reached the end, which is possible, then your test kit will still guide you. The new objective would be water changes often enough that you don't see the water's nitrate level exceed the tap water level by more than 20 ppm. The stocking level in your tank, feeding regime, etc. will determine how much that is for your tank and how often. As you adjust the numbers of fish in the tank, it will need to change and adapt.