Aquarium Newbie Looking For Advice

[Rynofasho]

I should recant a bit --- I started a fishLESS cycle at first (bacteria in a bottle, live plants, adding flakes) at which point 1.5ppm of Ammonia was observed. Then we got some fish when it was between 0.5ppm and 1.0. Didn't really realize how harmful it could have been til after the fish were in. I will do a 20% water change today to try to bring it back down and hold off on getting any more fish until I'm cycled completely.

If I wanted to get a new filter though, would NOW be the time to do it since my bacteria isn't established yet? I have an Aqeuon that came with my 36 but I was going to get an AC200. If I do this, how can I preserve the bacteria I've begun building in the current filter?

 

[Katty]

Hmm, it may or may not harm the cycle if you switch filters. I can't say for sure whether it's better if you wait til it's cycled or not, because in both instances you could slow or stop the cycle. I think now might be better because it's less damage done if you do it now because you'll be monitoring the water levels so strictly now anyways, and there's only four fish in there.

If you change the filter, take out ever single piece of media you can in the old one (sponges, floss, disks, whatever) and try to fit as much of that as you can into the new filter. Don't let the old media dry out either while you're switching, the bacteria need to stay wet. That's how people preserve their bacteria colonies if they want to switch a filter. It may mess up your cycle a little but it's better than switching over to everything completely brand new.

Remember to never never never clean a filter with tap water. Only use a bucket of old tank water (for instance after a water change) to rinse off dirty media.

 

[Rynofasho]

Hmm, it may or may not harm the cycle if you switch filters. I can't say for sure whether it's better if you wait til it's cycled or not, because in both instances you could slow or stop the cycle. I think now might be better because it's less damage done if you do it now because you'll be monitoring the water levels so strictly now anyways, and there's only four fish in there.

If you change the filter, take out ever single piece of media you can in the old one (sponges, floss, disks, whatever) and try to fit as much of that as you can into the new filter. Don't let the old media dry out either while you're switching, the bacteria need to stay wet. That's how people preserve their bacteria colonies if they want to switch a filter. It may mess up your cycle a little but it's better than switching over to everything completely brand new.

Remember to never never never clean a filter with tap water. Only use a bucket of old tank water (for instance after a water change) to rinse off dirty media.

Alright. I picked up the new filter. I figure that I can at least take the media out of the other one and just float it in the tank for a bit and it shouldn't really hurt anything. Petco was out of pretty much ALL testing supplies so I still don't have anything to test nitrItes.

I'll test the water as soon as I get home, change as necessary, and set up the new filter or at least figure out how I can get the other media either inside the new AC or just float it in the tank for a week or two.

 

[Rynofasho]

Alright, ammonia was between the 0.5 and 0.25ppm, looking closer to 0.25ppm so I think I am ok for right now. I have to go to Petsmart for a master test kit because I can't find a standalone nitrIte test kit anywhere and the two Petcos I went to today had nothing really. Nitrates measure about 5ppm and pH tends to hang around 7.0 - 7.2 with a nice hunk of driftwood in there.

 

[toshapetriji]

Alright, ammonia was between the 0.5 and 0.25ppm, looking closer to 0.25ppm so I think I am ok for right now.

Ammonia tends to rise quickly.

You need to be thinking of water changes of around 80% daily.

 

[Timmy_Bee]

+1 for large water changes, especially as you don't know your nitrite levels. Better safe than sorry

 

[Rynofasho]

+1 for large water changes, especially as you don't know your nitrite levels. Better safe than sorry

Alright, 25% water change done amd new filter added. I bought a mesh bag, took the carbon amd bio filter from the old one and stuffed them in there near the intake. Best I could do with the media.

 

[Rynofasho]

+1 for large water changes, especially as you don't know your nitrite levels. Better safe than sorry

Alright, 25% water change done amd new filter added. I bought a mesh bag, took the carbon amd bio filter from the old one and stuffed them in there near the intake. Best I could do with the media.

Ok, ammonia 0.25, nitrites 2.0, nitrates 0.5. Not bad

 

[Lolly123]

+1 for large water changes, especially as you don't know your nitrite levels. Better safe than sorry

Alright, 25% water change done amd new filter added. I bought a mesh bag, took the carbon amd bio filter from the old one and stuffed them in there near the intake. Best I could do with the media.

Ok, ammonia 0.25, nitrites 2.0, nitrates 0.5. Not bad

25% isnt't really enough, your nitrites are still high. Its up to you if you will take the advice, but that nitrite needs to come down.

 

[Rynofasho]

+1 for large water changes, especially as you don't know your nitrite levels. Better safe than sorry

Alright, 25% water change done amd new filter added. I bought a mesh bag, took the carbon amd bio filter from the old one and stuffed them in there near the intake. Best I could do with the media.

Ok, ammonia 0.25, nitrites 2.0, nitrates 0.5. Not bad

25% isnt't really enough, your nitrites are still high. Its up to you if you will take the advice, but that nitrite needs to come down.

I can't really do huge water changes at once. With my driftwood in there the tank pH hangs around 7.0 but it is over 8.2
out of the tap. I'll change some more out today if numbers are still up.

 

[Rynofasho]

Alright, just changed out 25% more. I'll check the levels in an hour or so.

 

[Rynofasho]

Alright, just changed out 25% more. I'll check the levels in an hour or so.

Still elevated but my pH is also now up to around 7.5 so I'll wait til tomorrow and change about 1/3 of the tank.

 

[Rynofasho]

I've changed it a 3rd time, 25% for the third consecutive day and the nitrites don't seem to be coming down. It is hard to tell because the colors are so darn similar, but it looks to be between 1.0 and 2.0ppm. My pH is up considerably though so I'm kind of tentative to keep throwing new water in there. FYI fish seem to be completely fine though --- not acting any differently or any visible issues with them.

I tested my pH out of the tap and it pegged the API high pH test range at 8.8 or whatever the highest value it is. . . My pH was around 7.0 --- I used pH 6.5 and a big piece of driftwood before I had fish in the tank --- 3 changes 25% changes later and I'm closer to 7.6ish. Should I be concerned with that?

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Rynofasho,

I may be coming in late and missing information but it appears to me you've somehow latched on to the idea that perhaps a particular pH level is necessary in your tank or that you shouldn't change too much water because of pH changes.

My concern is that I believe these are really secondary concerns compared to poison levels such as nitrite(NO2) being at 2.0ppm. Although the nitrite toxicity varies by pH level, nitrite is still a cause of major nerve damage to fish and I would worry that that is a significant concern in your case.

Personally I would probably pull my wood out for the duration of the fish-in cycle and I would begin with a series of 25% water changes, 2 a day over 2 days and if the fish do not appear distressed I would next gravel-clean to a 50% level the next day and a 70% level the following day. By then I would hope that the nitrite would be down close to zero and that you would be able to go a day without it rising past 0.25ppm.

For the first couple months, its all about avoiding the gill and nerve damage (despite the fish looking fine) and getting the working biofilter created. Other things must wait. You will indeed need a good liquid-reagent based test kit to help you conduct your fish-in cycle.

~~waterdrop~~