Filter Out...waiting On Replacement..will Fish Survive?

[bigmomma86]

Hello I am new here but not to fishkeeping. I have a new 55gal tank that has a aqua-tech 30-60 power filter that has a screwy impeller. I can only run the bio-fiber filter because if I put in the charcoal filters it over flows down the intake tube. Tetra is sending me a new impeller assembly, but it will not arrive for 7-10 days. This is an uncycled tank with: 1 dwarf gourami,2 mollies, 1 black skirted tetra and 3 ruby danios. My question is, will my fish survive this long without the chemical filtration? I have already drastically reduced the amount of food im feeding. Should I increase frequency of water changes?

 

[Rogue4Fish]

I would do a water change every day and just monitor with your test kit. Adjust the % of water accordingly to your rates.

 

[Essjay]

You don't actually need to use chemical filtration. I haven't used it for years. Carbon/charcoal's main uses are for removing mediaction when treatment is finished, for removing the yellow colur that comes out of bogwood, and for getting rid of organic smells.

Since the tank is new, I'd just run the filter without the charcoal for now, then when the new impeller arrives, replace it with either sponge or ceramic media. The bio fibre is what you need, so as long as the filter works with that in, you'll be building up your bacteria in there.
The charcoal won't help during cycling, the only way to deal with a fish-in cycle is by doing water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels below 0.25.

 

[bigmomma86]

You don't actually need to use chemical filtration. I haven't used it for years. Carbon/charcoal's main uses are for removing mediaction when treatment is finished, for removing the yellow colur that comes out of bogwood, and for getting rid of organic smells.

Since the tank is new, I'd just run the filter without the charcoal for now, then when the new impeller arrives, replace it with either sponge or ceramic media. The bio fibre is what you need, so as long as the filter works with that in, you'll be building up your bacteria in there.
The charcoal won't help during cycling, the only way to deal with a fish-in cycle is by doing water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels below 0.25.

How big of a water change and how often? This is my first big tank.I have been doing 5 gallons a day. I also noticed that my fish seem to be happier without the charcoal and blue foam filters in. They seem brighter more vigorous and definitely more hungry. No flake food makes it to the bottom when I feed now. The water looks and smells perfect..if anything, I notice less of a pond smell. Now, please don"t cuss me,but...I do not have a test kit. This was given to me on short notice and I am waiting to get paid to buy the right stuff for it.

 

[Gvilleguy]

For a fish-in cycle the normal recommendation is "whatever it takes to get ammonia/nitrite at or below 0.25". Kind of hard to say for certain until you get test kits, but MOST of the time I see fish-in cycling people doing at least 50% water changes initially, sometimes up to 80 and 90% if that does not work.