Finally, Got The Tank, Just Starting Fishless Cycle...

[boshk]

So I finally got the Juwel Rio 125 tank with its starter Bioflow 3 filter, heater etc.
 
(Its probably not the smartest thing to do but I bought ADA Aqua Soil  (not enough too) on impulse instead of normal gravel, and as you guess it, its pretty hard to work with, cloudy water still but no fish for a few weeks so that's fine.
What I didn't read was the ammonia spike/increase using this soil.)
 
I have the most basic of question regarding the end of the cycle, where ammonia, nitrite are 0, nitrates are acceptable.
How do you change the 80-90% water change???
 
Taking the water out should be okay, just got to find a extremely long hose.
I am using Seachem Prime to treat the tap water.
How on earth do I fill it up? It was easy the first time, I just filled it with tap water then treat it.
 
I know I can take out the filter and leave it in 'old' water, but if I start pouring tap water into aquarium, would it (the chlorine) not kill off any 'good' bacteria that established itself in the soil, rocks etc?
 
I don't have a spare 100L+ tank either to treat the water first then transport it bucket by bucket....
 
Opinions?
 
 
 
 

 

[Gruntle]

Add the amount of Prime necessary to treat the entire volume of water into the tank, then add the water from the tap.
 
Prime works almost instantly, if you're concerned you can turn your filter off while you fill the tank.

 

[jag51186]

Just to ask, are you planning on planting heavily in the future?? I believe the Aquasoil will continuously leech nutrients/nitrates into your water column...but don't quote me on it, I'm still researching it myself.

 

[boshk]

Just to ask, are you planning on planting heavily in the future?? I believe the Aquasoil will continuously leech nutrients/nitrates into your water column...but don't quote me on it, I'm still researching it myself.

not especially heavy like a jungle, guess I should have researched it more than impulsive buy.
Plan is a carpet of say Dwarf baby tear or java moss foreground, some amazon sword type in background behind features and some mid range ones in the middle like anubias nana.
 
Its just a thought, my main concern is getting thr this fishless cycle successfully. When should I consider using bottled bacteria like Stability or Bio-digest? 1 week in with zero change in ammonia?
 
first reading, brand new tank with a 9L bag of ADA soil.
27C
pH=6.6
GH=6, KH=3 (on API scale)
Ammonia 3-4ppm

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Carpeting plants don't really work without high light and that usually also requires CO2 injection.   You might want to rethink the baby tears in the foreground.  Java moss as a 'carpeting' plant would be interesting.  I've never seen that done before, but you'd have a much easier time with that than with the baby tears.
 
I suppose using a bit of a mesh to let the java moss grow on across the bottom of the tank might allow for a carpeting effect.

 

[the_lock_man]

I would have thought the java moss would be constantly reaching for the surface, that's my gut instinct. I have never tried having it as a carpet.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I would have thought the java moss would be constantly reaching for the surface, that's my gut instinct. I have never tried having it as a carpet.

 
I suppose its the same with java moss as it is with any other 'carpet'... if the light is high enough, then it won't.  I'd expect better results with java moss than baby tears, just in terms of light need.  But, you are probably right, it would probably grow more vertical.  I have a bit of java moss on some driftwood (granted fairly close to the lights) that grows tight to the wood and doesn't really stretch upwards at all.  I'll post a pic of it later if I remember when I get home.

 

[boshk]

thanks. most of the shops here sell the moss on wire mesh in small squares. 
Anyway, I'm a long way off from a cycled tank, figured sticking a few plants (4-6) in wouldn't hurt.
 
I asked at two stores about getting and paying for old/established media like old filter or gravel with freshwater bacteria. No was the answer and both said they use bottled bacteria to top up their tanks.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

thanks. most of the shops here sell the moss on wire mesh in small squares. 
Anyway, I'm a long way off from a cycled tank, figured sticking a few plants (4-6) in wouldn't hurt.
 
I asked at two stores about getting and paying for old/established media like old filter or gravel with freshwater bacteria. No was the answer and both said they use bottled bacteria to top up their tanks.

 
There's no reason to 'top up' a tank with bacteria... if you have an established colony (and they should) the bacteria will be more than capable of growing to meet the needs of a shipment of fish.  (The bacteria can double in roughly 12 hours - slow compared to some bacteria, but plenty fast enough when dealing with ammonia from new stock.  Not to mention that the bottled bacteria stuff, if its even the right species, will take longer than that to establish itself in the tank.  Normally that takes a couple days.)
 
So, they may be doing something completely unnecessary - likely, or they are just trying to sell you something - also likely, possibly both.   Stick it out with the 'long way'.  Pass on the "Stability" and I've never even heard of "Bio-digest".  Dr. Tims and Safe Start are the ones with the patent for the bacteria that have been scientifically proven to be in our tanks...  but I'd just wait it out.
 
Keep the ammonia dose a little smaller than 3ppm, like 1 or 2 ppm to protect your plants.   And adding the plants that you are planning on now will help to speed along the process, as they will come with some microfauna (like bacteria) that will help to give it a little kickstart.  Plus the plants themselves use the ammonia as a nitrogen source.  
 
What plants do you have?  Fast growers and floating plants take up the most nitrogen, and can therefore speed the cycle along faster. 

 

[boshk]

I have 1 amazon sword, 1 anubias nana, 1 patch of dwarf baby tear (7x4cm) and one I don't know what, likes like dill.
 
I know the baby tear is a bad plant for cycling, needs cooler temp 24C/75F, lots of light and CO2, found out after I bought it.
 
Any suggestion?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Unfussy stem plants will help.  Moneywort, hornwort, water wisteria java fern (completely unfussy, but not a quick grower) or floaters like any stem plant really, water lettuce, salvinia, etc.
And patience... that's the key to ay good cycle.  Lots of patience.

 

[boshk]

Unfussy stem plants will help.  Moneywort, hornwort, water wisteria java fern (completely unfussy, but not a quick grower) or floaters like any stem plant really, water lettuce, salvinia, etc.

And patience... that's the key to ay good cycle.  Lots of patience.

great, thanks. 
Patience is the hardest bit, I'm doing a ammonia check every 24hrs, too early I know, impatient, just a tiny reading of a drop in ammonia is all I want haha