Help - Worried

[Saint Cuthbert]

How long should I be taking to do these?
I read somewhere that bacteria in the filter start dying off after three minutes without water.

As I have one of these Aquaone tanks where the filter lives in the hood, I have to turn off the filter and heater while I change water. > they are no longer submersed.<

I am getting quicker at doing the changes - It is a quick syphon into a couple of big buckets and then a slow pour back in after filling from tap and water treatment. But they like take me twenty minutes currently.

I have been through an ammonia spike and a nitrite spike and am finally showing some nitrate. I am just worried about killing bacteria and having to start again!

 

[i_ganjaman]

cant you take the media out and put it in a bucket with the syphoned tank water then replace once your finished? you need to check for clogging in the filter anyway.just a thought as i'm unsure with the tank design

 

[andywg]

Don't worry about it. I often have my trickle towers off for 20-40 miniutes while water changing. They won't die that quickly.