My Fishless Cycle

[Twinklecaz]

LOl no, me wanted NO BABIES! I'm not surprised though, this is the kinda thing that does happen to me. I don't think they're likely to actually go through with it though.

Yeah I bought the expensive one, in the hope that it would work the best. I'm still waiting to hear from them about returning it. Im gonna try and get that Marina one though.


My tank temp is mad coz of the heatwave. It was nearly 30 degrees yesterday aferoon, I've been hanging bags of ice (which the Platys seem to love playing around) in there just to try and cool it down a bit!

 

[Twinklecaz]

Simon where did you say you got that vacuum? Ebay? I couldn't find it last night!

[edit] ohhhhh is yours a syphon? I want one that just vaccums but doesn't syphon off water, so I can clean the sand in between water changes.

 

[PDSimon]

Na mine only syphons it back into the water through a little sock thing haha.

The seller has sold out but there are still some about (only a quid more..)

http/shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=marina+battery+powered+gravel+cleaner

Does the job. Will probably fall apart soon because of the sand soon enough but so far so good!

 

[Twinklecaz]

Doh. So it doesn't syphon off water?

 

[PDSimon]

no.. It sucks it up through the tube then it falls out of a sock thing attached at the side back into the tank

 

[waterdrop]

I thought that's what your whole discussion was about, knowingly discussing the hand pump or battery cleaners that just put the water back in to the tank after catching some of the debris in a mesh sock. Right? Seemed to me like maybe you were on to a reasonable idea for a small tank: idea being that one would still religiously perform the water change directly after using the sock device, but that the sock device would be easier to manage in the tank and in the room than the more unwieldy siphon cylinder and hose.

The danger of course (especially in talking about it within hearing distance of beginners ) is that one day you finish running the sock machine and decide you're too tired to continue on with the water change-out. And gradually you have times like that and don't realize you're getting old-tank-syndrome from metal and organic buildups.

('course if I were going to use a sock device it'd be the eheim, I've had my eye on that contraption for a while )

~~waterdrop~~

 

[PDSimon]

I clean the sand more than I do waterchanges (25% once a week) but i'll do sand cleaning every few days because the shrimp are messy!

 

[Twinklecaz]

Yeah that's what I want to do. Oh so that Marina one might be ok then. You mean it puts the water straight back in? So I can just use it as a quick hoover up in the week.

I won't stop doing my water changes WD. That would just be stupid after all the hard work!

Do you mean the eheim one that I've got? If you have sand don't do it!

 

[PDSimon]

yes, back in the tank...!

 

[Twinklecaz]

Oh that's ok. If I can find it . Actually I think that might be the old crap that P@H sell isn't it?

 

[PDSimon]

its on ebay much cheaper than its RRP

 

[Twinklecaz]

Ug I'll get it from there then. I dread to think how much money I've spent on this so far, seriously. On the recommendation of someone in the plant forum I've just bought some TPN+ plant food and some easy carbo coz my plants are looking a bit crap.....that's cost me another £20. Thing is if they're good and my plants are suddenly radiently green then I'll want to keep buying them too!


My water is looking a bit dirtier today. Can't work out why

 

[PDSimon]

yellow? might be the bogwood. Be sure to get the products returnded caz... even the cheapo marina thing can handle sand somewhat... so the eheim should!

 

[Twinklecaz]

Yeah but I read of thing of someone elses saying they won't take them back over the sand issue.....apparently that doesn't make them faulty, just unsuitbale.

No not yellow (tho it does keep staining my sand). I think it's unused food. I think I'm gonna try and find the time to do water changes twice a week!

 

[PDSimon]

How do they know you used it with sand, you didn't tell them you did, did you?

You're probably overfeeding a little maybe, my male bolivian ram could eat all day if I fed him!