tina7johnson
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2003
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Hi, I think I qualify as a newbie (not sure). I have a tried a few small tanks in the past with no luck. This time I did more research and took more time. Also, now that I am older I have a bit more disposible cash so I can get good equipment. I have a 29 gal fresh, started on 1/1/03. It's had it's ups and downs from ungodly amonia levels, then nitrates (causing rust), to icky alge to a pewy oder. I swear my fish were screaming for help! When I would look in, they would look out and give me dirly looks
. Going better now. No amonia or nitrates. Alge under control and no rust. The water is clear and smells normal. I have beautiful silk plants but have a few live ones (4 micro swords & 2 java ferns). My substrate is medium gravel over an ugf and I have 2 Penguin reverse flow power heads. Once I reversed the flow my water cleared up in 2 days. Since I am a bit of an over-stocker I am using a Whisper 60 w/bio-foam and I discovered these pads called bio-chem zorb and nitra-zorb and they work very good. I have 2 albino cory's, 1 plateus cory, 5 zeebs (I had to put one in jail last-night/I call him brutus), 6 white clouds and 1 cherry barb. I had 3 but 2 died in the quarantine tank I will get more tonight. I want to get up to 6 cherry barbs and then 6 glow-lites and 3 otto's. Again, a bit much for a 29 g but it's doubled filter and I vac and do water changes every 2 weeks. I don't want to kill all my good bac so I only rinse my bio foams once per month (in removed tank water only) and I alternate them. At that time I also change my foam bag w/carbon and re-charge my bio bags. It seems to finally be working. Has anyone out there used the new Tetra-Tec filters w/heater yet? Good-bye for now, Doc (Tina-no degree)
. Going better now. No amonia or nitrates. Alge under control and no rust. The water is clear and smells normal. I have beautiful silk plants but have a few live ones (4 micro swords & 2 java ferns). My substrate is medium gravel over an ugf and I have 2 Penguin reverse flow power heads. Once I reversed the flow my water cleared up in 2 days. Since I am a bit of an over-stocker I am using a Whisper 60 w/bio-foam and I discovered these pads called bio-chem zorb and nitra-zorb and they work very good. I have 2 albino cory's, 1 plateus cory, 5 zeebs (I had to put one in jail last-night/I call him brutus), 6 white clouds and 1 cherry barb. I had 3 but 2 died in the quarantine tank I will get more tonight. I want to get up to 6 cherry barbs and then 6 glow-lites and 3 otto's. Again, a bit much for a 29 g but it's doubled filter and I vac and do water changes every 2 weeks. I don't want to kill all my good bac so I only rinse my bio foams once per month (in removed tank water only) and I alternate them. At that time I also change my foam bag w/carbon and re-charge my bio bags. It seems to finally be working. Has anyone out there used the new Tetra-Tec filters w/heater yet? Good-bye for now, Doc (Tina-no degree)
