Testing Water: Fish-In Cycle

slimeneo · Jun 21, 2012

Good news! Tested today and there's no ammonia or nitrite, 5ppm nitrate! I think it's cycled.

I heard thy the bacteria live in the gravel, if so, should I really vacuum the gravel? (it arrived today!)

Ruskull · Jun 21, 2012

Some of the bacteria live in the gravel, some in the water, some on the plants, etc. but the motherload is in the filter foam/felt/cartridge. Be extremely careful when cleaning the filter element and don't run it under the faucet! Take it out & put it in the bucket you use for water changes and gently squeeze it out. The loose stuff should come off fairly easily & the good bac will cling to the cartridge. Then rinse out the filter housing & re insert the cartridge.

brian1 · Jun 21, 2012

I enjoyed reading all this, it was very informative, I am about to go through the same, the only difference is I pay the water bills.........

Staxx · Jun 21, 2012

lol thats how i am brian. whenever i do a water change i can just hear the pound coins going down the drain. espically cuz im going through a mini cycle or something(long story) so im doing anything from 50-95% water change every couple of days.

i havent tested the water for a while though cuz it just gets me down

i just stay ontop of the water changes!

brian1 · Jun 21, 2012

Staxx said:
lol thats how i am brian. whenever i do a water change i can just hear the pound coins going down the drain. espically cuz im going through a mini cycle or something(long story) so im doing anything from 50-95% water change every couple of days.

i havent tested the water for a while though cuz it just gets me down i just stay ontop of the water changes!

I just hope I can get it right and enjoy the fish staxx, I have plenty of time to do it, just hope it doesn't get me down as well........ :crazy: