Water Readings

[Skins]

Thanks for all your replies. It looks like i was given bad advice when first buying my tank and not had the 'cycle' explained to me properly and the reason it does what it does. I have learnt a hell of a lot this past few weeks and this forum is great. I have found a small aquarium store nearby that gives pretty good advice and he has given me a little bit of filter media for my filter which should also help. All my fish seem happy and all swimming around. I Did the water change this morning as advised on this forum and have 5 gallon ready to go in the next change i do.

Nice one with the mature media

 

[KittyKat]

I have found a small aquarium store nearby that gives pretty good advice and he has given me a little bit of filter media for my filter which should also help.

Excellent! This is very unusual, most shops like that are really worth supporting.

 

[scottjames1uk]

My Ammonia is coming down very slightly. I am performing 50% changes every 12 - 24 hours. Will this not affect my cycle though as all i seem to be doing is cycling new water? The fish are still fine and i am feeding 1 algae tablet once a day for my flying foxes and minimal flakes for the mollies & platys that they consume in approx 30 seconds.

 

[-FighterFishh]

My Ammonia is coming down very slightly. I am performing 50% changes every 12 - 24 hours. Will this not affect my cycle though as all i seem to be doing is cycling new water? The fish are still fine and i am feeding 1 algae tablet once a day for my flying foxes and minimal flakes for the mollies & platys that they consume in approx 30 seconds.

It won't affect your cycle as the water doesn't contain the bacteria, the filter media does, so no need to worry about that
Good luck with the cycling! Hope all goes well for you

 

[scottjames1uk]

Thanks for quick reply. I am also putting the water into containers at least 12 hours before using the water. I am also putting a little bit of stress zyme + to halp with the bacteria. and api solution to lower ammonia.

 

[guppi]

Your doing a good job water changes suck but its the only way with fish in cycle. The filter media should help loads.

 

[-FighterFishh]

Thanks for quick reply. I am also putting the water into containers at least 12 hours before using the water. I am also putting a little bit of stress zyme + to halp with the bacteria. and api solution to lower ammonia.

Sounds good!

 

[KittyKat]

So, do you dechlorinate/dechloraminate with a product?

 

[waterdrop]

You don't really need the stress zyme (that is more or less the same as feeding them more food, just adds organics to the water) and you don't need to add chemicals to fight the ammonia (the water changes do a better job of this.)

What you do need to do is to continue the good job you're doing (I see you've now switched into high gear and realize it needs both testing and potentially water change activity sometimes twice a day.) You also may need to get past the feeling of stopping at 50% water changes. Many people get paranoid that a change of more than 50% is somehow too stressful to the fish but this is a misunderstanding. Ammonia or nitrite poisoning is much, much more stressful and the time when you can worry about the subtle effects of smaller percentage water changes are after everything is all well-cycled, not during a fish-in cycle and particularly not when stocked beyond about 25% of what full stocking (about an inch per US gallon) would be.

As said, you don't need to worry that bacteria are going out with water changes, they are multiplying very near to each other, within their biofilm structures which are like glue on the media surfaces inside the filter. Even amounts that our test kits measure as zero ppm are still enough ammonia to feed these bacteria and have them multiply (also the ammonia level within the filter will be higher than the level out within the tank.)

It will be best if the mature media you got from the store is positioned just before your new biomedia (your medium sponge for instance) in the water flow path inside your filter or if it is somehow interspersed with the new media (sometimes you have to be creative with scissors and sponges.)

KK's suggestions for re-homing/stocking changes still make a lot of sense for this situation.

~~waterdrop~~
Welcome to TFF.

 

[scottjames1uk]

You don't really need the stress zyme (that is more or less the same as feeding them more food, just adds organics to the water) and you don't need to add chemicals to fight the ammonia (the water changes do a better job of this.)

What you do need to do is to continue the good job you're doing (I see you've now switched into high gear and realize it needs both testing and potentially water change activity sometimes twice a day.) You also may need to get past the feeling of stopping at 50% water changes. Many people get paranoid that a change of more than 50% is somehow too stressful to the fish but this is a misunderstanding. Ammonia or nitrite poisoning is much, much more stressful and the time when you can worry about the subtle effects of smaller percentage water changes are after everything is all well-cycled, not during a fish-in cycle and particularly not when stocked beyond about 25% of what full stocking (about an inch per US gallon) would be.

As said, you don't need to worry that bacteria are going out with water changes, they are multiplying very near to each other, within their biofilm structures which are like glue on the media surfaces inside the filter. Even amounts that our test kits measure as zero ppm are still enough ammonia to feed these bacteria and have them multiply (also the ammonia level within the filter will be higher than the level out within the tank.)

It will be best if the mature media you got from the store is positioned just before your new biomedia (your medium sponge for instance) in the water flow path inside your filter or if it is somehow interspersed with the new media (sometimes you have to be creative with scissors and sponges.)

KK's suggestions for re-homing/stocking changes still make a lot of sense for this situation.


Thanks for that. I really don't mind doing the water changes and it's also a steep learning curve. I just want the fish to be ok and be happy.

~~waterdrop~~
Welcome to TFF.

 

[scottjames1uk]

Just an update, i am still in the cycle. The ammonia is dropping now to a more yellow colour. I am taking gallons out daily. Am i doing right taking 50% water change every day?

 

[KittyKat]

Just an update, i am still in the cycle. The ammonia is dropping now to a more yellow colour. I am taking gallons out daily. Am i doing right taking 50% water change every day?

Yes, sometimes people need to do even larger water changes.

 

[scottjames1uk]

Ok thanks for the reply. Just one more question for the moment, do i clean the gravel with the syphon pump every time i change the water or am i better off leaving it now and again. Im not sure on this one as i seem to read conflicting answers when i have looked before

 

[waterdrop]

Oh, will see if KK has a more seasoned answer but personally I never have any hesitation on this, the only way water ever comes out of my tank is if it's "gravel-cleaned" out! I may not be able to gravel-clean everywhere as the plants get more and more in the way as they multiply and get bigger, but I "surface-disturb" near them and deep clean where there are no plants.

I wouldn't -not- water change if I for some reason had no gravel-cleaning cylinder, as water changing is still too important but I feel the main habit should be to gravel clean as the way to take water out. And the gravel-clean-water-change is -always- better than the top-up.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[sXeLifer]

Keeping the filter media is a step in the right direction, well done for that one. A few of the fish in there will need bigger tanks but these have been mentioned in the previous post by other members. As for the water from different tanks, I'm not sure if I would use it because it might introduce chemicals into your tank that could be detrimental to your cycle. Also there isn't all that much good bacteria in water its mostly in the filter media. Make sure your pre-treating the water that your replacing daily too.