Water Readings

[KittyKat]

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

I am not one of those people who is obsessive about gravel cleaning (which, may I mention, is always relatively clean in my tanks anyway).. but there is no problem cleaning all the gravel every time. It did used to be a problem when undergravel filters were used (what an odd idea, in the modern world!) because the filter bacteria lived on the gravel itself and vigorous cleaning could harm too many of them. Nowadays, with all other filtration methods, the gravel is only decor or substrate for the plants, so vigorous cleaning will not have any harmful effect.

Still, gravel cleaning and water changes do not have to be synonymous: you can change water without cleaning the gravel, if you so desire.

 

[waterdrop]

Indeed, this is how my tanks run too. I am not overly worried about gravel cleaning (meaning I still try to do it during the weekly water change but I do not clean under decorations and the like.) I use liquid carbon rather than CO2 and low-light technique for plants, which means I depend a little more on the excess food debris to serve as part of the nutrition for the plants.

But I do feel there is an extra benefit for people just starting tanks in that somewhat lower nitrate(NO3) (along with zero ammonia and nitrite(NO2) in a cycled tank or very low of both in a fish-in cycling tank) is another small plus to help the recently transported fish ease through the change to a new tank. Somewhat more focus on gravel cleaning for the beginner also helps them get past the hump of establishing habits that make the process easy, so that they will have less hesitation to use it as a tool in the future, I feel.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[scottjames1uk]

Its been nearly 6 weeks and i am still doing 25% to 50% water changes. God only knows how much longer its going to take.

 

[KittyKat]

Yes, fish-in cycles do tend to take much longer than fish-less.. from what I have seen, 6 weeks is on the short side for them Keep up the good work!

 

[scottjames1uk]

Ive lost count of how many weeks now since i started but i reckon about 7/8. the ammonia has gon to nil now but the nitrate and nitrite have gone through the roof. Even after 30% water change last night and 50% this morning. Im pretty concerened about this. Also i came home to a dead molly which is the first fish i have lost.

 

[KittyKat]

So, you are now in the second stage of cycling. Remember that you should treat nitrite as ammonia and keep it below 0.25 ppm, so keep up the water changes.

Don't worry about the nitrate for the moment. If it has gone through the roof, it means that your second stage of the cycle is going well and nitrite is being converted to nitrate. Once the cycle is complete, try to keep it at 25 ppm or no more than 10 ppm above tap water nitrate, plants will help.

As I said before, fish-in is hard, which is why we do not recommend it. It's hard for you, it's hard on the fish. It sounds like you will be done in under two weeks.

 

[waterdrop]

Elevated ammonia or nitrite(NO2) (above 0.25ppm by liquid test) is much, much more stressful to fish than water changes, especially changes that are done with reasonable conditioner and temperature matching. There is no magic in picking some percentage that sounds good to humans, rather you should take as much out as possible if you think those poisons are going to shoot above the mark before you can be back home for another change.

The fish will be fine in that last inch of water that just covers them for the short time after you stop siphoning and begin the refill of the conditioned/temp-matched water. Most of us use a good conditioner like Seachem Prime and dose it at 1.5x to 2x (not more than 2x when growing new bacteria) and put our hand back and forth several times to make sure the temperature seems pretty well matched. The gravel-cleaning during the out-siphon will help remove more nitrite and nitrate even though you can't see them.

~~waterdrop~~