What filter media for first tank cycle?

[Fast351]

Here is my setup:

125 Gal tank, 130# of gravel in bottom, no live plants, 10 Rosy Barbs, Rena XP3 canister filter.

My water from the tap was 8.0 pH, 20 dGH, 1 mg/L NH3, 0 NO2.

According to my LFS, the small amount of ammonia in my tap water is normal (it's well water, not municipal, so no chlorine/chlorimides in it).

My Rena XP3 has three trays, bottom has 2 20ppm and 2 30ppm foam filters in it, the middle tray has a Nitra-Zorb packet and a filter sock with Ammo-Chips in it (combo recommended by LFS), top tray just has a micro-filter in it.

When I added the fish, the next day the ammonia moved to about 2 mg/L, and hasn't moved since (about 4 days).

My questions:

1) Do I have the right filter media for housing bacteria, or should I add some bio balls/ceramic rings?

2) Is the Nitro-Zorb and Ammo-Chips combo helping or hurting the cycle process? I've heard it both ways, one saying it'll keep your fish alive, the other saying it's starving the bacteria.

3) Is 10 barbs 1.75"-2.5" enough to cycle a 125 Gal tank?

Thanks for helping out a newbie!

 

[JWright]

1) The "micro-filter" (I'm assuming that's some kind of floss) will work just fine as a bacteria colonization point. In the future, I'd probably run that in the middle compartment and put some some "bio-ball" type media (or the ceramic media like you mentioned) in the top compartment.

2) It's probably not doing a whole lot of either. Water changes are what will keep your fish alive. Try to keep your ammonia level under the 2ppm (or mg/l) mark. If you can, get some gravel, filter media, decorations, etc. from a trusted (healthy) established tank and stick it in yours. It will speed up the cycle quite a bit.

3) The volume of the tank doesn't matter. 10 barbs is enough to cycle 10 barbs worth of bio-load. The bio-filter will always grow or shrink to match the load in the tank.

Having that level of detectable ammonia out of your well is actually pretty uncommon. Those same bacteria that live in your filter also live underground and generally do a pretty good job of converting that ammonia to nitrate. Have you had your water testing by a couple different test kits?

Any particular reason you didn't go with a fishless cycle?

~JW

 

[Fast351]

1) The "micro-filter" (I'm assuming that's some kind of floss) will work just fine as a bacteria colonization point. In the future, I'd probably run that in the middle compartment and put some some "bio-ball" type media (or the ceramic media like you mentioned) in the top compartment.

Yep, it looks, for lack of a better term, like the cheap furnace filters. White, randomly interleaved fibers.

2) It's probably not doing a whole lot of either. Water changes are what will keep your fish alive. Try to keep your ammonia level under the 2ppm (or mg/l) mark. If you can, get some gravel, filter media, decorations, etc. from a trusted (healthy) established tank and stick it in yours. It will speed up the cycle quite a bit.

I am planning on weekly water changes to keep the ammonia down. I do have a trusted source for bacteria but unfortunately he's about 2.5 hours away, so it's not really convenient to go get stuff from him.

3) The volume of the tank doesn't matter. 10 barbs is enough to cycle 10 barbs worth of bio-load. The bio-filter will always grow or shrink to match the load in the tank.

Great.

Having that level of detectable ammonia out of your well is actually pretty uncommon. Those same bacteria that live in your filter also live underground and generally do a pretty good job of converting that ammonia to nitrate. Have you had your water testing by a couple different test kits?

Any particular reason you didn't go with a fishless cycle?

~JW

I am using the Tetra Laborett master test kit, I haven't verified the ammonia against any other test kits. I think I will probably bring the water to the local fish store to check it against their results, as well as a fresh sample from my well.

As for the fishless cycle, I didn't really know it was an option until I stocked the tank

-Mike

 

[JWright]

Sounds like you're very much on the right track. Keep up the water changes and you should be in great shape. Plan on doing them weekly, but test your water daily and do mid week PWCs (partial water changes) if necessary.

~JW