filter questions...

[Duellsy]

I have recently bought 2 fish to cycle the tank naturally, and both are doing fine, although they much prefer it when the filter is not running, they explore the tank more when there is no current. (my filter produces a current) so should i leave teh filter off when i turn the light off or what? they occasionally will play in the bubbles, but generally will rest on or behind something until i rutn off the pump.

-Duellsy

 

[JWright]

Your filter runs 24/7, period. If you leave the filter off for even a few hours, your bacterial colonies will start to die off (interrupting your cycle) and ammonia will build up in your tank.

I may have asked this already, but why not fishless?

Josh

 

[dave]

 Hey thats understandable that you would want make your fish happy dont we all!
 What i would sudjest doing is stopping the current not the filter. i would modify the filter so that their is a return tube all along the back im sure that you have seen them at pet stores they run along the back and have holes drilled in them and spred the watter out over the hole surface not jest that small section if it is a standerd power filter i would jest make the return tube out of pvc (plastic)tubeing with holes and make it like a trough. well  i hope that helps ya and i hope you can keepyout fish happy.
 

                                                      Dave

 

[Duellsy]

I was going to go a fishless cycle, but the lack of a LFS within about 100km of me didn't help, i couldn't get ahold of pure ammonia(not even our supermarket had it) and i dont have teh money to be buying 200 test kits.
nice idea dave, i might try that if i can find the right size tubing.

 

[JWright]

You would only have to buy ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits, and you have to buy those anyway.

"Pure" ammonia can be tough to find, I will grant you that.

Josh

 

[Duellsy]

I tried attaching a hose on teh end of my filter where the current is created, and i put holes all through it to spread out the pressure and reduce the current to try and keep the fish happier, but all that happened was a buildup in pressure leading to water coming out through the air hose!
what to do what to do...?
was it you josh that said you had 11 tanks in your bedroom...if it was... how do u sleep!?

-Duellsy

 

[JWright]

No, only two for me.

I like my Aquaclears...nice and silent.

Josh

 

[Matt Nace]

You have an air tube to the impellor on that filter? Sounds like a skilter like I have. I actually use my saltwater skilter on my 10 gallon q-tank because behind the floss, I put a bunch of bioballs for bacteria. It holds a lot of stuff.

you could to reduce flow...

-buy a pvc ballvalve and put it on the intake(might look ugly)]
-put a prefilter sponge or wrap some cotten around the intake.
- stuff some sponge or cotton in the intake
-just redirect the outake with a piece of flat plastic so the water runs out of the filter, hits the plastic and shoots downward or back toward the back glass instead of out.

Do you turn your filter off to feed?
If you do..that may be why they are comming out and looking all happy..they think it is feeding time.  

 

[Matt Nace]

I never even thought to ask..what fish are in there?

 

[Duellsy]

At the moment, there is only the one male guppy in there, im cycling the tank as it is new...how many fish should be in the tank whilst cycling?
Oh and should i be turning the pump off at feeding time? ???
Also, should I do water changes whilst cycling, if so how much...
Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get it right the first time around! lol *thumbsupsmiley*
My filter is har to explain, but if I draw you a pic and post it I'm sure you wil understand what I mean... I'll draw you one now and post it when I'm done... don't expect the Mona Lisa or anything! lol

-Duellsy

 

[Duellsy]

here is a (poor) diagram of my filter....
http://www.geocities.com/easternlionskartclub/myfilter.gif
basically, the water is sucked up through the filter, some is then pumped straight back into the tank (air is sucked through the air hose to bring in O2), this is where the current is created, the rest is pumped up and nito the hood where it is let out of the pipes and flows through another filter, then down out of the hood through another tube directly into the water, this also creates a downward current.
-Duellsy

 

[kitten]

I can't see the picture, it wasn't available.

Do you know the name of the filter...does it have any writing on it at all?

Have you heard of a product called "cycle"? might be a good idea to get some. Have a look at this site,

www.boroniaaquarium.com.au (it's where i work)

we sell stuff online, and coz it's an aussie site, they'll be able to help a bit more. It's 10% cheaper to buy online than instore too

 

[Duellsy]

I read in an article not too long ago that bacteria in a bottle is pretty much fake, and it does not work...
coming from the horses mouth...does it make a difference, and how long will it take if i use this product before my tank is... well cycled?
-Duellsy
BTW it must be a pretty large shop! theres a lot of products for sale!

 

[kitten]

Are you calling me a horse?

The shop isn't that big, just full

I heard that cycle was crap too. I've been using it for about 4 months, and i sell it to everyone that's starting up an aquarium. Everyone keeps coming back for more, so it must work

 

[Duellsy]

So the stuff works eh.
Would it mean that you could have more fish... if of course there was enough O2 in the tank, since there was enough bacteria to handle more ammonia etc.
Also, could u answer these q's that weren't answered a while ago...
1.how many fish should be in the tank whilst cycling?
2.Oh and should i be turning the pump off at feeding time?
3.Also, should I do water changes whilst cycling, if so how much...
-Duellsy

 

[ronrca]

Answer to your questions:
1 - no fish - fishless cycling is the best but it you must, go with danios or white cloud minnows. Even feeder goldfish work well.
2 - Now you dont have to turn the pump off because there's nothing to feed  8)
3 - you can do water changes. I usually say around 10-20%.

Im still undecided about the bacteria in a bottle. Im not sure if it works yet. I believe that is does not. I did try it in my 90G and it did not cycle any faster than without it. Just because people still buy it does not mean that it necessarily works. It works because people tell them it works.

 

[kitten]

Yeah well, it's pretty new, so I'm just giving it a go.

Duellsy, If you can't get some good ammonia, go to your lfs and get some cheap fish, if you've already got a heater, don't get feeder goldfish. We usually sell tetras for startups.
Don't ever turn your pump off, i think it's been metioned before...coz your bactiria will die blah blah blah.
And i wouldn't do a water change for a fortnight, so that your bactira can actually establish itself. If you've got some extra cash, theres a video we sell at boronia, it's done by a melbourne guy, so it's made for our water conditions. We were forced to watch it,  and it's pretty good He explains everything you need to know for starting up a tank.

Can I ask where your water comes from?

 

[Duellsy]

ronrca...too late, i already have a guppy in there, hes been in there fro about a week now. Alone

Kitten, my water comes from about 10km from here, off the goulburn river, quite nice actually.
Wherabouts is boronia? My side of melb.... or the other..?
So even if the pump is off for 5 mins thats bad...? i just thought i could get my fish into a routine, when the pump is of...its meal time.
-Duellsy

 

[kitten]

Five mins is fine, but you really shouldn't have to turn it off at all! Do you know what kind it is yet? (what size tank was it again?)

Goulburn is nice water Have you had your tank water tested yet?

Boronia is kinda south-east melbourne...do you know burwood hwy? (look in your melways )

 

[ronrca]

It is ok to do a water change since bacteria does not actually float around in the water but will colonize in your gravel, decorations, filter media etc.

I actually would not recommend using tetras for cycling unless you can get them really cheap. Tetras are not as hardy as whitecloud minnows. Where I live, tetras cost everywhere from $2.5 and up. Feeder goldfish are around $0.4 and minnows/danios around $0.99.