Questions on Cycling

[kilo]

1. After i cycle my tank can i replace my filter pad when it gets old? My filter only has one filter pad thing.

2. How big of a water change will affect my bacteria? or kill it all?

3. When i do water changes and i use a bucket do i put the dechlorinator in the bucket first then mix it around and then put the water into the tank? or do i have to wait a little while cause i heard some people saying that the declorinator can kill the bacteria.

4. When i clean my filter pad i usually use this spray gun that attaches to the water hose. Can i still use that and spray it then stick the pad back into the tank?

Thats most of the questions i have for now but i'll have more later, thanks to anyone who answers this.

 

[FroggyFox]

1. When your tank is cycled and your pad gets dirty...you can rinse it off in a bucket of dechlorinated water or used tank water...after a few months or a year it might get so gross that you just gotta replace it...then that should be fine...but honestly I dont think most people change their filter pads that often.

2. How big of a tank do you have?? Water changes will not kill bacteria unless you pour water straight from the tap into your tank (which would also kill your fish), so just be sure to dechlorinate first. Then usually we suggest getting into the routine of changing 25-30% of your water once a week with fresh (dechlorinated) water.

3. I would mix your dechlor and water in the bucket...and stir it around a little. If its an option to let it sit for a few minutes...it couldn't hurt. Really the only thing that it can help would be if you have chloramines in your water that the dechlorinator needs to break down...but not everyone has them and dechlor works pretty fast.

4. Not if your water hose has chlorinated water coming out of it! Just dunk it in a fresh bucket of dechlorinated water and swish around...squeeze...scrub with your hands etc etc until its cleaner than it was before and put it back in your filter.

 

[FisheyLisa]

#2: There is no helpful bacteria in the water (it has to be attached to surfaces to be helpful), so technically you could do a 100% change and not effect that. If you have a problem you are trying to fix you could do up to a 50% without harm, but typical changes are as stated above.

All the other questions you had, I agree with FroggyFox.

Lisa

 

[kilo]

ok thanks, i have some more questions.

5. How do i know when my tank is cycled? what do i look for?

6. What should i expect to happen during these 7 days of adding stability? should i excpect nitrates or go up or something? or nitrites or ammonia? (if the seachem stability does really work that is...)

thats most all the questions for now, again thanks for helping me.

 

[FroggyFox]

5. Your tank is cycled when your ammonia and nitrite peak and then end at 0ppm.

6. you should expect your ammonia to disappear, then your nitrite to disappear, and at the end you'll just have increasing nitrates that you lower by doing water changes.

 

[kilo]

i just remembered some more questions to ask.

7. What is tap water? is it the water from inside the house? or oustide?
i have one of those water softeners and it is connected to all the water inside the house and the water we use to water the grass and stuff isn't connected to the water softener so which one should i use? is both alright? The only problem with the water inside the house is that it can't be used to water any plants because of some chemicals or something that will kill it.

 

[kilo]

8. is it hard to keep the nitrates under 40ppm??

9. after my ammonia is lowered and my nitrites keep going higher do i start doing water changes??

 

[FroggyFox]

7. Tap water is any water that isn't something you buy bottled or has been through a filtration system. In your case I think I would do some simple tests on your outside water (test pH and make sure the nitrates aren't off the charts etc) and probably use that outside water. We've had several members have issues with their fish because the water for their house has a softener.

8. In most cases it is not hard to keep the nitrates under 40ppm. Exceptions are if you have overstocked (put too many fish in your tank) or if your tap water has nitrates in it. The biggest reason we do water changes is to replace water that has high nitrates, with water that has no nitrates.

9. No, when you're cycling you never do water changes until you're finished...unless you have FISH In the tank and then you need to do them when your nitrites get higher than about 2ppm and you'll need to do them every other day. If you're doing fishless cycle then dont do any water changes until your ammonia and nitrites have both fallen to 0, and then you do a BIG water change and add your fish.

 

[kll1221]

3. I would mix your dechlor and water in the bucket...and stir it around a little. If its an option to let it sit for a few minutes...it couldn't hurt. Really the only thing that it can help would be if you have chloramines in your water that the dechlorinator needs to break down...but not everyone has them and dechlor works pretty fast.

.

Don't mean to hijack your thread but I have a question? What if you use the python? I have been putting the declor into the tank then the water. Is there a better way?

 

[FroggyFox]

Nope...I think as long as you put enough dechlor in the tank before adding fresh water back in you should be fine. I dont use a python to put water into my tank, so I dont know first hand...but I'm pretty sure thats what those who have them have said they do and haven't had any issues with it.

 

[TygGer]

Are you cycling with fish or without fish?