Nitrogen Cycle

[finfan]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

the only time i used Prime was on 8/26 and i used 4 drops total on the 4 gallons i replaced

what if i went and bought the 15 cardinals i want and add bio-spira now, would that also work with the cycle?

[finfan]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

someone please answer my 15 cardinals and bio-spira  :signhelp:

[Anonapersona]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

No need to use BioSpira at this point. With the Prime only used to treat new water, you probably did not have enough to alter readings, so let's assume readings are correct. Reasonable, since you have plants and old filter in place.

I would wait another week before I added more fish, just to be sure that levels do not rise in between. Feed a bit heavily for that week, testing water daily. (You are building the bacteria level by feeding heavy, may have some ammonia or nitrites show temporarily, add some Prime if fish look unhappy. Also maintain clean gravel.) Then, do a partial water change, using Prime to treat the entire tank volume, and add fish. I'd try to add only about 50% more fish than the tank currently has as a bioload. Then do not feed for a few days, then only lightly for the rest of the week. Target will be using the SAME valume of food to feed tank as before adding fish. (So total load on tank is really the same based on food added, ignoring the fish that process food to poop.)

[finfan]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

sounds good, will start feeding more today, will add 5 cardinals end of this weekend - and will do the water change stuff with prime, thanks

ah cycling is so painful, next time i am going with bio-spira

[Zulaab]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

It might be a pain... but it beats a ton of dead fish in your tank...

[finfan]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

agreed

[Anonapersona]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

ah cycling is so painful, next time i am going with bio-spira

Ahhh, but since you have an existing fish tank, you have access to all the bacteria you need. The only reason to start from scratch would be if you were afraid of spreading something from one tank to the next, parasites, snails, disease, or if the next is saltwater which has totally different bacteria involved. If you worry about transfer of problems from one tank to the next, you have to maintain top quality sanitation, washing hands and all equipment between tanks, keeping each separated from splashes from the other. Not what most of us do.

With the next tank, you will run the new filter alongside the old filter for a week or so, feeding heavily. Then you transfer media between the filters, taking maybe half of the old or even all of the old, lightly rinsed but well used. Then you take the well seeded filter to the new tank, full of freshly dechlorinated water, and add a light load of fish.

I try to add the durable fish in one group, populating each level of the tank in turn, sensitive fish last, way last. So, maybe a small group of tetras or some mid-level swimmer, then another upper level group, then the durable bottom swimmers, cories near the end as I find them sensitive to cycling -- they lose whiskers to decay. Finally things like rams. I guess with cichlids you'd have a different order, maybe the least aggressive to the most aggressive, as the most agressive will be a terror if he is the first in the tank, still trying to add groups all together.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

Like Anonapersona stated, there is no need for Bio-spira anymore since you are well into your cycle...Bio-spira is only the bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrItes so you have that already and to add it now is worthless.

With your next tank what I do is run the same filters on multiple tanks so that I can juggle them if needed to instant cycle a new tank.

I just set up a 10g and did not go through a cycle.

[finfan]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

ok, another stupid question (as you guys probably already know, i am full of stupid questions, i am new in my defense)

anyway, when i change my filter cartridge, will a new cycle start, let me be more specific

the eclipse system II filter that i have, has the filter cartridge and the bio wheel, the water flows over the filter cartridge into the bio wheel chamber and gets back into the tank, so when i have to change the cartridge (recommended every month, i am sure i won't do it that often, maybe once every tow months), will i lose the needed bacteria and as a result have a new cycle and fish will suffer, i hope the answer is no new cycle, otherwise i will be stuck in cycling forever :aua:

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

First off.....Everything in contact with the water in your tank will eventually host beneficial bacteria....rocks/decorations/plants/hoses/etc. changing the little cartridge should not bother the system much but do not change it the same day you gravel vac and change your water....try and stagger them a bit.

[Mzungu]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

I agree with ek.

Also, the filter pad you're changing is catching a lot of debris as well as growing bacteria, which means it should be preventing the bio-wheel from having to act as a "filter" and more as a site for bacteria. So, as long as you leave the bio-wheel, you shouldn't have a problem. I think they recommend never to change it in the instructions, anyway. But, you've got a good plan, change it every month or so between water changes.

I LOVE never having to cycle a tank.  

[finfan]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

that was a load off, thanks :dance:

as you can tell, i'm learning how to use these symbols!

[Anonapersona]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

The biowheel is never cleaned, unless is is visibly gunky (I used to swish mine in tank water in a bucket to get clumps of goo off -- always bothered me that goop from there went straight back into the tank, no sponge to polish the water of that) So, you want to take very good care of that. That means that you can be more vigorous in cleaning other things... like the tubing, tank walls, gravel, and the filter cartridge.

In most fish tanks, we try to not mess with all those things at the same time, since all surfaces host bacteria, good bacteria, so if you scrub or clean you are removing some. Were your tank in a very delicate balance (and in the very beginning, yours is) you don't want to disturb things. Other cases like that are tanks with few surfaces (no gravel, no decorations, heavily stocked and heavily fed -- like Q tanks and discus raising tanks) For delicate tanks, we take it easy, do this one week, that another. So, for you, for the first 3 months or so, clean the gravel on a different day than you replace filter cartridge.

Later on, you will work on trying to corral the bacteria where you want them. That means, keeping your tubings clean (to mazimize flow rates -- small slime thickness really hurts flow rates), keeping your gravel clean (stinky poo and lost food, get rid of it), keeping your glass clean (all the better to see you with my dear). It is kinda like hearding cats, they tend to go all over but you can force them to keep mainly inside the filter if you work at it.

You can also transfer some filter bacteria to the new cartridge by placing a piece of the old one upstream of the new one, maybe tear the fabric or sponges off and stuff it upstream if you can. Without the biowheel this is more necessary, but not a bad practice to get used to.

If your biowheel ever stops turning, check to see the pleats are in a straight line, not twisted which allows water to bypass, and check for hardwater deposits at the axis. Clean with a soft toothbrush if you must.

As for that cartridge, look online and see if you can get a refillable cartridge to replace it. There may be a sort that opens up and has pads and carbon bags that you can buy -- don't buy that stuff, but do get a roll of padding that you can cut to fit the frame. You may need to get the things first to see how thick a pad it will accept, if you can find it.

[finfan]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

ok, i know this is nothing, but exciting for me, i just checked my water params and for the first time nitrite is 0 :dance:

right now it reads, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5ppm (this was 0 before), and high range ph at 7.4 and low range at 7.6, i don't know what that means, what is the real ph then?

i hope the drop in nitrite to 0 indicates my cycle is done and was not a one off, it would make sense though based on my readings over time

[AK-71]

Re: Nitrogen Cycle

Same pH - two overlapping parts of the scale, I guess.