Slow turn over on new tank.

I keep my filtration simple.

A very basic filter (Aquael Turbo 2000) that I can use an infinite choice/amount of media combinations and can alter the venturi output to as much or as little as needed

In my younger days I used to overthink things far too much. But thesedays I go the simple, easy to maintain/adjust route

I used a 2 tap valve to regulate the air flow going into the sponge filter in my betta's tank. Rather than block the tubing, which may or may not harm the air pump, I just bled some air out into the room through the unused tap.

Ya, I've scrubbed the tank inside and out. Still need to do more as the tank came heavily coated with whatever. The glass is clean enough that it isn't a real factor although it will be cleaned more at time goes on. Actually the inside of the tank was decent from day one but the outside is still resisting being totally clean. Yes, I'm using ammonia free cleaners.

I've looked and can't find any adjustment screws on the dual Whisper 40s.

Understand that the haze is very minor but I want a crystal clear tank. A friend was over earlier this evening and thought the tank looked good. Still, even if another does not, I can see the light haze and it bugs the heck out of me. Does a light haze mean the tank is sick? Of course not but I want totally clear. Right now, if I were to give a percentage, I'd say the tank is 90% clear. Some of the haze may even be algae bloom as I've tended to have the lights on more than I probably should. I mean that Tank... the pleco... is mouth walking all over the place which would indicate that he is finding algae.

To add on I MAY just be being too picky. Here is the current appearance of the tank. It isn't like it is filthy or anything. I just have a problem of wanting perfection. If I were to be honest I guess that I can't really find anything wrong... Looking at the photo it seems clearer than what I see next to me. Mayhaps I'm being too critical and am looking for the impossible. Looking at the photo instead of the tank I see nothing wrong yet the photo is of the tank. Mayhaps I'm looking for something that will never happen.

Actually I think, once I shut off wanting total perfection, it looks pretty danged good.

LOL! I'm sort of big on colors matching. If you will notice in the following image the substrate matches the wood in the hour glass and the little wood that can be seen in the arm of the couch. Such things are of no real importance but I like to have a 'flow' between things.

If the fish are healthy, don't mess with it

The more you mess with stuff, the more problems you will cause or find

Let it be and quit finding fault

My 200 litre was a little hazy at first, I left it alone apart from scheduled maintenance and a few months down the line its clear and settled and stays that way no matter how much the hooligans living in there try to make it look like a scruffy teenagers bedroom

Just relax....its still a relatively new setup....enjoy it without picking holes in it (does wonders for the blood pressure when you stop fiddling with things and just enjoy it and let things settle on their own)

When my tank was cycled but relatively young between 6 and 12 months, I was washing the filter media under the tap. Other people do it without issue and I felt my tank should be mature being over 6 months. But whenever I did this the tank would cloud for an hour or two. My theory, which may or may not be right, is that some of the beneficial bacteria was being washed off and the tank didn't have enough background beneficial bacteria to process the ammonia for a short time. Once my tank was older I could rinse the media under the tap without any clouding of the water.

So I suspect your ammonia readings are correct and the tank is struggling to balance for some reason. Is there anything in your maintenance routine that could be the cause, or something off in the initial cycling?

I feel you are struggling to reconcile the ammonia reading with the fish behaviour but your pH could explain this. When the pH is below 7 the ammonia is in the form of ammonium which is much less harmful. So the fish would only have difficulty with nitrite or if the pH went up above 7 for any reason.

Ya, I'm probably messing with it too much. I have a bad habit of being a chronic tinkerer.

I'm happy to say that the tank seems to be clearing on its own since I cut down on my messing. For example I have some fake plants at the back of the tank to sort of hide the air risers for the under gravel filtration. As of my last post in this thread these plants were just sort of a green blur. Now they show in well defined detail. That tells me that the water clarity is improving.

Just checked and am still showing ammonia, or ammonium with my PH, which I don't like but the fish all seem fine and active. The PH is 6.0 at most, possibly even lower. My API test kit only goes down to 6.0 which is a light yellow. Might be just a hint of a bit of green in the test color but the PH is 6.1 or 6.2 at the max., I think lower. With the PH seeming to stay constant, and the fish doing just fine, I think the tank is doing well.

I still have some concern as the Nitrite level still shows as 0.0 PPM while I still show ammonia. I still think it possible that I MAY be getting false ammonia readings as one of the ammonia test bottles was open when I received the master test kit. I think it possible that the open ammonia test bottle could be compromised as the ammonia level still shows close to the same even after a 50% water change.

LOL! As I've said before I'm old school. I think that I've made a mistake in trying too hard to learn new school. I think that it just may be best for me to go back to old school and allow the fish to let me know what is going on. Take my black skirt tetras... On average the skirts are quite dark. If in bad water, or stressed, the skirts would likely be close to transparent. I take the skirts being very dark as a better indication that things are OK more than a questionable ammonia test result. Then there is my pleco. Not long ago he ( don't actually know sex but plecos tend to be a him to me) was almost white but is now back to full dark spotted color with sails usually wide open as if showing off.

I DO need to get more corys as it just isn't fair to just have one. The local Petco keeps telling me they are coming in but zero results. Question on corys... The one I have is a little albino. To allow for it to school do I need to get 5 more albinos or is any cory type OK? Until recently I didn't know that they schooled.

Essjay said:

I used a 2 tap valve to regulate the air flow going into the sponge filter in my betta's tank. Rather than block the tubing, which may or may not harm the air pump, I just bled some air out into the room through the unused tap.

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Been a while since posted but I just wanted to thank Essjay for the above idea. It seems like a really good idea to prevent back pressure in the air pump. I finally found some that didn't have terrible reviews and are stainless instead of plastic. Just in case I got a bad one I ordered 3 while only needing 2. If all are good 1 just gets put in my 'junk container' as a backup. Thanks a lot for the idea/advice.

I guess that I will close this thread out as it seems that all is now good.

PH: between 6.0 and 6.2. Been there all along.

Ammonia: Between 0.25 and 0.5 PPM probably due to over feeding flakes which I'm not used to using. Black skirt tetras will now only get flakes a couple of times a week. Other days they will get freeze dried pieces of Tubifex worms pressed on the glass. This equates to an NH3 level of 0.0004 PPM or less.

Nitrite: looks like 0.0 PPM.

Nitrate: Hard to really see but I'd guess 1-2 PPM.

In a 20 gallon cube I'd guess that to be not bad.

Thanks for all the help and advice!!!! You don't know how much I appreciate.