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thanks for all the replies, I did a 50% water change, and the the water cleared... a little bit. The PH was 7.2 before it plummeted, free-falled, reached it's nadir at 6.8 (perhaps 6.7 after the water change) is that a big drop? which pH is dangerous? i have a 72g community tank, with 3...

thanks for the feedback, i just finished a 50% water change, and will see what happens in the am. what do you mean add a carbon filter? do you mean add another one beyond the one I have already (this a new tank and the 2 carbon filters are about 2 weeks old) the water still has a brownish...

i bought a piece of bog wood for my tank soaked it overnight and placed it in, it looked nice, the next 2 days i bough a second piece and soaked it for 6 hours and placed it in the water... now it is brownish... checked the pH it is 6.6-6.8 (it has been 7.2 all along) help, I am going to do a...

i bought a piece of bog wood for my tank soaked it overnight and placed it in, it looked nice the next 2 days i bough a second piece and soaked it for 6 hours and placed it in the water... now it is brownish... checked the pH it is 6.6-6.8 help, I am going to do a water change.... should I add...

that idea is just crazy enough to work! :look: maybe my lfs does not know everything....

I just did a transfer of my previous fish to a larger tank (72g from a 55g) that I cycled with some of the old water and the previous sponge filter. after a 50% water change my readings looked goodish... temp 75 F (23.9 C) pH 7.2 ammonia 0 ppm nitrite 0 ppm nitrate 5-10 ppm however one of my...

Well, I tried to answer my own question... I bought a Whisper 100 air-pump with an Air stone... yup, the tank is agitated all right... hmmm.

As I went over to buy some plants at my local store (not a pet store, the B&D in Seattle only sells tropical fish) I asked them about my set up. they told me that my Fluval 305 is too small for my 72g tank, and that I should get the largest filter i could afford and likely an external filter...

the theory being in a newly established tank with the potential for a nitrogen spike (it was not perfectly cycled) that minimizing feeding will minimize waste thus minimize nitrogenous waste products like ammonia... cogito ergo sum :rolleyes:

I recently changed aquariums from a 55g to a 72g (tossed the old gravel) and did it by adding 10-20% of the old water, adding a portion of the old sponge to the new filter system media and squeezing the old sponge in to the new water tank, then re-introduced the fish. day 1: pH 7.2 ammonia...

the spray bar kit is what i was wondering about since it seems that there is little agitation of the surface water... however as someone mentioned above I should get an oxygen measuring device/kit and see if i need it. I want to keep the stocked with fish as tolerated but i don't want...

thanks for the input, and I understand that surgace agitation helps oxygenate the tank. I am wondering if anyone has experience with the Fluval by Hagen filter system (or something similar where both intake and ouput ports are underwater). Since I see no agitation I wonder if there is enough...

we changed from a 55g tank to a 75g tank, and also changed filtration systems. we went from the aqua-quip waterfall style filter to a Fluval 305 tubing/gravity based system the question is this: the old waterfall set up seemed to agitate the water more and "seemed" to get oxygenation happening...

If I am cycling a tank that I bought recently (where the old water was kept and the new water was "seeded" with a good squeeze of the old sponge) with my previous fish... so far the readings were goodish... Temp 75 F pH 7.2 Ammonia 0 ppm nitrite 0 ppm nitrate 10 ppm and i did a 50% water...

state: Washington City Seattle (and its environs) the best and cleanest and well stocked fish store I have come across is Denny's in Kirkland (yes, i know not exactly Seattle but very close). however in South Seattle (in White Center actually) there is the B&D, good selection, knowledgeable...

my wife has to be involved since she helps me with the water changes and the cleaning, which is a two person job... but she gets the aesthetically pleasing sight of a clean healthy aquarium... which is a positive thing in the household.

Maybe a light colored slate tower? like a house of cards in the middle?

thanks that is one question that I had, but it makes sense to avoid making extra nitrogenous waste material... but how long can they hold out?

Just bought new aquarium and set it up as you see in the picture. I think it looks sparse... what would you add to make it look "natural" ie a brook, lake, etc and aesthetically pleasing? more light or dark rocks, more wood, more plants? artistic recommendations appreciated.

ok i think I am looking ok-ish this AMs first readings were pH 7.2 ammonia 0-0.25 ppm nitrite 0 ppm nitrate 10 ppm just got to get that nitrate down with a water change I wonder if it would help to not feed... too stressful.... too much waste?

thank you for the answers, but: is not feeding them a good idea for the first 24 hrs to minimize waste? and thus cut back on nitrogen production?

I may still have some of the carbon in the garbage bag with the rest of the old filter material (except the sponge/foam). :unsure: but i think i will have to do the 50% water change. how quickly (how many hours before I notice a Nitrogen spike? is it immediate or 12 hours (overnight) type of...

Hello, I have not posted in a long while but your help has been excellent always so I need your expert assitance: My good ol' 55 gallon tank started getting harder and harder to keep clean, it had however a healthy population of fish that I had kept for 3 or so years. We decided that since the...

Hi I am relative newbie, we just bought 3 clown loaches to add to our aquarium. It is a 55 gallon (208 L) tank with these fish: 2 yoyo loaches 2 red tail sharks (they don't fight?!!?!) 4 angel fish 1 common pleco 1 banjo catfish 5 cardinal tetras 3 coolie loaches and lots of hiding places...

It has been 2-3 weeks since my last water change... and I got great numbers so I was not sure if waiting was ok? I read the websites listed in the previous posts and it seems that there are other issues besides nitrogen cycle that are affected by water changes.

I currently in my 55 g (208L) tank have 1 clown loach, 2 yoyo loaches, 1 banjo catfish, 1 common pleco, 2 red tailed sharks (I know 2 is bad but they have been getting along well for 4 weeks...), 2 bala sharks (small 4-5 cm) and 4 angel fish. This is a strange question: Is it ok (ie "ethical"...

This seems like an obvious beginner question but here it goes nonetheless: From all the postings, books and FAQs on aquariums I gather that water changes should be done weekly or semi weekly; however, if the ph is stable (7.4) and the NH3/NH4 = 0ppm, NO2- = 0ppm, NO3- = 10-20 ppm and the fish...

Thanks, I check frequently and my stats hover in the 0's except the nitrate 5-10 ppm. I also frequent water changes. I have not yet rinsed the sponge filter (but the tank cycled only 3-4 weeks ago). JG

I have an aquaquip 300 (I guess an US brand) external filter (waterfall type) and a powerhead. I have a 55 gallon tank with several fish. Do I need a bigger filter system? thanks

I have had two red tailed black sharks for 2 weeks. They have had multiple water changes and the water conditions have been excellent ( Temp 75 F [23.9C], pH 7.4, NH3/NH4 0 ppm, NO2- 0 ppm, NO3- 10 ppm). They however, have looked more grey than black and their tail more salmon than the original...

So I have cycled my tank (I believe I have since I have several days with no ammonia and nitrite); however, my nitrate level is never 0 ppm. It hovers around 10 ppm. I have done multiple 25% water changes and yet it never quite goes away. I know that this is the end of the oxidization of...

I recently had a fish emergency when my Clown Loach died while my tank was cycling. My pH was highish (7.6) but the nitrates were 80ppm, the nitrites were 10ppm, and the ammonia was 0ppm. Thanks to the forums I was told to do dailiy water changes and to make certain other changes to help the...

I started just now with a 25% water change with dechlorinated tap water, and will do so if I can daily. The amazing thing is that the clowns looke "happier" (in a very anthropomorphic sense of course) after adding the salts. They fed more and swam around more (they were not "scratching"). Keep...

Thanks all for all the help, I am going to have to sue my allegedly reputable LFS since they told me "most" tropical freshwater fish (they said "specially loaches") need aquarium salt :S So I am now going to have a seizure trying to fix all these nitrate and nitrite issues... and now the pH...

I bough a new tank and I was assured I was ready to add new fish in 3-4 days. I think now that is wrong. What is tank cycling, is there a good reference article?

How much water should I change? Is the temperature change from tap water from the change going to be shocking?

The lfs told me they would be great together when I bought the bala sharks.... :crazy:

What exactly is the cycling process, is there a link where I can read about it. I think it is not what I thought it was. Is it just the process where bacteria and algae grow in a new tank to equilibrate all the chemical processes when fist filled with water and fish?

Where is the nitrate coming from? Is this the fact that it is a new tank? Is it the recent death? Is the pH to high, last week it was around 7.2 - 7.4? Thanks for your help

Is there any use for "nitrasorb" or some other nitrate binder? If I need to do a water change do 20%, more?