A Fish Tank For Children, Some Advice Please...

[waterdrop]

I was looking at your log just now and it made me think how long it can seem and how hard and tiring when things don't go right. I was about to say that you appeared to be on about day 23 of the fishless cycle, but then realized you've moved it all to a filter and that the 23 day period in the other filter that probably wasn't working properly may not have helped make nearly as much progress as we would normally expect from anything we called "day 23 of a fishless cycle." And even before that 23 day count there was a starting period that then may have been kind of wiped out by a week of nothing.

So in some ways, as far as trying to follow the fishless cycle technically (from the standpoint of bacteria development and good filter operation) it may be that we could view this move to the new filter as something of a fresh starting point but with the hope that there are some good bacteria from both bacterial species types in the media, thus making it not too close to new start, we hope. The new filter seems to be working much better, right?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[upsy daisy]

upsy, you're performing all tests waiting the right amounts of time and following all the shaking instructions, right?

WD

Waterdrop, you posted this a while ago, so since finding out that my powerfilter wasn't working the way it should have I was wondering what was it that made you ask this?

I still am wondering a bit, how come when I read other people's cycle stats, they always seem to have plentiful amount of nitirites. My nitrites have only risen ever so slightly to go back to 0 again soon after. Is this a good sign or not?

So today ammonia has finally fallen to 0 since last adding. I will add more tomorrow, so curious to see how long it will take for it to go down this time. I will also try to see if local fish shop cannot donate some sponge with some critters in it. But my hopes aren't set too high..

And WD, thank you so much for your support!

 

[waterdrop]

OK, I've had a read of your mature media thread and it sounds promising... lots of tires rolling on "M" roads, even if they are on the wrong side of the highway over there

Let us know if and when you get some MM donation material and where and how you're able to fit it in your new filter. I'm still confused about what happened between the old filter and the new one. I know you had some carbon in there you needed to probably replace with more biomedia (sponges, ceramics etc.) but I don't know if you did that. I couldn't tell if you were able to cut up your old sponges (or whatever) and somehow add them to the new filter?

The most important thing with MM is simply the getting of it and the fact that its actually IN the new filter. An ideal tweak if you can manage it is for the MM to be just ahead of the new biomedia in the water flow path inside the filter. Once MM is added the filter needs to be treated as in a fishless cycle just as before but of course one hopes it will quickly progress closer to the finishing signs of being able to process both ammonia and nitrite(NO2) down to zero in fewer and fewer hours.

Give us a writeup and I'm sure any member who knows the processes will pop in and help.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[walkers101]

3" of gravel is a bit much isnt it?

 

[upsy daisy]

Walkers, I have since scooped a lot of gravel away. That's right, there was too much to begin with. I think I did it in the first week of setting it up.

New powerfilter had a carbon insert, I took that out and put in the sponge from the old filter.

..and.. I keep growinf this nasty fungus in my tank, it keeps growing on the dreaded yellow rubbery plant (photo of which is somewhere on the first pages of this thread) and also on the airstone cords/pipes. I am going to take the plant out and clean and clean the pipes, too.

 

[waterdrop]

All sorts of fungus and biofilms and strange stuff is to be expected during the period of a tank being new and getting cycled. It generally all goes away and there's nothing wrong with helping it go away by cleaning it!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[walkers101]

Walkers, I have since scooped a lot of gravel away. That's right, there was too much to begin with. I think I did it in the first week of setting it up.

New powerfilter had a carbon insert, I took that out and put in the sponge from the old filter.

..and.. I keep growinf this nasty fungus in my tank, it keeps growing on the dreaded yellow rubbery plant (photo of which is somewhere on the first pages of this thread) and also on the airstone cords/pipes. I am going to take the plant out and clean and clean the pipes, too.

good to hear sorry it wasnt a dig or anything mate

 

[upsy daisy]

Ok, WD! Do fish not mind the fungus?
Walkers101

No probs, I actually appreciate you noticing that! You know, I scooped some more away today, because you made me think about whether there still wasn't too much of it. Goodness, it stirred A LOT of all kinds uf ugly sediment up, the ammonia will probably be through the roof tonight.
I tried to measure it, but the darn kids allways keep taking all the rulers away, I never can find any!
I'll try to take a photo when I can.

 

[waterdrop]

The fungus probably won't still be around once you get fish

 

[upsy daisy]

Oh, they eat it? Good!

 

[waterdrop]

Well, either that or it just often disappears long before the end of fishless cycling, or you clean it during a cleaning session. WD

 

[upsy daisy]

Couldn't test last night, but did this morning and ammonia was at 3-2 and nitrites are still on 0. Something weird has happened to pH, it's a colour that isn't even on the color card, strange brown.. I am guessing it is going down, I'll say maybe 7.8
I am hoping that some mature media will kickstart some things happening!

 

[waterdrop]

Hows it going UD? WD

 

[upsy daisy]

WD, at the moment it's going nowhere, thank you for not forgetting abot me. Mattsissons was eager to help me out, but I haven't been able to contact him now and there hasn't been any mail. My home situation is a bit difficult at the mo, I actually haven't tested the water for 2 days. My children haven't asked about fish anymore, looks like we all have given up. Sorry,slighlty depressed today.

Tested this morning, ammonia is still at 2, I added ammonia on the 8th of May.

 

[waterdrop]

upsy_daisy, the very best thing to do when almost any tank situation seems confusing and out of hand (even in a fishless cycle) is to pick a day when you have some time, put down a nice old towel and get out your equipment and perform a nice big water change procedure! Clean the inside glass with a tank sponge, gently clean plant leaves if algae is seen, then do a nice long deep gravel clean (or surface clean if sand) and let the debris flow out with the outgoing water. Refill the tank with tap water treated with about 1.5x of conditioner dosing and then re-charge the ammonia (assuming the person reading this is fishless cycling of course!) to the 3ppm or 5ppm (whatever is appropriate to the particular current stage of the fishless cycle) and then log another set of test readings about a half hour later while sitting back and enjoying ones work!

It can be near impossible sometimes to run a household, keeping kids going and people happy and still find time for these fussy little things we have like tanks and other pets. Hang in there!

~~waterdrop~~