Amonia At .25 According To Api Kit On My 10 Gallon Tank

[shaolin95]

^^Yup, I agree with drobbyd!^^

You just clean the filter media off in a bucket of tank water about once a month.

-FHM

THis is a Fluval 305 and seems to have many different things inside so not sure which to clean and which not to touch.
Sorry for the noob questions.

 

[fatheadminnow]

^^Yup, I agree with drobbyd!^^

You just clean the filter media off in a bucket of tank water about once a month.

-FHM

THis is a Fluval 305 and seems to have many different things inside so not sure which to clean and which not to touch.
Sorry for the noob questions.

Anything inside the filter is fair game.

-FHM

 

[shaolin95]

^^Yup, I agree with drobbyd!^^

You just clean the filter media off in a bucket of tank water about once a month.

-FHM

THis is a Fluval 305 and seems to have many different things inside so not sure which to clean and which not to touch.
Sorry for the noob questions.

Anything inside the filter is fair game.

-FHM

Well, I dont think I want to touch anything so far seeing that I still got everything at 0 yesterday. hehe

I am counting the days looking forward to adding the elephant nose one.

BTW, it is funny how each fish has its own personality. I got one of the Dalmatian mollies which is very bossy then my lonely plattie(?) is kind of small but does not let anyone push him around..very brave fishy. lol
Yesterday I turned off the bubbles and feeding was much better...I was almost hand feeding by dropping just a few food thingies at a time.

 

[fatheadminnow]

glad to hear that you go the feeding figure out.

You wan to clean the filter media about once a month. So, in about a month from now, that should be okay.

If you take a bucket of tank water and throw your media from your filter right into the bucket, and then squeeze/gently rub the media within the bucket to get debris off and what not, you will be just fine.

-FHM

 

[shaolin95]

glad to hear that you go the feeding figure out.

You wan to clean the filter media about once a month. So, in about a month from now, that should be okay.

If you take a bucket of tank water and throw your media from your filter right into the bucket, and then squeeze/gently rub the media within the bucket to get debris off and what not, you will be just fine.

-FHM

First, let me say THANK YOU, you are such a big help...is almost like we are chatting here.
The thing that confused me is, if I do that cleaning...aint I just getting rid of the good bacteria at that point?
Should I wait at least a month before adding the elephant btw?

 

[fatheadminnow]

glad to hear that you go the feeding figure out.

You wan to clean the filter media about once a month. So, in about a month from now, that should be okay.

If you take a bucket of tank water and throw your media from your filter right into the bucket, and then squeeze/gently rub the media within the bucket to get debris off and what not, you will be just fine.

-FHM

First, let me say THANK YOU, you are such a big help...is almost like we are chatting here.
The thing that confused me is, if I do that cleaning...aint I just getting rid of the good bacteria at that point?
Should I wait at least a month before adding the elephant btw?

You are very welcome!

The bacteria that colonize on your filter media, make what is called, "bio-films" where the bacteria are really secured tightly to the filter media. The only thing that can get rid of them at that point is if you through the filter media away (bad idea) or wash the filter media in non-dechlorinated water (water that has not had any water conditioner added to it). This is why, when you clean filter media, you get a bucket of tank water and rinse the filter media out in that. You will not get rid of much bacteria, at least not any significant amount, but instead you will just clean off debris and stuff from the filter media.

If you are reading 0 ppm of ammonia and nitrite, I would go ahead and add the elephant in one week minimum.

Here is the a video I made of how to clean you filter media. The light is not the best...

video of how to clean you filter media safely!

-FHM

 

[shaolin95]

glad to hear that you go the feeding figure out.

You wan to clean the filter media about once a month. So, in about a month from now, that should be okay.

If you take a bucket of tank water and throw your media from your filter right into the bucket, and then squeeze/gently rub the media within the bucket to get debris off and what not, you will be just fine.

-FHM

First, let me say THANK YOU, you are such a big help...is almost like we are chatting here.
The thing that confused me is, if I do that cleaning...aint I just getting rid of the good bacteria at that point?
Should I wait at least a month before adding the elephant btw?

You are very welcome!

The bacteria that colonize on your filter media, make what is called, "bio-films" where the bacteria are really secured tightly to the filter media. The only thing that can get rid of them at that point is if you through the filter media away (bad idea) or wash the filter media in non-dechlorinated water (water that has not had any water conditioner added to it). This is why, when you clean filter media, you get a bucket of tank water and rinse the filter media out in that. You will not get rid of much bacteria, at least not any significant amount, but instead you will just clean off debris and stuff from the filter media.

If you are reading 0 ppm of ammonia and nitrite, I would go ahead and add the elephant in one week minimum.

Here is the a video I made of how to clean you filter media. The light is not the best...

video of how to clean you filter media safely!

-FHM

Excellent stuff.
Now I understand I was like, why are we getting read of our invisible friends! lol
I am learning so much about fish...now I understand why my mom used to kill so many fish in her endless search for having everything clean and neat in the house, she will get rid of all the water and clean everything until shiny.
Then the cycle had to start over and so long fishes...the only one that took it for years and years was my huge pleco. Now I know better

BTW can we report fish abuse at a Walmart? My local walmart is horrible...greenish looking water and stuff in the tanks...dead fish all over...its not cool.
I also hate seeing bettas in tiny plastic cups.n

 

[fatheadminnow]

I am not too sure where, but I know you can contact someone about animal abuse.

Probably go to your local vet clinic, and ask them about it?

Yeah, your mom would be throwing everything away when she cleaned the tank...

-FHM

 

[shaolin95]

I am not too sure where, but I know you can contact someone about animal abuse.

Probably go to your local vet clinic, and ask them about it?

Yeah, your mom would be throwing everything away when she cleaned the tank...

-FHM

55 gallon still doing zero today.
Do you still do water changes weekly even when things show zero?

 

[fatheadminnow]

I am not too sure where, but I know you can contact someone about animal abuse.

Probably go to your local vet clinic, and ask them about it?

Yeah, your mom would be throwing everything away when she cleaned the tank...

-FHM

55 gallon still doing zero today.
Do you still do water changes weekly even when things show zero?

Yes.

Even though your ammonia and nitrite are zero, you nirtrAte is still going to be rising since there are no bacteria that process nitrate. The only way to get nitrate out is through a water change. Only about 10-20% weekly is all that is needed. Try to keep nitrate down below 40 ppm.

-FHM

 

[shaolin95]

I am not too sure where, but I know you can contact someone about animal abuse.

Probably go to your local vet clinic, and ask them about it?

Yeah, your mom would be throwing everything away when she cleaned the tank...

-FHM

55 gallon still doing zero today.
Do you still do water changes weekly even when things show zero?

Yes.

Even though your ammonia and nitrite are zero, you nirtrAte is still going to be rising since there are no bacteria that process nitrate. The only way to get nitrate out is through a water change. Only about 10-20% weekly is all that is needed. Try to keep nitrate down below 40 ppm.

-FHM

Ok, so about 10 gallons then on Saturday or Sunday.
I am going to use the Stress Coat (API) on the new water I am adding so I am going to treat before I ad it.
I will need to get some containers to hold all that water as I want to be careful on how much Stress Coat I add.

 

[fatheadminnow]

I am not too sure where, but I know you can contact someone about animal abuse.

Probably go to your local vet clinic, and ask them about it?

Yeah, your mom would be throwing everything away when she cleaned the tank...

-FHM

55 gallon still doing zero today.
Do you still do water changes weekly even when things show zero?

Yes.

Even though your ammonia and nitrite are zero, you nirtrAte is still going to be rising since there are no bacteria that process nitrate. The only way to get nitrate out is through a water change. Only about 10-20% weekly is all that is needed. Try to keep nitrate down below 40 ppm.

-FHM

Ok, so about 10 gallons then on Saturday or Sunday. Yup, that sounds good to me. You can test your nitrates to get an idea of how much water to take out. But on a 55 gallon tank, 10 gallons should be just fine.
I am going to use the Stress Coat (API) on the new water I am adding so I am going to treat before I ad it. This is a very good product!
I will need to get some containers to hold all that water as I want to be careful on how much Stress Coat I add. You don't need to be spot-on with water conditioner. Dosing more is better than dosing less.

You got the hang of it!

-FHM

 

[shaolin95]

I am not too sure where, but I know you can contact someone about animal abuse.

Probably go to your local vet clinic, and ask them about it?

Yeah, your mom would be throwing everything away when she cleaned the tank...

-FHM

55 gallon still doing zero today.
Do you still do water changes weekly even when things show zero?

Yes.

Even though your ammonia and nitrite are zero, you nirtrAte is still going to be rising since there are no bacteria that process nitrate. The only way to get nitrate out is through a water change. Only about 10-20% weekly is all that is needed. Try to keep nitrate down below 40 ppm.

-FHM

Ok, so about 10 gallons then on Saturday or Sunday. Yup, that sounds good to me. You can test your nitrates to get an idea of how much water to take out. But on a 55 gallon tank, 10 gallons should be just fine.
I am going to use the Stress Coat (API) on the new water I am adding so I am going to treat before I ad it. This is a very good product!
I will need to get some containers to hold all that water as I want to be careful on how much Stress Coat I add. You don't need to be spot-on with water conditioner. Dosing more is better than dosing less.

You got the hang of it!

-FHM

Now that you say this about water conditioner, specifically this API product.
Let me tell you this story that has been bugging me since Tuesday.
My mother in law has this tiny less than a gallon tank thingy and some small gold fish like fishes (dont ask my why lol)
They were dying slowly and as I found out it was because she just removed all the water and put new water without any conditioner.
Also there is not filter on that thing just bubbles.
So I decided to play doctor and asked her to remove the fish and add some new water with the API conditioner plus I added some API Zyme (bacteria thingy).
Well, we added the fish back and about 1 or 2 hours later I think all 4 fishes were dead.
I though that I had put too much of those solutions in but who knows....

In any case, yet one more question, do you like Powerheads? Should I get one? I do not feel my current bubbles are strong enough...they do a decent job but who knows... lol
Thanks

 

[fatheadminnow]

Power heads are really your preference. I love them! Especially in my 55 gallon tank! It keeps a really nice current throughout the tank, which helps move the ammonia, produced from the fish, around more and helps out the filter!

So, yeah, a power head could not hurt at all!

Sometimes when you introduce stuff like water conditioner to a tank, who's fish have never had that before, ever; this can sort of shock them and stress them out, which would explain the deaths.

-FHM

 

[shaolin95]

Power heads are really your preference. I love them! Especially in my 55 gallon tank! It keeps a really nice current throughout the tank, which helps move the ammonia, produced from the fish, around more and helps out the filter!

So, yeah, a power head could not hurt at all!

Sometimes when you introduce stuff like water conditioner to a tank, who's fish have never had that before, ever; this can sort of shock them and stress them out, which would explain the deaths.

-FHM

Any preferences for Power head and heater brands and models?