Another newbie!

[pete]

You could just double up on the AquaEL filters and try that, however i would still add an airpump and airstone just to be on the safe side :what: .

Also if you get an airpump etc then you could take the air venturi off your filters and increase thier output as running these venturi gadgets reduces the flow rate of the filters because air is introduced to the impellor housing where as in other filters it is introduced into the outlet pipe thus reducing the flow rate by a smaller amount :what: .

As for running just the one filter with an airpump etc, well i personaly feel that this would still be inadequate for your tanks needs.

And as for your remark on "sorry for the 20 questions..........", well if you dont ask you dont know so keep asking if you need more help as if nobody asked questions we would all be out of a job lol  :laugh:  :laugh: , like i said before ........... its what we're here for    

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

ok, i've just put in a air pump and stone.

The guy in my lfs said that the filter was designed for this particular tank (It was sold as a kit), so I will see how it goes for now.

The fish seem to be chillin' out in the new bubbles at the moment anyway.

Fingers crossed all will be ok

 

[pete]

Good glad they are a bit happier now

As for that filter.............watch your water quality very carefully as the filter is still inadequate for what your asking of it :what: .

Believe me i know when it comes to filters , it may well say on the box etc etc that its fine for your tank but believe me ive tried these filters and auctioned off all but one of them as they are seriously lacking when compared to the equivalent Fluval Ehiem etc, heres a little thing to try.....................

Take out the sponge filter media from your filter and compare it to that of a Fluval Ehiem etc..........you'll be astonished at the extra media you get in the better quality filters.....also after looking on the AquaEL website i have found out that although the Fluvals etc are far better they cost less than the AquaEL :what:

So to round up i would still get an extra filter fitted as soon as you can.........if only just to be safe

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Hiya,

I think I will get another filter (just 2 b safe) but I'll go to a different lfs as I don't wan't my regular lfs to think I am ignoring his advice. lol

p.s. my air pump is a Hi-Tech aquarium air pump 1000 it is quite noisy (buzzing) and a little warm is that normal?

 

[pete]

Yes its perfectly normal for airpumps to get a bit warm lol

The buzzing im afraid is a common prob with airpumps as they work by vibrating a diaphram to pump the air, some are more noisey than others but nearly all will buzz to a certain degree.

I run several Hi Tech air pumps and personaly i rate them very highly as they are relatively inexpensive and do a very good good pumping up to 2 foot deep from floor level with no problems at all

Just a thought (perhaps i should of mentioned this last night :what: ) if you have the airpump lower than the aquarium you should fit a none return valve so that in the event of a power failure etc the tank water will not syphon through the airpump, however i suspect your lfs will already of advised you of this fact

Im glad that things are on the mend for your fish now and hopefully this will be the last problem you get for a while

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Hi all,

My lfs did another water check for me today, my ammonia is still zero although my Nitrite level has gone done a little it is still a little high (about 1.5).

Other than water changes what else can I do to reduce the Nitrite?

My filters are apparantly not big enough for the Nitra Zorb stuff so what else can be done?

 

[Alien Anna]

Hi all,

My lfs did another water check for me today, my ammonia is still zero although my Nitrite level has gone done a little it is still a little high (about 1.5).

Other than water changes what else can I do to reduce the Nitrite?

My filters are apparantly not big enough for the Nitra Zorb stuff so what else can be done?

Hi,
sorry about the loss of your tetra. I'm afraid it was probably the nitrite that caused his demise, but the air-stone etc. will help the survivors. The Siamese fighter can cope with quite high nitrite because he can breathe air - he's probably going to the surface more than he will when the tank is working well, but it won't do him any harm. They are quite tough.

Nitrite, at any level, reduces the oxygen in the water. I don't know if anyone explained that. The air-stone may help (particularly as you have inadequate filtration) but the only long-term measure is to get the nitrite down. And that is going to take time and patience. I'd suggest you back-up your small internal filter with a cheap sponge filter attached to your air-pump. If you get a two-way gang-valve and some air-line, you can rig it up so the pump services both an air-stone and a sponge filter.

Nitrite is broken down by particular bacteria found in your filter and in the gravel. Until that bacteria has had a chance to grow, nitrite will continue to be a problem. I'd hang in there and do small, frequent water changes and keep an eye on the nitrite. 1.5 is still considered way high for nitrite (<0.3 is what you want to start seeing, zero ultimately).

What you are experiencing is a "nitrite spike". They are actually quite normal and happen when you add fish to a tank or when the tank is getting established. Which is why you need a test-kit yourself - when you buy new fish, you need to keep a track of the nitrite spike so you can intervene if it gets too high and starts harming your fish.

I think things are going OK for the moment. You at least haven't made the mistake of buying too many fish to start. I can recommend a Fluval 3 pump for when you get fully established, but run it in tandem with your current filter for a couple of weeks, to give it a chance to get good bacteria growing in it. Please note that you can often buy them 2nd hand, on Ebay.

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Hi again,

I've just added some Nitra Zorb into my filter (it wasn't an easy fit either) and also rinsed out my sponge filter in the tank water.

The water has gone quite cloudy; is that normal

 

[pete]

Possibally an algae bloom? dont feed for a few days and carry out small water changes as per Williams instructions

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Hi, I don't think it is an algae bloom as I only have fake plants.

Anyway, the cloudiness has reduced a little so I am thinking I may have disturbed something.

BTW where are these instructions by William?

 

[cichlidmaster]

and also rinsed out my sponge filterin the tank water

This may seem a really stupid question, but did you rinse it out in the tank or have tank water in a bucket and rinse it there. If you rinsed it straight in the tank this could be the reason you water is a bit cloudy

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

I rinsed my filter out in the tank itself.

Anyway, the water has cleared now, but my Nitritres are still too high!!!!!!!!!!