HELP!!!! Tank really getting me mad

[G_Sharky]

You don't have to put your mouth on the tube.... What you should do is fill the main vac tube(big tube) and let some of the water out on the other end then cover it with your finger, but make sure that there are some water left. Then fill the big tube with water again and submerge it on your tank and let go of your fingers on the other end, this will start the syphoning..... You could safely do a huge water change only if the replacement water is the same temp as your tank water. Get a barrel or something to hold water put a heater(match the temp on your tank) and an airstone this way the water parameters(ph, hardness) would be stable and you could do big WC. I wouldn't recommend changing 100% of your water though, but you should try doing a 70% WC, Try frequent water change if your water remains really dirty....Good Luck....

 

[FishDan]

If you do a 100% water change, that's just fine. So long as your new water closely matches the old water. In temp, pH, etc. If one or more of these parameters are too different, this could cause your fish a great deal of stress, and kill some of them. Since the beneficial bacteria do not live in the water, but on the surfaces, there really is no danger of a cycle or anything other than the potentail disaster that can occure if the new water is drastically different from the old water. It is key to change water that closely matches your current water. I also think it is key to find out what is causing the cloudyness. Algea? Unrinsed gravel? Bacterial bloom? Something in the air somehow affecting water? Once you narrow down why you can start coming up with other possible solutions.

When I changed gravel in my two tanks, I had no mini-cycle of any kind. In both tanks (a 20 long and a 20 high) I also did a 50% water change. It was a quick process (about 2 hours total) and I had no fish losses/illnesses and again, no cycle. I saved 1/2 my wter in buckets, but plants, and decorations in one and fish and floated a few plants in another. I removed all gravel, cleaned my glass with a wet sponge (for tank use only, no detergents/soaps ever) then added my sand. Added my new water (pre aged to match pH and temp of old water) added my plants and other decor then added my fish. I personally felt it was much less stress on my fish to have them in full bucket(s depending on number of fish) than having them in low water with my digging and rearranging everything while they are in the tank. My water was a tad cloudy for about 5 hours, fish were fine and happy, ammonia/nitrites tested daily for 2 weeks, with no measurable raise in either.

As far as starting gravel vac, it isn't unsanitary if you get some tank water in your mouth. Just won't taste so good. I don't think you will find a documented case of a fishkeeper getting ill from ingesting a few sips of tank water. I personally don't like the taste of tank water, so I use the "shake" method Teelie mentioned.

\Dan

 

[endparenthesis]

Plunge the vacuum into the gravel... all sorts of crap will come up. You'll know what I mean when you see it. The difference between what a tap and a plunge suck up is pretty impressive.

 

[coldethyl]

Personally i would never use sand in a tropical tank if your using an internal filter, just a few grains that manage to work there way up to the impeller and in no time your gonna need a new impeller

 

[wrs]

its not internal though.

So I did a 100 percent waterchange. All the water was the same, w/PH because i never lower that. I did use hot water and dechlorinator.

Well I had to remove most of the gravel, because when I just took out the water and put new in, it got all yellow again. So I took out most of it and put the sand on top of it.

All fish were fine this morning, I think they like the sand better.

Thanks for all your advice.