Si's Fishless Cycle

[kaivalagi]

Why'd you ask about the filter shrimp btw?

Just if you're planning with that in mind it would be a good idea to make sure you can get one easily enough, I haven't seen any about...unless you are talking about bamboo shrimp?

 

[PDSimon]

I first saw them on here

My link

expensive though (30+quid with delivary just for one) but quite a few LFS around me that are happy to order stuff in. I'm probably want something totally different by then anyway I just want to leave a bit of space

I dunno something about filter shrimp interests me lol

check this video out (click HD if your internet is fast enough cos it looks amazing) - skip to 2.22

video

 

[PDSimon]

I was wondering about o2 in the water for fish and co2 for plants.

It says in the tropica book that aeration causing "strong ripples" can remove co2 from the water. Is the venturi valve with the u3 filter enough to do this? There is a setting on the u3 filter (you'll know kaivalgi?) that just sends water out along the front of the pump rather than out of a singular hole... which is meant for plants. It moves the water around at the top, so would this setting be a good compromise? (note: It doesn't move it around loads, just swirls it slowly..some corners stay quite still)

bare in mind my plant list is quite big

Anubias barteri var. nana
Bolbitis heudelotii
Eleocharis parvula
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Microsorum pteropus (java fern)
Cryptocoryne x willisi
Taxiphyllum barbieri (java moss)
bacopa caroliniana or hydrophila polysperma
echinodorus ozelot
Echinodorus bleheri (amazon swords)
Vallisneria spiralis

maybe if i treat the plants nice they'll provide enough o2 anyway?

edit:

what is this stuff? (It's the top of the filter)

 

[kaivalagi]

You have been using something to bring the pH up with for the cycle right? Could it be that?

 

[PDSimon]

oh yeah..bicarb. probably...

I'll wipe it off anyways.

Redone the plant list so i've only got 8 plants now. Any thoughts on the water aeration thing? I think i'll turn the venturi valve off but keep it on the top flow if it doesn't push the plants too much

 

[kaivalagi]

Turn the venturi off and run the top flow near the surface, you'll get a circular type flow in the tank...remember you need good water circulation throughout the tank so some plants are bound to get disturbed in places

 

[PDSimon]

Thanks

Bit worrying if that stuff was bicarb! Will need to check inside the filter before I add any fish as well as the full waterchange

 

[JoshuaA]

I only ever used the Venturi valve on our tank when the fish were under meds and the temperature went up, and when fishless cycling to try my best to increase oxygen in the water. the ferociousness of the bubbles sometimes look like they'd scare the crap out of some fish lol.

 

[kaivalagi]

The bubbles won't oxygenate the water all that well anyway, it's the water surface agitation that counts

 

[PDSimon]

 

[JoshuaA]

The bubbles won't oxygenate the water all that well anyway, it's the water surface agitation that counts

I know Waterdrop helped me through the treatment of the fish a few weeks back he explained it. If you watch the water however, it is slightly more active at the water level when using the venturi valve.

 

[kaivalagi]

The bubbles won't oxygenate the water all that well anyway, it's the water surface agitation that counts

I know Waterdrop helped me through the treatment of the fish a few weeks back he explained it. If you watch the water however, it is slightly more active at the water level when using the venturi valve.

mmm, may be a marginal difference, the bulk of the agitation will be caused by the water flow with or without bubbles in it...not worth the noise at all IMHO...unless of course you like that. My tank with the venturi valve outlet is in my bedroom, no way is that venturi value going on ever...

 

[PDSimon]

Mines in my bedroom. I quite liked the venturi valve sound it so I didn't mind.

Surely fish can still breathe perfectly on the other filter settings? Why else would they have them?

 

[JoshuaA]

The bubbles won't oxygenate the water all that well anyway, it's the water surface agitation that counts

I know Waterdrop helped me through the treatment of the fish a few weeks back he explained it. If you watch the water however, it is slightly more active at the water level when using the venturi valve.

mmm, may be a marginal difference, the bulk of the agitation will be caused by the water flow with or without bubbles in it...not worth the noise at all IMHO...unless of course you like that. My tank with the venturi valve outlet is in my bedroom, no way is that venturi value going on ever...

On the Fluval U2 it barely makes any noise, a lot less than an air stone would anyway. It is also in a kitchen so its pretty much droned out by the noise of the fridge which is also pretty quiet. It also gives the impression that there is a minature water fall with the bubbles of air being pushed out horizontally as if the tank was a pond at the bottom of a small fall.

mmm, may be a marginal difference

Like they say in Tesco, Every little helps! Especially in a cycle, if it only helped marginally over 40 days that marginal may well be 1-2 days or even a stronger bacterial colony by a little bit more of oxygen being in present in the water.

 

[PDSimon]

Fed up of this cycle now...

had to put another tbsp of bicarb in, not sure if using bicarb so much can be extra bad so if it is someone please tell me!

also...what level of nitrate is it that you should perform a waterchange, 160?