Stupid newbie

[andyquid]

Hi,
Being a stupid newbie I require excessive amounts of help. This weekend a bought a 60 ltr hexagonal tank, with undergravel filter and heater. I have placed the filter in correclty but have now idea how high the top of the filter tube should be in realtion to the water, as there were NO instructions. Problem is the water has a huge amounts of bubbles on the surface. I cleaned the tank with water only, I didnt use any chemical cleaners. I have have used the decholrinator on the water but the bubbles only dissappear when I remove the hood.

PLEASE HELP. the filter pipe is about 2.5 cum under the water.

I'm stupid and new , take pity.

Andy

 

[Mesome]

I read a post on here not too long ago and someone said that bubbles on top of the water that don't just pop are a sign of ammonia. Do you have tests to check ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? By checking these, you will be able to see if your ugf is indeed working properly. Is there a line on the heater to indicate where the water level should be?

Oh, and welcome to the forum btw!

 

[andyquid]

Thanks for that, I have checked some of the chemicals. My ph is a little high at 7.6 but I havent tested for Ammonia. That would explain the slight smell aswell.

I will buy a tester today, how would I reduce it if it is too high?

Andy

 

[Mesome]

Waterchanges. You can chemically treat it with a product like amquel, but the toxins are still there, just not so harmful. Waterchanges though would be your best bet IMO. You'll want to get tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Once your nitrates begin to go up, your cycle is almost complete. I think there is a pinned topic in the beginner section on cycling your tank...
Good luck!

 

[andyquid]

Many thanks, will do