the BEST

[stivhixon]

Im trying to get the best filter for a 3o gallon tank, I stocked way to early before tank was fully cycled if a great filter may help cycle faster Id be happy to splurge any ideas, while we are on filters what is th e appropriate way to clean filter(of course I used the faucet?! use a pail with your tank water during water changes and just dunk it in there?? and do you think with my problem I with ammonia (at 1.0) I should do this weekly??daily?? I just wanna keep these guys alive during this the best way possible so any suggestions on cycling a tank with a fully stocked load feel free to add coments o;n that

 

[Slyspy]

Water changes should be daily with an ammonia reading of 1.0 (maybe 25% a day). Make sure that you use a dechlorinator.

Wash your filter madia in water from your tank during a change (ie in a bucket like you said). Just give it a swirl. This may not need to be done every change (definitely not daily during the cycle) but rinse any pre-filter media once a week is good practice.

Any of the major brands will be fine as a filter (just get the correct size). None are likely to speed the process up though. Stick with the one you have if it is the correct size for your tank.

What fish do you have? If you are fully stocked without cycling the tank then you will certainly have casualties. Try taking most of them back and only keeping a few of the hardiest types to cycle with. Once the tank is cycled you can then gradually add new fish.

If you can get some filter media from an established healthy tank (from your LFS for example) and pop it into your filter asap after you get it. This will seed the necessary bacteria in your tank and speed the process up. Failing that some gravel or ornaments from an established tank will help as well.

 

[stivhixon]

If Im doing 25 percent changes daily around how long until my tank is cycled? I just mean like weeks or months? or just until ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are 0? Ive had them in there around a month and they are all lively and hungry but ammnia shows high but I know tank wasnt ready from the start unfortunatley, thanks

 

[Slyspy]

It will take weeks (a month maybe) before the tank is cycled. Cycling with fish is generally a longer process than cycling without. Daily water changes are your fish's best chance of survival beyond beind taken out and returned.

The cycle goes fish waste-ammonia-nitrItes-nitrAtes. Both ammonia and nitrItes (deadly to fish) will increase daily until the ammonia spikes, after which it will decrease. During this period nitrItes will shoot up dramatically. Then they too will be consumed, becoming nitrAtes. All three are poisonous and must be kept low to preserve the fish. Trouble is that this also slows the whole process down. A cycled tank will have only nitrAtes and this are easily controlled by weekly water changes.

 

[Tolak]

Got this little chart off the internet some time ago. Wish I knew who to attribute it to, I'd give them credit;

Tolak

 

[annka5]

As your ammonia is quite high and your tank is not that new, likely the nitrite is also high. If you CAN do 2 x 25% changes daily - say one first thing in the morning, one last thing -that would help dilute the nasties.
As regards the filter, I agree with the above, it won't much help increase the number of bacteria. Generally, better would = more surface area of filter foam for the bacteria to live in. maybe an eheim external filter. But honestly, I would say this is a waste of money if you've already got a perfectly good one.