What Tank To Buy

[Curiosity101]

Lol, yeah any type of pipette/syringe etc is fine for measuring the ammonia.
Oh and bucketwise, I've found 12l is perfect for doing changes on my 125. So definitely don't get anything less than 10l. And don't scrimp on bucket quality...10-12l of water on the floor vs an extra couple of quid.

An alternative to buckets could be to make a python instead maybe? if you search DIY pyhton on here you'll see what a mean. But a quick overview is that you attach a piece of hosing to a tap and at the tap end it had a junction piece so when you put the tap on it starts suction removing water from the tank (cause the other end is in the tank). And then when you want to refil you turn the junction piece round and refil again using the tap. No heavy lifting, but relies on you have a suitable tap/sink nearby.

 

[PDSimon]

Lol, yeah any type of pipette/syringe etc is fine for measuring the ammonia.
Oh and bucketwise, I've found 12l is perfect for doing changes on my 125. So definitely don't get anything less than 10l. And don't scrimp on bucket quality...10-12l of water on the floor vs an extra couple of quid.

An alternative to buckets could be to make a python instead maybe? if you search DIY pyhton on here you'll see what a mean. But a quick overview is that you attach a piece of hosing to a tap and at the tap end it had a junction piece so when you put the tap on it starts suction removing water from the tank (cause the other end is in the tank). And then when you want to refil you turn the junction piece round and refil again using the tap. No heavy lifting, but relies on you have a suitable tap/sink nearby.

Where'd you get those from? The buckets from b&q are really bad. I guess you can get pipettes from LFS

 

[Curiosity101]

Syringe/Pipette = ebay
Bucket...DIY store (I would've suggested B&Q but theres plenty of others). Maybe try homebase?

I think you can buy pythons from ebay/lfs but DIY is apparently cheaper and it allows you to have it exactly the length you need.

 

[PDSimon]

Syringe/Pipette = ebay
Bucket...DIY store (I would've suggested B&Q but theres plenty of others). Maybe try homebase?

I think you can buy pythons from ebay/lfs but DIY is apparently cheaper and it allows you to have it exactly the length you need.

Thanks The sinks a bit far away for that unfortunately

 

[Curiosity101]

Nevermind. So long as you don't have a bad back water changes are good for you. Hurts when I do 50% water changes though. 60kg out then 60kg back in.

 

[kaivalagi]

Nevermind. So long as you don't have a bad back water changes are good for you. Hurts when I do 50% water changes though. 60kg out then 60kg back in.

I have that sort of job to look forward to with weekly water changes soon, a 425L tank at 15% is over 60 litres...

I may use a 60L mixing bucket of those for water changes, along with a water pump and a long piece of hose Lazy I know....but worth paying £15 for a pump in my opinion. Just thinking if I got a problem where daily water changes are needed I wouldn't like the effort required using quite a few buckets.

I could use a python type of thing, but I have a water boiler so adding hot water to the mix wouldn't be good with potentially copper being introduced, and regardless of %'s I like to, more or less, match water temperature (over the top I know...)

Looking forward to seeing you go through your fish-less cycle PDSimon, I will likely do the same with my 125L when I set it up for Apisto's (got full approval now )

 

[Curiosity101]

I will be switching from using hot water to boiling cold water soon. Once I get my new shrimp stock I wont be risking ANYTHING.
And I pretty much match temperatures aswell. I do it by hand, and if anything I add it in a teeny bit colder.

 

[kaivalagi]

I will be switching from using hot water to boiling cold water soon. Once I get my new shrimp stock I wont be risking ANYTHING.
And I pretty much match temperatures aswell. I do it by hand, and if anything I add it in a teeny bit colder.

By hand also, cold in a bucket first, add about 10% boiled cold water through a fine sieve (don't want limescale bits), add dechlorinator and then stick my spare 200W heater in the bucket

I have it down to an art now, I normally have about a 10 minute wait for the temp to be spot on, enough time for me to feel comfortable with the dechlorination process...

And no matter what has be posted in some topics you'll never catch me putting untreated water in my tank, just not comfortable with it. Another reason I don't like the idea of a python type thing, I would want to put too much dechlorinator into the tank to feel right with it (again, over the top I know but I have had a mini-cycle before now due to dead shrimp in the external filter and I don't want to go through that again, not with so much time having been put into my fish )

 

[Curiosity101]

I think you are being a bit OCD. But whilever you're happy doing it then you're definitely not doing the guys any harm.

 

[kaivalagi]

I think you are being a bit OCD. But whilever you're happy doing it then you're definitely not doing the guys any harm.

You got me! lol

I am an engineer by trade so I am a tad exacting when it comes to things...no need I know, enough people get on fine with cold water and no dechlorinator even, but you get the guist

I don't know how my wife puts up with me really

 

[PDSimon]

Nevermind. So long as you don't have a bad back water changes are good for you. Hurts when I do 50% water changes though. 60kg out then 60kg back in.

haha I strength train so it should hopefully be easy for me!

Looking forward to seeing you go through your fish-less cycle PDSimon, I will likely do the same with my 125L when I set it up for Apisto's (got full approval now )

Cheers, yours should go pretty smoothley assuming you've got lots of media spare Looking through google images, apistos look amazing. Even looking through the book though, it's quite confusing.. apistos are another type of cichlid.. the ones you've currently got are central american, alkaline water? and apistos are east african? if so the, 'the auratus' melanochromis auuratus, looks amazing

 

[kaivalagi]

Cheers, yours should go pretty smoothley assuming you've got lots of media spare Looking through google images, apistos look amazing. Even looking through the book though, it's quite confusing.. apistos are another type of cichlid.. the ones you've currently got are central american, alkaline water? and apistos are east african? if so the, 'the auratus' melanochromis auuratus, looks amazing

Should go smoothly, but it will be the first time I do a fish-less cycle. Maybe I can run the internal filter in my new bigger tank for a while first too to help things along

I have both central and south american cichlids, I have a pH of about 7.5 in their tank which is okay for the most part, but it should ideally be around 7 to accomodate for the Geo which I am hoping I can achieve with the massive piece of bogwood I have ready and waiting Although he seems very happy where he is.

When I setup for Apistos I'll ideally want a pH of around 6.5 for breeding, so no doubt I'll be posting questions on how to get my pH down that far naturally...maybe lots of wood, a soil or peat underlay in the substrate and almond leaves...should be interesting though as my water from the tap is quite hard so moving it's pH will be tricky. I think the cockatoos are a little less picky than some of the Apisto's, again only from what I've read not experience...C101 - have you got any input you can give us on pH with Apistos?

 

[Curiosity101]

Only what I've read which is basically what you've said.

However long term lowering of pH is best done with RO water (if you're really serious about it).
You can buy it in big tubs from most lfs. Then do water changes at say half tap: half RO. Or whatever ratio gives you the desired pH value.

Problem with wood and soil is that it isn't a measured change, and it isn't permenant. So although it works you can easily end up with unpredictable pH swings (such as when you do a water change).

 

[PDSimon]

Will be interesting, be sure to post your progress too

 

[Curiosity101]

Will be interesting, be sure to post your progress too

^^ Me?