I'm getting the scrubbies tomorrow afternoon. Guess I will try and grab a fish or two to throw in as well. .25 ammonia should be ok for them to start off right?
330 gallon setup and sump build
- Thread starter jvc66
- Start date
Ammonia isnt great but .25 should be manageable. Do a large water change begore adding the fish. Then test regularly. Your on your way brp
So before I add the couple fish tomorrownwith the scrubbies I should do a water change or before I put the rest of the stock?
Did you get your drain to quiet down? You are gonna hate me but two idea.
Having two overflow pipes combined into on pipe effectively slows your gph to one pipe's speed. (Ie. If a 1 inch pipe flows 600gph and you had two pipes you could flow 1200gph to the sump. If you have two pipes combining into one you will only have 600gph)
Also, having two separate drains will let you adjust each gate valve to each overflow independently. This will make tuning far easier. You should be able to get it quiet within 5 min of playing with it.
Having two overflow pipes combined into on pipe effectively slows your gph to one pipe's speed. (Ie. If a 1 inch pipe flows 600gph and you had two pipes you could flow 1200gph to the sump. If you have two pipes combining into one you will only have 600gph)
Also, having two separate drains will let you adjust each gate valve to each overflow independently. This will make tuning far easier. You should be able to get it quiet within 5 min of playing with it.
I do fish less cycling now. I use 29.45% ammonia. It takes between 17-23 days with no addition of bb media. Slightly faster with established bb.
I would be a bit wary adding fish already. I would think even with bb it would take 7 days or so to be good. Why add fish? Just use ammonia. Any will work. Add some, test, then wait 24 hours and test again.
Fwiw i add 2.5 ml per 90 gallons of 29.45% stuff. It wontmatter but if you have lower strenth ammonia this will give you a starting point. It is an esy test. Any amount will do.
Also by using "higher" doses (compared to a hand full of danios) of ammonia with get you a large bb colony faster so adding more of your fish at one time will be no problem.
I would be a bit wary adding fish already. I would think even with bb it would take 7 days or so to be good. Why add fish? Just use ammonia. Any will work. Add some, test, then wait 24 hours and test again.
Fwiw i add 2.5 ml per 90 gallons of 29.45% stuff. It wontmatter but if you have lower strenth ammonia this will give you a starting point. It is an esy test. Any amount will do.
Also by using "higher" doses (compared to a hand full of danios) of ammonia with get you a large bb colony faster so adding more of your fish at one time will be no problem.
Not trying to disagree with the pros.......but if their bacteria is really there and alive and working.....adding some ammonia should be no problam cause the bacteria should take care of it. No need to get crazy with the addition of ammonia, but a test would be prudent imo.
In any case, Fwiw seachem's site said 7 days before adding fish......
Directions for Stability http://www.seachem.com/stability.php
You need to continue dosing for 7 days at recommended levels. You can add fish at any time. I have always used either seachem products or in the case of bb sometimes I use microbacter7. Dose daily with Stability add fish anytime. If I were you id get all of the congo tetras, some more stability and dose for 7 more days after adding the tetras. Keep checking your parameters every other day or so and after 7 days daily for a couple days to make sure nothing weird is happening if everything is stable then do a largish water change and get some more fish. Keep a bottle of stability on hand and anytime you increase the bioload add recommended dose. You could add the meeki instead of the congos they are hardy and usually available at least around here. I would not do a water change until you have run a full coarse of stability with fish, you will most likely interrupt the cycle.
You need to continue dosing for 7 days at recommended levels. You can add fish at any time. I have always used either seachem products or in the case of bb sometimes I use microbacter7. Dose daily with Stability add fish anytime. If I were you id get all of the congo tetras, some more stability and dose for 7 more days after adding the tetras. Keep checking your parameters every other day or so and after 7 days daily for a couple days to make sure nothing weird is happening if everything is stable then do a largish water change and get some more fish. Keep a bottle of stability on hand and anytime you increase the bioload add recommended dose. You could add the meeki instead of the congos they are hardy and usually available at least around here. I would not do a water change until you have run a full coarse of stability with fish, you will most likely interrupt the cycle.
I was going to add this and then didn't and now I am.....lol
Just set up a 75g for my wifes boss hes a vet and really doesn't know a lot about fish but really likes them. He purchased a clinic that had a 135g setup in the lobby with random cichlids in it, he asked me if I could care for it and I agreed. Hes been happy with it but wanted to put something on the other side of the split lobby so "we" set up a 75g. I got a call that said you need to get up here he bought another tank and is going back to get the fish. So I went and the tank wasn't even set up. I helped set it up and at least he will listen somewhat to me and he let it sit overnight to at least get to temp. We used stability for the cycle but he didn't wait next day he had 10 fish to put in the 75! Cycled fine, fish were fine, stability works, that's not the first time I've used Stability but its the first time I've used it like that.
Just set up a 75g for my wifes boss hes a vet and really doesn't know a lot about fish but really likes them. He purchased a clinic that had a 135g setup in the lobby with random cichlids in it, he asked me if I could care for it and I agreed. Hes been happy with it but wanted to put something on the other side of the split lobby so "we" set up a 75g. I got a call that said you need to get up here he bought another tank and is going back to get the fish. So I went and the tank wasn't even set up. I helped set it up and at least he will listen somewhat to me and he let it sit overnight to at least get to temp. We used stability for the cycle but he didn't wait next day he had 10 fish to put in the 75! Cycled fine, fish were fine, stability works, that's not the first time I've used Stability but its the first time I've used it like that.
Thanks for the help man! All the pipes are completely silent now so I won't have to worry about that. All the air finally came out and I got the gate valve adjusted properly finally.
I was initially going to do it with ammonia to begin with and decided since I have the matrix that I'll try and go the stability route and see how that turns out for everyone. Wanted to do s little bit of an experiment. It seems to have gotten me some results so far. And seachems instructions were that you can add fish anytime throughout those 7 days if I remember correctly? Just need to use prime in the process
The meeki will be ok? Hopefully they will be. I can't find congos anywhere around here. One place has the yellow ones which I'm not looking for. But at least someone else uses stability that could give me some pointers on it. And when you say full course of stability with fish do you mean like just the meeki for 7 days or the whole stock? And do you continue to add stability once a month or every other water change like it recommends? I heard that if you don't then the cycle will crash
