A little feedback pls!
- Thread starter FlorabamaTrigger
- Start date
Okay, after quite a few suggestions and advice, this is the direction I plan on going with this and my reasoning behind it. And as always, I welcome ANY suggestions or advice on this plan as well. I would ask my LFS, but they're not open until Fri, and with the holidays, they aren't going to open until next week...maybe... Possibly the following, who knows.. Besides that, last time I was in there, their attitude was basically that I needed to ditch the whole idea of FW and swap over to SW. But, if I was really stuck on going with FW, they tried to sell me some expensive 'active bacteria' to go in my tank that I was supposed to put in every couple months to keep the levels correct? AAhh yeah..right... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually found one person at my local Petsmart that was more helpful and gave me better advice than at the LFS!
Ive come to the conclusion that my earlier problems of my Ammonia levels were more than likely due to my over feeding, and then with me constantly trying to keep the ammonia levels down with water changes, I ended up removing all, or most of, the beneficial bacteria in the process. I realized the error of my ways in the over feeding, but by that point it was too late and the Nitrate levels bottomed out at zero.
Currently I still have 4 Africans in my 29g, (still about 2in each), which eventually were planned on moving over to my 125g as soon as the cycling was done. Ive been adding Ammonia to my 125 for about a week now waiting on the nitrites to spike.
Heres my current thought process though. (I plan on checking my levels tonight to make sure before I do this.) Since neither my 29g nor my new 125g have any nitrites, nor nitrates showing, and Im basically starting over, the fish would basically be in the same boat in my 125g as they are now in the 29g, right? So Im planning on, (checking the ammonia levels in my 125 first), doing a 50% water change in the 125g tonight, using the current water in my 29g as part of the new water. Ill also add Prime and Aquarium Salt to the 125. Then move the current bio and carbon from my Aqua-clear 70 that is currently running on my 29g over into the sump on my 125g, and possibly some of the gravel from my 29g in some pantyhose as well in the sump just in case there is also some bacteria lingering in there as well.
Ideally I'd love to have the 125 cycled and ready before adding the fish to it, but since where they are now isn't ideal either and from what I understand, just as dangerous for them. I know I am taking a chance on losing them, but I'm also taking a big chance where they are now, and they aren't eating in the 29g, so I'm thinking this may be a lost cause either way, but at least if I do lose them, it will get the tank started cycling faster?
Pls any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.
Ive come to the conclusion that my earlier problems of my Ammonia levels were more than likely due to my over feeding, and then with me constantly trying to keep the ammonia levels down with water changes, I ended up removing all, or most of, the beneficial bacteria in the process. I realized the error of my ways in the over feeding, but by that point it was too late and the Nitrate levels bottomed out at zero.
Currently I still have 4 Africans in my 29g, (still about 2in each), which eventually were planned on moving over to my 125g as soon as the cycling was done. Ive been adding Ammonia to my 125 for about a week now waiting on the nitrites to spike.
Heres my current thought process though. (I plan on checking my levels tonight to make sure before I do this.) Since neither my 29g nor my new 125g have any nitrites, nor nitrates showing, and Im basically starting over, the fish would basically be in the same boat in my 125g as they are now in the 29g, right? So Im planning on, (checking the ammonia levels in my 125 first), doing a 50% water change in the 125g tonight, using the current water in my 29g as part of the new water. Ill also add Prime and Aquarium Salt to the 125. Then move the current bio and carbon from my Aqua-clear 70 that is currently running on my 29g over into the sump on my 125g, and possibly some of the gravel from my 29g in some pantyhose as well in the sump just in case there is also some bacteria lingering in there as well.
Ideally I'd love to have the 125 cycled and ready before adding the fish to it, but since where they are now isn't ideal either and from what I understand, just as dangerous for them. I know I am taking a chance on losing them, but I'm also taking a big chance where they are now, and they aren't eating in the 29g, so I'm thinking this may be a lost cause either way, but at least if I do lose them, it will get the tank started cycling faster?
Pls any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.
You dont need to move over the media from that Aquaclear (great filter)...
Just take your spong out for a few moments, and squeeze it over the media for the 125 - This will help seed...
Furthermore, YES - using water from an established tank will also help.
dont remove /replace the media from your AC70.. no reason too.. ONLY need to replace sponge when its falling apart.. Once a month (depending on stock) just squeeze the sponge a few times in old tank water (Water pulled from tank).
After squeezing the spong from the AC70 to your Bio media of 125G, then transfer water into tank... then let tank run for 1 week. test your water params.
Just take your spong out for a few moments, and squeeze it over the media for the 125 - This will help seed...
Furthermore, YES - using water from an established tank will also help.
dont remove /replace the media from your AC70.. no reason too.. ONLY need to replace sponge when its falling apart.. Once a month (depending on stock) just squeeze the sponge a few times in old tank water (Water pulled from tank).
After squeezing the spong from the AC70 to your Bio media of 125G, then transfer water into tank... then let tank run for 1 week. test your water params.
mrfuzz;4727566; said:
So you agree that for me to move them over now to the new 125g un-cycled would be the same as leaving them in their current 29g that has 'lost' it's cycle?
The 125 will cycle and probably pose a silent death. as ammonia will spike.
If your 29G has 'cycled', or has been running for awhile. Im sure there is beneficial bacteria on the substrate / ordiments
no need to move fish yet, wait for the 125g to cycle... Moving water from the 29 gallon / squeezing sponge to bio media will help expedite the cycling process.
Or if you have 'live' sand that has beneficial bacteria in it - that helps cycle the tank as well such as if your doing a planted tank.
If your 29G has 'cycled', or has been running for awhile. Im sure there is beneficial bacteria on the substrate / ordiments
no need to move fish yet, wait for the 125g to cycle... Moving water from the 29 gallon / squeezing sponge to bio media will help expedite the cycling process.
Or if you have 'live' sand that has beneficial bacteria in it - that helps cycle the tank as well such as if your doing a planted tank.
Seachem "STABILITY" ...
follow the instructions on the bottle...search the same here at MFK for a plethora of great results...I use it exclusively for setting up new or resetting old aquariums...
follow the instructions on the bottle...search the same here at MFK for a plethora of great results...I use it exclusively for setting up new or resetting old aquariums...
mrfuzz;4727645; said:
But wouldn't the 29g have to go through the same process of the ammonia 'spiking' before going back to the cycle process as well?
zennzzo;4727666; said:
Thanks! I was looking at that stuff and it says I can add fish within 24 hrs as long as I continue to add the Stability every day for 7 days. Glad to hear you reccomend that stuff. Cause after reading the instructions about being able to add fish 24 hrs after adding it needless to say I was a little skeptical!!
Nope, just get your bacteria and put it in the 29 with the fish. Do keep a close eye on the fish and move them if they get too stressed.FlorabamaTrigger;4726932; said:
Gotcha. I did that as well as started the 125g on the 'Stability' treatment too. I'll check it again this weekend and see where my levels are. They are a little stressed, and now my only problem is with me waiting on the bio cycle to start up again, I have to not do as many water changes, and with the 4 in that 29g, the ammonia level is going to go up. So I'm not sure how I'm going to handle that one yet. I want to get them out of the 29 and into the 125 as soon as possible. The 'Stability' is supposed to be able to allow fish to be added right away, as long as you keep up the treatment for 7 days which will get expensive, but it's either that or potentially losing all 4. I did remove the 3 week old carbon from the AC on my 29g and laid it under where the water comes out in my sump so it runs through it. Hopefully that will help kickstart it some too.
