Cycle and Ammonia, Day 3

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Of course, I also have an UGF with 4 power heads, I "think" that drastically helped/helps my biofilter and the cycling process.
I never experienced water even nearly that cloudy.
How are you cleaning the filter?

I haven't cleaned anything in the filters, I was told not to until the cycle has finished because that would compromise the beneficial bacteria growth.
 
I haven't cleaned anything in the filters, I was told not to until the cycle has finished because that would compromise the beneficial bacteria growth.
Yeah, thats true. I was afraid you were washing them in the tap water.
However, if the filter is so clogged that water is running OVER it instead of THROUGH it, then you are not removing any more physical particles from the water, which wont help the cloudiness.

If you wash the filter pads/sponge in tank water, get a bucket and fill it with water out of the tank, use that water to clean the filter.
This wont kill all the good bacteria.
 
My carbon is a little over a month old now, would it be ok to put in a new one after washing it in tank water?
 
My carbon is a little over a month old now, would it be ok to put in a new one after washing it in tank water?
Id just add new carbon to the old filter.

The carbon isn't what catches the bulk of the physical particles anyway.
 
What if you clean the filter in regular tap water, won't the bacteria still be on the filter/carbon? I know some will be gone, but won't enough still be there to do it's job?
It kills the bacteria.
Especially city water. Bacteria is vulnerable to drastic changes in things like temp, ph etc. Of course any city water with the chlorine and other chemical crap they put in it, will destroy any good bacteria on it.
 
When i do my water change this evening I will take the sponge out and rinse it in the water bucket with tank water and see if it helps any.
I just added the canister filter the other day, should I do it to that as well?
 
Mebe-mebe-not.

Check it, if it looks clogged/very dirty, clean it the same way.
After your water change, lets see what your water test results are.
Are you on well or city water?
What type of hose are you using to fill?
 
So i did a 60% water change, cleaned the sponge in tank water, rinsed a new carbon and ammonia bag in tank water and added. Still no change.
I'm stumped, I'm having so many different reviews, it's normal, it's not normal, do this, do that, wait it out. Is this severe cloudy water normal? What should I continue doing?
 
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