Finished cyle but COLD water question.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
duanes said:
You need to be consistent with your temp between how you get the filter seeded and to get bio bacteria to survive in the trout tank. A 20'F differential will crash bacterial populations every time.
I toured the Great Lakes Fresh Water Institute, and they were experimenting with heavily stocking ponds of cold water fish (perch) and using fluidized bed filters about the size of standard water heaters (6 ft tall @ 2ft in diameter) in their heavily stocked indoor ponds.
You may also try considering bio-fractionation units, beside removing harmful substances before they get a chance to biodegrade in the filters, they are great at aeration. click pic to run video
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Thanks a bunch. Do you suggest keeping the fishless tank at 80 for a while? Or bring it down more twards the 60 degree or AT the 60 degree. The small tank I had cycling at 55 didn't do much at all for 6 or 7 weeks until I raised to 80 then WHAM. So I am wondering just how long 60 degree water would need? Do you think the bacteria would crash in 5 degree increments? 80 to 75 to 70 then to 65, put the fish in then slowly bring it to 60. Rainbows can survive in 65 and even 70 but that's pushing it.
65 no problems ( except fungal potential, etc. )
And I could leave some salt in pretty much indefinitely until stocking time.


Thanks.
 
Bobbybillymike said:
Do you have a chiller for the tank?
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Yes I do have a chiller and will probably need it in another month or so. Its an old stand up freezer set to the lowest #1 setting with 200 feet of 3/4 in heavy duty hose. I can keep exactly 50 degree water at 80F outside temps. I tested it last year. So we'll tinker with it some more, add or take off hose as needed. It will hold 600 feet of hose if needed.
Its used with a 300GPH pump.
 
Contrary to what most believe, bacteria are sensitive creatures, adapted to live in a very narrow range. This is why the human body can combat disease with a fever of only a few degrees.
I would cycle the filter at as close to the same temp you plan on keeping the fish. If there is too much difference, the bacteria population will crash, and you'll need to start over, so the time at high temp will be a waste anyway. If you bring the trout tank up a little, and filter down a little, you might get a happy medium with a tight enough window to work with.
 
duanes said:
Contrary to what most believe, bacteria are sensitive creatures, adapted to live in a very narrow range. This is why the human body can combat disease with a fever of only a few degrees.
I would cycle the filter at as close to the same temp you plan on keeping the fish. If there is too much difference, the bacteria population will crash, and you'll need to start over, so the time at high temp will be a waste anyway. If you bring the trout tank up a little, and filter down a little, you might get a happy medium with a tight enough window to work with.
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When you say bring your filter down? What do you mean? The flow rate?

I just raised the temperature to about 65F. We'll see what happens. Also keeping the larger tank at 70 out back but going to try slowly decreasing that to 65 after things start happening. IDK.

I DO know that cycling a tank at 55 degrees took 9 weeks last year.
 
I meant bringing the temp of the water in the filter down to closer to the trout tank water.
The bacteria variant that lives in cold water, is not the same as the bacteria variant that lives at 80'F.
When I worked for a water company, we had plenty of ammonia consuming bacteria in our distribution system, and most of the year the water temp averaged 50'F.
You need to cultivate the right variant for trout temp, not the kind that live in tropical waters.
 
duanes said:
I meant bringing the temp of the water in the filter down to closer to the trout tank water.
The bacteria variant that lives in cold water, is not the same as the bacteria variant that lives at 80'F.
When I worked for a water company, we had plenty of ammonia consuming bacteria in our distribution system, and most of the year the water temp averaged 50'F.
You need to cultivate the right variant for trout temp, not the kind that live in tropical waters.
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Awesome, thanks. This is info I was looking for. I'm gonna keep it around 60 then.
LONG time but the right kind. Thanks again.
 
ONe more quick question, Nitrates go up to 40 over night and 80 or higher soon after that maybe a few hours, but Nitrates are relatively low to nothing but amonia is high too.
Does this mean it may cycle? sooner than later? Is this indicative of anything?
Or just that the amonia eating bacteria can't keep up?
 
Well, I'm not wanting to chance it or go through hundred dollars of Seachem so I said %$$f it and opened up the circuit on this until it cycles. Drilled a small one inch hole in top with screen and have a hose running from a sink and set at approx. 60F ( which I like to grow them at even out back in the 275 ) and have a trickle at 10 gallons per hour. Now we wait and see if that's enough flow. But at least its in the basement with a drain. Its pretty sweet actually. Nothing to look at aesthetically, but that's not my goal. Didn't really WANT to do this since it makes our house well pump kick on every 20 minutes but I can't handle this. lol

I'll post some pic's of my small and large tanks. They are merely plastic totes with frames.

This is really the only way to go with this many fish, open circuit or flow. I find that semi open is fine you can get and figure just the right amount to keep all at zero.

In the meantime I'll wait and check it out every 3 days to see what's going on.

SO far its been 4 hours and all is at zero. Even the nitrates .

The beauty of this is if all goes well, can turn off the water flow and see what happens. If its still not keeping up, turn the water back on.
This is the problem with "hatchery" vs a home tank or if your growing just for your own food or fun. I am putting an overload for sure in these tanks.

Oh just a FYI, our Ph out of the artesian well water is 8.0 ideal for trout and is 9 to 10 ppm of Dissolved Oxygen and temperature of 49 to 50 degrees.
Awesome for trout, but they grow the fastest at 60. Brook trout I won't do that they go maybe 55 ish or keep them in the regular 'tap ' water temps of 50. Browns and rainbows no problems up to 62 or even 65.

Thanks I'll keep you all posted how long this cycles with 60 degree water. Same with my large tank that has no inflow at the moment. Just like a big giant fish tank, no inlet at the moment while its cycling.
 
So after I have learned that cycling a tank at 80F and then switching to 60F water killed the nitrifying bacteria ( or that they are different forms of bacteria ) , I cycled the tank at 60 degree water and it took a bit longer. However what I also learned is that in the colder water the nitrite eating bacteria actually cycled faster than at 80F. Ammonia about the same.
So there ya go. At 60F it takes a lot longer in general but the Nitrites went down quicker seems.
 
Slightly different question for someone.

How long can one leave the air and pumps turned off ( as long as the filter media is kept wet ) and still keep the bacteria alive? I don't know when I am going to put fish in my big tank ( 60 degrees F ) could be in September. I don't really want to keep it all running for 4 or 5 months.

Can I pour some of the water over my filter media? Or can I turn on my system or set it on a timer for say 3X per day every 8 hours. I would probably have to add ammonia too every so often to keep it going eh?

The cold water took SO long to cycle and I hope to be able to jump start it is why I'm asking.

I would hate to simply kill and start over in August.

Thanks.
 
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