[HELP] Tank NOT cycling

[prettykitty]

What kind of plecos are they? How big are the turtles? Everything else should be fine stock-wise if it can outrun the turtles.

What is your "1 barb"?

You can never have too much filtration and turtle tanks are usually messier than fish-only tanks, so add as much as you can. You'll want mechanical and biological. Some people will set up one filter for just mech and one for just bio, but then the bio becomes clogged sooner since it's not protected. I've learned now that putting mechanical filtration before the bio in at least two filters makes maintenance soooo easy, and you have two complete systems in case you decide to clean one (reduced bacterial colony) or one shuts down (bacteria stop functioning or die completely). I have three filters on my 125. A magnum HOT with mech and bio, an Aquaclear 500 with a mech sponge over the intake and two bio sponges inside (that take a lot longer to clog now that I have that sponge on the intake!). and an old penguin 330 that's almost dead, so I just dedicated to mech only so if it dies it's no big deal. I use nylon paint strainer bags for all my mech. Really affordable (like $1-$2 a bag) and effective. Aquaclear sponges are my favorite for bio, since they last for eternity and you can easily buy them all by themselves and add them to any brand or model of filter for the most part.

ah I have a fluval underwater filter, I think its for 30 gallon tanks, so should I put a sponge kinda like aqua clear and leave it there forever?

 

[prettykitty]

HELP KNIFEGILL WTF
I did a water test yesterday and obviously high in nitrates: like 30..ppm


but today i did a water test and look:

AMMONIA: .25 PPM
NITRITE: .5 PPM
NITRATE: almost none.. 4.0 ppm

WTF HAPPENED?

i didn't do a water change, remember? I just cleaned my tank yesterday flipped my background and cleaned algae off the tank and also the fake plants..

um also this morniing the tank was a bit cold and my turtles didn't seem as active,

but thats it! no water change, where did the nitrates go? is that good or bad?

I mean nitrites droped and nitrates- almost none? i dont need a water change? or i lost all my bb.. but how?

something must of ate my nitrate? but what?

 

[knifegill]

Well, you did send your algae into the water column when you scraped. It's possible that when the algae made it into circulation, it began desperately absorbing the nitrAte since it wasn't getting light anymore. But whether or not that's what really happened, there's nothing to freak out about at this point.

Did your heater break? Why is your water cold?! Thermal swings can put the hurt on new bacteria, and are not good for most creatures. Fine for turtles, but not the fish.

If your bb died, your nitrAtes would have simply ceased to rise, not disappeared.

It's possible that you made a mistake while shaking the bottles, etc. Did anyone distract you while you were mixing up the test?

 

[prettykitty]

I did the water test again same results, I shaked the nitrate bottle to be sure,

water temp is down because weather outside, its 78.5 F in here, no my heater didn't break, i have a backup anyway.

difference is just 2 degrees, was like 80 F yesterday, its ok i think.. it might be algae then, i don't think my BB died then, because i fed fish yesterday and ammonia dropped? wtf lol.. and nitrites were down right, i thought nitrates would be high but no? =/

so i guess I don't have to do that huge water change? :/

btw for the filter I added a new one this morning, it filters around 105 GPH (i know lol, its from my old tank)

its a fluval under water filter plus 2.. and it is good for like 20 or 30 gallons of water...

so i might buy another FX5 OR rena XP4/XP3 maybe but I dont think I have enough room under neath on my stand, its those commercial stands with shelves, so I can only fit my marineland..
another option is that I could make a sump out of a rubbermaid thing, and link tubes outside to my rubbermaid on my patio.. though I might put insulated stuff around it, gets cold in the winter..

 

[knifegill]

Sounds good to me, all of it.

Yes, 2º is not a huge deal.

Right, you don't want to do any major water changes just yet. Soon, but not until you're seeing 0 ammonia for sure, or as we've said, if the other pollutants get too high.

Great that you added another filter! The fact that you are actively seeking to improve your filtration (as am I) will serve you well always.

Have you considered a top-filter? Easy as pie to make and service.

 

[prettykitty]

Sounds good to me, all of it.

Yes, 2º is not a huge deal.

Right, you don't want to do any major water changes just yet. Soon, but not until you're seeing 0 ammonia for sure, or as we've said, if the other pollutants get too high.

Great that you added another filter! The fact that you are actively seeking to improve your filtration (as am I) will serve you well always.

Have you considered a top-filter? Easy as pie to make and service.

hmmm top filters? u mean HOBS or wha? i have a few yeah, I should useit, but my water level is not to the top its 90% for turtles to bask..

but I was wondering if i got a fluval FX5, and i dont have room in my stand like under the aquarium, but I do in front kinda to the side of the aquarium, can I link the tubs to go on the back still? would it be bad? having the filter kinda in front of the aquarium?


And also what do you think ? fx5, rena xp3 or a sump made from rubbermaid

For the sump I really don't know how to make it, but i know that i will get a 30-50 gallon rubbermaid tub with a 10 gallon bucket drill holes to make a drip plate and trickle on some scrubbies and filter floss, but for the pumps or overflow idk how to do it, do you know?

 

[knifegill]

Best is to buy (check craigslist!) an actual overflow box. You can build your own, but it gets pretty silly.

A top filter is sort of like a long, thin box you set on top of your tank. There are a million ways to set one up, but most do a trickle-style mech-pad, then bio-media, then return setup. It's basically a really easy way to add filtration because there's very little possibility of doing it very incorrectly, little risk of overflow, and all you need is a powerhead or good fountain pump for one end and a way for water to return to the tank at the other end. A quick search will turn up some DIY top-filters.

My new favorite is an in-tank DIY. It's a funnel turned upside-down over some bio-media and wrapped in a nylon mesh bag. Then pop a powerhear into the chimney of the funnel and *poof*, mechanical and biological filtration at once. You have to bag/wrap the filter when removing it for cleaning, but it's worth it. Also, for in-tank filters, new water must be dechlorinated before it touches the filter or the bacteria will die/shutdown.

I have little experience with canister filters, so I don't know about brands and quality, etc. I just use HOB's and DIY filters and understock. The best medicine for any tank is to be understocked.

 

[prettykitty]

Best is to buy (check craigslist!) an actual overflow box. You can build your own, but it gets pretty silly.

A top filter is sort of like a long, thin box you set on top of your tank. There are a million ways to set one up, but most do a trickle-style mech-pad, then bio-media, then return setup. It's basically a really easy way to add filtration because there's very little possibility of doing it very incorrectly, little risk of overflow, and all you need is a powerhead or good fountain pump for one end and a way for water to return to the tank at the other end. A quick search will turn up some DIY top-filters.

My new favorite is an in-tank DIY. It's a funnel turned upside-down over some bio-media and wrapped in a nylon mesh bag. Then pop a powerhear into the chimney of the funnel and *poof*, mechanical and biological filtration at once. You have to bag/wrap the filter when removing it for cleaning, but it's worth it. Also, for in-tank filters, new water must be dechlorinated before it touches the filter or the bacteria will die/shutdown.

I have little experience with canister filters, so I don't know about brands and quality, etc. I just use HOB's and DIY filters and understock. The best medicine for any tank is to be understocked.

oh, I might buy another canister online or craiglist, or I might get a rubbermaid tub to make a sump, i'll get a real overflow then, but I won't have room for my sump..
besides Do you know how to make the sump? tubes and stuff I dont know what to get, and also I need pumps which ones i need good ones..

plus if i put my rubbermiad outside in the winter will it get cold? its running water but, its on a patio and in the winter its around -5 here

 

[prettykitty]

Sigh, knifegill I don't think I have enough to get a fluval fx5, i don't have space at all..Should i get a rena xp3/xp4? I might just have to go with some small filter or a sump.. after all i do have a marineland c-530 which is doing a good job

I should make a sump but the worries of putting it outside.. otherwise.. no space

 

[timkersh]

I need to switch to a canister soon too biohazard. I have a HOB on my 55 gal. too.