Question on a massive WC

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
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cacichilds

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2012
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My Trimac's 90g needed some love, and my neets came in.

I did a complete substrate change, I was sick of black sand for a plethora of reasons. So in doing so I saved about 10% of my tank water, and added new PFS, did approx 3 fill and drains to remove the cloudy water. I made a nice protected corner for the neets to have safety. Everything seems good, my Trimac is a holding tank. I have the two neets in the 90g now. I was concerned to make sure my tank wont have to much of a re cycling phase with such a mega WC. However I can always take tank water from my 110 and add that to the 90g if that would help. I figured I've give the two neets a chance to acclimate and hopefully pair up a little.

I vacuum up waste daily with my ehiem vac just to keep it tidy. Any other suggestions or things to keep any eye on?

I'm also preparing myself for the fact that my trimac may bash through the drift wood and kill the neets too. But neets are known to be bossy so I'm hoping for the best.

Thank folks.
 
The main thing is that you have an established filter still running on the tank. You've lost a bunch of the nitrifying bacteria in the tank when you changed the substrate. Just don't mess with the filter and you should be fine.

I've never kept neets with a trimac. My pair seems to do best with a (perceived) threat behind a divider or in an adjacent tank. Male neets can and will kill their mates in no time... I keep a divider that allows the female and fry to escape from the male, just in case.

Adding anything to a tank that's housed a single, big, mean CA cichlid is a roll of the dice. I'd have a back up plan...

Matt
 
=) I have a spare ready. I was hoping they might be able to hang. I kept all my filters running and established during this process. Yea I've heard good things about the Dr. Tims live bact. But for the price it's questionable. 25.00 near me for the med bottle and it is at least refrigerated at my LFS its not like the other cheap ones which just sit on a shelf. I'll just test my water daily to bi-daily. I've got a divider for the Trimac too if she gets to feisty right away.

Thanks
 
Agree with Matt, saving old water does not save beneficial bacteria, because they are not planktonic. The bacteria you want are sessile, they live as a bio-film on surfaces such as tank walls and substrate. Luckily it sounds like you are lightly stocked.
I would also agree that a divider between the neets and trimac would advisable from many standpoints. It would allow the neets to see a threat, to strengthen the pair bond, and in case they spawn, save the trimac. A spawning pair of neets could arguably take a trimac apart.
Lindaofferday010.jpg
 
I didn't scrub the walls, and I left maybe a 1/8" - 1/4 max of black sand at the bottom. Maybe better than nothing. Yes' it's lightly stocked and I do all my maintenance every Sunday without fail.

Thanks guys
 
dogofwar said:
The main thing is that you have an established filter still running on the tank. You've lost a bunch of the nitrifying bacteria in the tank when you changed the substrate. Just don't mess with the filter and you should be fine.Matt
Click to expand...
Exactly. Nearly all of your beneficial bacteria live on various surfaces, which is why bio-media products always talk about surface area and why UV sterilizers don't hurt your bacteria colony. An unusually large water change won't necessarily bother anything-- Example, little while back I added some epsom salt to a tank, immediately smelled something weird and looked at packaging to see a perfume was added, something I stupidly hadn't noticed when I bought it-- changed 99% of the water and no problem, no bacteria bloom. But two reasons a large water change could affect your tank are:
1) when it adds enough nutrients to the water to feed a bacteria bloom-- which is a completely different bacteria than lives in your filters, etc., the bacteria blooms causing cloudy water are heterotrophic bacteria, which can double in 20 minutes, bacteria in your filter are autotrophic and take many hours to multiply.

2) the new water doesn't match the tank water very well and disturbs your water chemistry, mineral balance, etc.

Some people see this cloudy water and think their tank is cycling, but what's happening is a big enough bacteria bloom increases the bio-load and can reduce oxygen and add ammonia. So, now your bacteria has to gear up to the new bio-load, but it's not because you lost bacteria that was in your 'old water'.
 
Forgot to add... when I've changed substrate I usually feed lightly for a few days and no problem, sometimes I temporarily add an extra filter.
 
Never a bad idea - I keep a few extra sponge filters floating around for just these reasons.

I actually don't use a lot of substrate (just a thin layer in most tanks) - makes cleaning easier :)

Matt

neutrino said:
Forgot to add... when I've changed substrate I usually feed lightly for a few days and no problem, sometimes I temporarily add an extra filter.
Click to expand...
 
Neets are pretty darn nasty fish, especially with the teeth. And extremely devoted parents.

I've tried to keep larger cons and other fish with them without much luck. I think a group in a 6' tank with some larger red-devil types would be cool...

Neets like to hide and breed under stuff. My pair spawns underneath a hollow fake log ornament and retreat there when I clean the tank.

I've got a bunch of 3/4"-1" ones, if anyone's interested :)

Matt

duanes said:
Agree with Matt, saving old water does not save beneficial bacteria, because they are not planktonic. The bacteria you want are sessile, they live as a bio-film on surfaces such as tank walls and substrate. Luckily it sounds like you are lightly stocked.
I would also agree that a divider between the neets and trimac would advisable from many standpoints. It would allow the neets to see a threat, to strengthen the pair bond, and in case they spawn, save the trimac. A spawning pair of neets could arguably take a trimac apart.
Lindaofferday010.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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