Need some cycling advice

[CatatonicBug]

That sounds SO COOL!! But is the hose long enough? My closest faucet is at least 15-20 feet from the tank.

[CatatonicBug]

Never mind. I just found it on Petsmart.com, and they have up to a 100' kit! A little pricey (50' for $50), but I think I will start saving up for one of those.

[Karegg]

How do you match the temp of the water if it's coming straight out of the faucet? Or do you just set it to something that feels close and just wing it?

[CatatonicBug]

I just stick my hand in the tank, then in the faucet. In the winter, my water comes out REALLY COLD, so I just try to make it relatively comfortable for the fish.

[CatatonicBug]

I bought Flourish, by Seachem. Is that good? I figured everyone here seemed to like Prime, and it was from the same company. As for the light, will the 18000k be bad for the plants? it was kinda pricey to have made a mistake on.

[Purrbox]

Originally Posted by CatatonicBug

I bought Flourish, by Seachem. Is that good? I figured everyone here seemed to like Prime, and it was from the same company. As for the light, will the 18000k be bad for the plants? it was kinda pricey to have made a mistake on.

That's a great Trace Fertilizer. However with as little light as you have over the aquarium (I believed it was figured at less than 0.4WPG in another tread) it's not likely to do you much good. Without sufficient light the plants won't be able to grow and make use of the nutrients. While 18000K wouldn't be "bad" for the plants, most recommend 5000-10000K for plants. The lighting tends to be more natural and many report better results.

[Fishyfanatic]

You use the hot and cold to get the right temp. When you get the right temp then turn the knob on the Python and it reverses the flow into the tank.

[CatatonicBug]

I just did a 50% PWC, and while browsing this website, I looked over and one of my Tetras is floating!!! Ughhh!!

The Ammonia is down to 2ppm, but now the PH is at 7.2. The water has this slight whitish haze to it too.

[marchmaxima]

A white-ish haze is a good sign. It means that you are getting a bacterial bloom. It'll settle down by itself.

As for the temp, I use buckets and I move my thermometer into the bucket to make sure that the temp is the same as the tank. I also have a spare heater, or if I'm in a hurry, I boil the kettle and warm the water by adding a bit of boiling water.

[p3purr]

^^
l l
Exactly what I do Works great. As Sharon said, white-ish = good.