To clean the rocks or not?

[ck85abc3]

I have another thread about lowering my ammonia and nitrite levels in my tank. The tank was created with local lake water and rocks. It also apears to be cycleing, but has not cycled as I have high levels of ammonia and nitrite. I am doing daily water changes until the tank cycles, but I have a direct questions about these water changes.

When I am removing the water, should I be vaccuming up the rocks to clean off the dead organic mater which is producing more ammonia?

Or should I only remove the water from from the water collum as to leave as much bacteria as possible in the rocks?

Another forum recommends to clean the gravel because bacteria will grow in the filter to cycle the tank.

What do you guys think?

ok, i'll be gentle this time =)


my understanding is that you want to try to remove surface debris (poop, dead plants, uneaten food) but not bacteria. i would suggest a 25-505 surface gravel vac if you are showing high ammonia/nitrite. other than that, just remove water, and surrounding wastes. rinse the fiter in old tank water.


EDIT: also, if you are using tap water to do your water changes, add a dechlorinator, like prime, aqua-safe or stress coat.

[ck85abc3]

So cleaning the gunk of the filters in old tank water won't remove the bacteria? I was thinking I would have to clean one filter at a time so that there was always 1 good filter.

I can't find anything on the net about a 25-505 surface gravel vac...I do have a standard syphion vac you buy from petco.

I am using aqua-safe.

[Sicklid]

The one filter at a time rule applies more to well established filters... I wouldn't worry about it yet. As far as your gravel goes, I would vaccum half at a time, leaving an area for bacteria to start growing (which it hasn't yet in your case anyway). I have had my 55 gallon set up for many months before I began seeing enough of an amount of good bacteria growing on ANYTHING in my tank; driftwood, rocks, fake plants, glass, gravel, filters...

[ck85abc3]

From what I have read, it looks like it would be a good idea to put a air stone right below the filter intake or directly into the filter holding area. Reasoning is the more dissolved oxygen the better the bacteria performs.

Comment?

[MSU Fan]

what fishypeanut meant to say was "25-50% surface gravel vac", not "25-505..."!

[Jchillin]

Originally Posted by ck85abc3

From what I have read, it looks like it would be a good idea to put a air stone right below the filter intake or directly into the filter holding area. Reasoning is the more dissolved oxygen the better the bacteria performs.

Comment?

If you are using a standard HOB, this isn't a good idea. Air bubbles in there could cavitate the filter and stop it cold. The bio-wheel HOB's were designed to address this...the bio-balls are in a container that turns as the water flows into the tank. The bacteria on the wheel get a nice wet/dry (H2O/O2) ride.

However, an airstone will definitely work in creating additional surface agitation, thereby increasing the O2 saturation in the tank.