40 Gallon 1st timer setup

[jsmiller1986]

Ok so my Aquaclear filter came in today and I put the PFS in the tank along with 2 live plants. So far so good.. Just some cloudiness in the tank. Will this go away after some time? Also any thoughts on an air pump or will the bubbles that the filter makes be sufficient?
I put the water conditioner in earlier.. Do I now just test it everyday?
Thanks

 

[Greenmaster]

Yes the cloudiness will go away. It looks to me like what you have will be sufficient for bubbles but it depends on what you are doing... some setups want no bubbles and some want the thing to look like a skimmer (all I have in my FW 32g is the AquaClear 110 and no air pump). Did you put an ammonia source to start a cycle?

 

[jsmiller1986]

Yes the cloudiness will go away. It looks to me like what you have will be sufficient for bubbles but it depends on what you are doing... some setups want no bubbles and some want the thing to look like a skimmer (all I have in my FW 32g is the AquaClear 110 and no air pump). Did you put an ammonia source to start a cycle?

Thanks for the reply Green! Great to hear that the cloudiness will go away. I thinkI'll keep my setup as is and stay away from the air pump. No I haven't put any ammonia in.. Should I just get a bottle of ammonia and pour a cap full in?

Thanks again

 

[Greenmaster]

I would get one of those ammonia alert things put it in the tank and then add enough ammonia to make it go into the "danger zone" and then watch and keep topping it up till it gets to the point where it can go from the "danger zone" to good in 12 hours.

 

[summit]

Make sure you get pure ammonia if you go the fishless cycle route, some ammonia you find in the grocery store will have scents, or additional cleaning ingredients added to them which can really mess up a tank, so again be sure to get pure ammonia with no additives. One way to be somewhat sure of this, but not foolproof is to shake the container, if there is no bubbles in it you should be good.

You need to add 2-4ppm ammonia to get the cycle going, and keep adding it everyday up to 4ppm. Once you see the ammonia level drop start testing for nitrites, once you see these drop test for nitrates, when you are able to dose 4ppm of ammonia, and get 0 readings for ammonia and nitrite in 24 hours, your tank is cycled.