I have been into the hobby for close to thirty years and recently added a 75 gallon to go with my existing 38 gallon. I will move my African cichlids from my 38 to the 75 when it is done cycling. Been a month for cycling but getting closer. Looking for advice as to what to put in the 38 gallon when I empty it.
Hello all
- Thread starter trcon17
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Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome to AA.
Are you keeping the same substrate in the 38 (after the cichlids are moved out)?
Are you keeping the same substrate in the 38 (after the cichlids are moved out)?
I am not sure but the problem is I have an under gravel (original filter when I bought it back in the 1990s). Plus I have an aquaclear hob filter set up on it. Do u have any suggestions as in getting rid of the under gravel and how to do it.?
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you’ve got a type of substrate that promotes ideal conditions for African cichlids (assuming pH 8ish with increased hardness) and you are planning on keeping fish with lower pH/hardness requirements and/or doing a Planted tank, then I’d would probably switch it out. Otherwise, you can leave the substrate and UG filter as is.
If you are going to remove the UG, assuming the fish are out of there, I would first set aside some tank water in a spare bucket and run the HOB filter on it to keep the bacteria alive. Then drain the water, scoop out the gravel, remove the UG plates, and clean up the muck on the bottom. Rinse and drain the tank.
If you are going to remove the UG, assuming the fish are out of there, I would first set aside some tank water in a spare bucket and run the HOB filter on it to keep the bacteria alive. Then drain the water, scoop out the gravel, remove the UG plates, and clean up the muck on the bottom. Rinse and drain the tank.
75 gallon cycling setback
Probably dumb on my part but I bought another canister filter (Sun Sun 704b) to go with my existing Cascade 700 canister and my Penguin 200 HOB filters. I was in the middle of cycling the new 75 gallon tank when I added the large Sun Sun canister filter. I wanted a lot of filtration because my goal is to stock it with a lot of MBuna cichlids. I was about three weeks into the cycle and was seeing Nitrites rise as well as Nitrates starting to show readings all the while keeping my ammonia at around 3 to 4 ppm. After I added the new filter and waited a couple of days my ammonia was at 1 to 2 ppm but Nitrites and Nitrates dropped back down to 0 ppm. My PH has remained at 7.8 to 8.0 all along and is currently at 7.8. Does this seem right? Why would the Nitrites and Nitrates disappear with the addition of more filtration and no water changes?
Probably dumb on my part but I bought another canister filter (Sun Sun 704b) to go with my existing Cascade 700 canister and my Penguin 200 HOB filters. I was in the middle of cycling the new 75 gallon tank when I added the large Sun Sun canister filter. I wanted a lot of filtration because my goal is to stock it with a lot of MBuna cichlids. I was about three weeks into the cycle and was seeing Nitrites rise as well as Nitrates starting to show readings all the while keeping my ammonia at around 3 to 4 ppm. After I added the new filter and waited a couple of days my ammonia was at 1 to 2 ppm but Nitrites and Nitrates dropped back down to 0 ppm. My PH has remained at 7.8 to 8.0 all along and is currently at 7.8. Does this seem right? Why would the Nitrites and Nitrates disappear with the addition of more filtration and no water changes?
Doesn’t seem right to me. I assume just standard ceramic biomedical / filter sponge in new canister filter (ie no chemical filtration like zeolites that could absorb nitrates)?
