opiecarlos
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2016
- Messages
- 2
I have used this forum a few times to gain some info and knowledge as I get started. Finally decided to join up.
Currently I have a Fluval Spec 5 gallon that has been up and running for about a year now. It has one inhabitant, a Betta, and only has fake plants right now. I plan on doing a bit of a re-scape with some spider wood that I have soaking right now, and ordering some live plants.
At last years Dollar per gallon sale I picked up an Aqueon 29. I let it sit for a while before finally starting the fishless cycle with 10% ammo, like I did with the Fluval. Well I was nowhere near as attentive with it as I had been my Fluval. I let the bacteria die off at least once, maybe twice. Then I kind of gave up on it because I'm lame. It was in an extra room that we keep the door closed to so it was just out of sight and out of mind. I got a wild hair the other day and moved it down stairs in our living area. Cleaned it all out, got the old sand and gravel out and washed away the old sand and gave the gravel a good rinsing. I used my scrubber and cleaned the aquarium well. I also gave the filter and heater a good rinsing at well.
So I got it all set back up and have the substrate (new sand and original gravel) in and added my water treated with Prime. I'm running a heater that is sufficient (just can't think of the wattage) and a Fluval 50 HOB filter. I went ahead and dosed it up to 4ppm ammo. That was on Saturday, 3 days ago. My ammo hasn't budged, and yes I do know that's normal. I was really patient and diligent with my Fluval, but am less patient this time.
Sooooo, I'm thinking about ordering a couple of the Angel Plus biological active filters. They really do not recommend a fishless cycle and say that the only issues they ever have with them are when a customer throws them into a tank that is actively fishless cycling. On the flip side, I've read a good many success stories of people using the active filters during their fishless cycles that were maybe stalled or they we just being impatient like me.
If I do order them, I'm probably getting two. I'll use one in the classic sense with an air pump and will probably cut the other to fit into my HOB filter. Before I even put them in, and probably while they are in route I would do however many wc's that are necessary to get the ammo down to <1ppm. I'd throw the filters in, check the parameters over about 24-48 hours and make sure all is well. If it's all gravy then I will begin stocking it with my first few fish. Probably a group of 4-5 Tetras or something. I plan on adding live plants as well and would do that during those big water changes.
I was hoping that I could pick up some seeding material from a lfs. So I visited one last night but was honestly kind of appalled by that place so I didn't ask. Found what seemed to be a nice reputable lfs about 40 miles away. I messaged them on FB and asked if they would be willing to either donate or sell some. They told me they could bag up some filter floss for at least one dollar, but advised me that I really should use a "high quality starter bacteria like Tetra Safe Start". So, there's that.
Anyways, I will be sharing my progress and probably asking some questions and hopefully maybe even answering some over time.
Let me know if ya'll have any suggestions or advice on my 29 that I'm cycling.
Cheers!
Currently I have a Fluval Spec 5 gallon that has been up and running for about a year now. It has one inhabitant, a Betta, and only has fake plants right now. I plan on doing a bit of a re-scape with some spider wood that I have soaking right now, and ordering some live plants.
At last years Dollar per gallon sale I picked up an Aqueon 29. I let it sit for a while before finally starting the fishless cycle with 10% ammo, like I did with the Fluval. Well I was nowhere near as attentive with it as I had been my Fluval. I let the bacteria die off at least once, maybe twice. Then I kind of gave up on it because I'm lame. It was in an extra room that we keep the door closed to so it was just out of sight and out of mind. I got a wild hair the other day and moved it down stairs in our living area. Cleaned it all out, got the old sand and gravel out and washed away the old sand and gave the gravel a good rinsing. I used my scrubber and cleaned the aquarium well. I also gave the filter and heater a good rinsing at well.
So I got it all set back up and have the substrate (new sand and original gravel) in and added my water treated with Prime. I'm running a heater that is sufficient (just can't think of the wattage) and a Fluval 50 HOB filter. I went ahead and dosed it up to 4ppm ammo. That was on Saturday, 3 days ago. My ammo hasn't budged, and yes I do know that's normal. I was really patient and diligent with my Fluval, but am less patient this time.
Sooooo, I'm thinking about ordering a couple of the Angel Plus biological active filters. They really do not recommend a fishless cycle and say that the only issues they ever have with them are when a customer throws them into a tank that is actively fishless cycling. On the flip side, I've read a good many success stories of people using the active filters during their fishless cycles that were maybe stalled or they we just being impatient like me.
If I do order them, I'm probably getting two. I'll use one in the classic sense with an air pump and will probably cut the other to fit into my HOB filter. Before I even put them in, and probably while they are in route I would do however many wc's that are necessary to get the ammo down to <1ppm. I'd throw the filters in, check the parameters over about 24-48 hours and make sure all is well. If it's all gravy then I will begin stocking it with my first few fish. Probably a group of 4-5 Tetras or something. I plan on adding live plants as well and would do that during those big water changes.
I was hoping that I could pick up some seeding material from a lfs. So I visited one last night but was honestly kind of appalled by that place so I didn't ask. Found what seemed to be a nice reputable lfs about 40 miles away. I messaged them on FB and asked if they would be willing to either donate or sell some. They told me they could bag up some filter floss for at least one dollar, but advised me that I really should use a "high quality starter bacteria like Tetra Safe Start". So, there's that.
Anyways, I will be sharing my progress and probably asking some questions and hopefully maybe even answering some over time.
Let me know if ya'll have any suggestions or advice on my 29 that I'm cycling.
Cheers!
