55 Gallon Tank - Day 40

[kdcorliss]

Everything is still cruising along pretty well cycling with fish. I have yet to have any signifigant ammonia or nitrites at this time. My nitrates havent gotten above 5. I am hoping I am getting close to being cycled.

I am doin 35-40% water changes weekly with my python and wiping off the brown algae of the glass at the same time. Against reccomendations to wait for the tank to be completely cycled I have added fish every couple of weeks.

I have noticed some green algae on the clear plexi on the light cover and a couple small spots on the back wall of the tank. Is this anything to be concerned about or let it run its course like the brown rust colored algae ?

Also the tank kit came with a Tetra Whisper 60 and I am a bit concerned that it just isnt enough filtration. My current stock is as follows:

5 Platys (misc..)
6 Head and Tailight Tetras
4 Mollies (misc..)
4 Paradise Gourami
1 Clown Pleco

Any suggestions on reccomendations on filtering would be appreciated. I have seen more negative then positive reviews on these whisper filters. I would like some redundancy in my filtration.

Also any suggestions on the remaining stock room in my tank. I think I would like another pleco of a different variety but still of the smaller size variety.

Thanks for all the advice

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I highly recommend the AquaClear line. I have heard nothing but great things. But considering it is a 55 gal tank you may want to consider a canister filter.

 

[TomK2]

Aquaclears are great and priced well, and have a basket so that the user can decide what media to use. Canisters are great too, and I have two of them on a 55.

I also cycled with fish, and I think it took 42 days with no detectable ammonia and nitrite to see the nitrate rise. I used 6 platies and 6 danios, added over two weeks, then no more till I saw nitrates appear. I did no water changes other than a light gravel vac at 31 days. I also noted that brown algae appeared about a week before the nitrates.

By no significant ammonia and nitrite levels, do you mean zero? I am curious only because my goal was to establish the biofilter with no detectable ammonia or nitrite, to show that low stocking and patience could be trouble free and not expose the fish. I was successful. You have a higher bioload in a smae size tank as mine, so I was curious what levels you saw.

 

[kdcorliss]

Well I found that I did have an ammonia spike and lost some fish. I was monitoring it closely but found that my test kit was giving me bad results. I made a post about it. I had a second test kit and found my NH3 at 8ppm, Nitrites at 5ppm, and Nitrates at 5ppm. This was a couple days ago and it took a couple of 50% PWCs to get everything in line.

My orginal fish are all fine, it was the last few I added that went down and I am not sure they werent sick and weakened before I got them and my water being out of whack but the nail in the coffin. When I went to the fish store after they died and they tested my water was when I found that my test kit was off. Also while I was there I noticed that the tank they pulled mollies from had several floaters and had their symbol for medicated tank on it. The two other fish I got with the dead mollies are happy and healthy along with my orginal fish.

I had thought everything was going great until this little hiccup, but with an accurate test kit I am sure everything will end well. My only problem at the moment is I wish I had more tank room, when I bought it I thought a 55 gallon was huge. Now I know why people get MTS.

 

[TomK2]

Yeah. Sea world is huge. All the rest are just amatuers and wannabe's!

Keep up on the water changes, those are some pretty high ammonia and nitrite levels. I would second, or third, the recomendation that you do not add any more fish until this is over.