AQUARIUM log of a newbie... with questions of course

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bapski

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
147
hello everyone. . .

i just got a 55 gallon tank. its a starter kit and it came with a Whisper® Advanced PF 30-60. i do have a pump and a heater also. ive had the tank for less than a week.

everything was ok initially until the first time we fed the fish.. the water turned hazy!

ive already applied a water clarifier and also, i then realized i had the filter set to "run" at the lowest setting. i did adjust it though to the maximum setting.

my question is will getting an Emperor Power Filter 400 HELP clear the hazyness and maintain a "crystal clear" water. also, do i have to dispose the old filter that i have? can i use them both (whisper, and emperor) simultaneously?

also is the emperor choice ok or is there anything better that you guys can suggest? thanks a lot.. am quite in a dillema right now.. :(
 
Welcome to AA! First thing, new tanks are prone to cloudiness. Also your tank won't be cycled so you need to get a test kit if you don't have one and test regularily for ammonia and nitrites. Water clarifiers IMO don't help clear water at all. A stronger filter such as the emperor 400 will help. And you can use both at the same time. I personally like Aqua clear filters but have an Emporer as well and like it fine too. I find the AC's easier to maintain and keep clean.

HERE is an article that explains the nitrogen cycle and why you will need to do lots of water changes until your tank is cycled. What fish do you currently have in the tank?
 
i am very happy i got a quick response. so ill go get the emperor tomorrow.. not unless you think id be better off with the aqua clear..

ive tested the water chemistry and everything seems to be fine.

lots of water changes? is this just the 10% thing? you think id be wise if i get a PYTHON thingy.. ?

what fish.. i currently have 6 cichlids on it.. is that just fine.. im kinda tempted to get some more but am just afraid theyll just die..

again thank you very much.
 
I have the Emperor 400 and really like it. It's on my 55G. When your tank is new, it doesn't matter how good your filter is, it will still get cloudy. Your tank will need to cycle, which can take up to 6-8 weeks. Once your tank has cycled and matures, it will be much clearer. But if you don't do normal PWC's after the cycle, and your nitrates build up, it willl start to get a hazy look also. I do a weekly PWC on mine and it stays nice and clear. But if you are going to cycle with fish, you will need to do daily PWC's while you cycle, or your ammonia will build up fast and will be much harder to bring back down.
 
Also, if you get the Emperor 400, don't buy the expensive filter cartriges they sell at the lfs. Go on ebay and get the blue filter cartriges that fits the Emperor 280/400. Not the thick ones either, but the thin ones. They are much, much cheaper and work just as good. Then get something like ceramic cylinders or lava granules to put in the spare media cases that's in the filter.

http://cgi.ebay.com/24-Filter-Cartr...744308118QQcategoryZ46310QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They also have carbon in them, which you can just ignore, as it really won't do much. They don't have a lot in them. I use these for the mechanical filtration, and the ceramic cylinders for the biological as well as the bio-wheels.
 
Just chiming in on the Python question:

I did a lot of research on that product latly because I was thinking about purchasing it. From my point of view, if I had anything larger then a 20gallon tank, the Python would be my first purchase =p

I only have a 10gallon though, and don't mind lugging buckets around, so I stuck with just a normal gravel vac.
 
really appreciate your helpful inputs guys..

about the python product, i do think itll help me much since i do have a 55 gallon tank and i would not want to spill water all over the living room. thing is with 10% water changes, how would know ive taken 10% already. also in replacing the water i got out, ive read that i should try have the temperature the same, or close as what the temperature is on the tank. so, how will go about this with the python? only thing i can think of is get a pail and measure where 5.5 gallons goes to. mark it. then when draining, let water flow till it hits the 5.5 mark. when replacing, put in the 5.5 gallons on the pail, check temp, and apply water conditioner. . .this is what i have in mind for now..

i do have a question regarding feeding the fish. i am using tetracichlid flakes. i was told by people at petsmart to feed the fish only once a day. but how come on the food bottle it says i should feed fish many times a day and theres something about the 3-5 minute thing. can somebody help me to understand. also am using the correct/appropriate food for my fish? i also noticed the food i have sinks! and i am thinking the food is also to blame for the tank becoming hazy.. am i thinking right?

am lost also with the CYCLE THE TANK term.. what does that mean.. thanks guys..
 
Yes, the Python is the greatest invention since sliced bread. I'd definately get it for a 55 gal tank. When taking out water, it is all a guestimate. If you take out 20%, that's fine, if you take out 25%, that's fine too. You can also use the bucket to measure the 20% of water and then mark it with a piece of tape until you can eyeball it. You can't over change your water. Cichlids are messy fish and you will not regret purchasing the python. To measure the temp of the water, just adjust the faucet temp. Add dechlorinator while you are putting water back into the tank.

What kind of Cichlids do you have? South/Central American? African?

The bottle says to feed more because then you will purchase more. Once or twice a day is fine, but only what they eat in a minute.

The tank could be cloudy becuase you are overfeeding. But it doesn't help that the tank isn't cycled.

Basically when you cycle a tank you are building up enough beneficial bacteria to cause ammonia to turn to nitrite and then the nitrites to turn to nitrates. You will go through an Ammonia spike. But when enough bacteria has colonized, the bacteria will turn the ammonia into Nitrites. You will then experience a Nitrite spike. And again, when enough bacteria colonizes, you will notice the Nitrites get lower and turn into Nitrates. The initial process takes 6 - 8 weeks when using fish. But once enough of the bacteria has colonized, ammonia and nitrites are immediately converted. Therefore, one the tank has cycled, you should NEVER see Ammonia or Nitrite in a tank. They are both fatal in low dosages (1 ppm +). Nitrates are also fatal, but not until they reach very high dosages (8 0 ppm). I hope I didn't confuse you any more. LOL
 
i have african cichlids.. and i was told i cant mix them with the american ones. .is this true?

i also notice a not so pleasant smell when opening the tank.. is this just normal? i know i saw a product at petsmart that would eliminate the smell.. think would need to get it along with the emperor 400..

am at the library right now.. needed to print the online price of emperor 400 as they have it way more expensive locally. . .id have to show a printout of the price so they can price match it..

am still having 2nd thoughts on the python though.. wonder if i really need it. think i can do 25% water changes with a bucket.. dunno depends on how impulsive id get when i go to petsmart.. :)
 
It is not wise to mix Africans and South Americans. They require different diets and different water parameters.

Do not add any chemicals that claims to eliminate the smell. Unnecessary chemicals can only cause harm to the tank. Just do more frequent water changes. What does it smell like?

Seriously, don't have second thoughts on the Python. Once you have it, you will never regret it. If I had to do the bucket brigade again on our tanks, I wouldn't change the water as often. With the python it is easy to do water changes of 25%. I can change my 55 gal at 25% in about 15 minutes. Try THAT with the buckets. LOL :D Another advantage, no more spilled water. That was the grossest part about it, spilling fish water on the carpet.
 
im with you with the spilling.. you should see my wifes eyes when she sees water spills on the hard wood floor..

guess i might as well get the python.. but probably initially id have to do manual labor so i can measure how much 10% and 25% is. . . probably mark the tank so that when i use the python id just look at what level id have to fill up the tank.. .thing is i may need to pour water back in manually since id have to control the temp. and also treat with conditioner. . .

just installed the emperor.. hopefully my tank will clear up.. will do 10% change on friday .. should i change the kind of food im giving? something that floats and not slowly sinking?
 
You don't need to treat with dechlor before adding the water to the tank. Just add it as you are adding the water. Yes, you do need to control the temp, but once you see the setup of the python, you'll see how easy it is.

I would try giving them something that floats, and only feed once a day for what they can eat in about a minute.
 
forgot to ask. .what would be the best filter media that i would put in on the emperor 400? am thinking of the BLACK DIAMOND PREMIUM ACTIVATED CARBON. is this a good choice?

also just to make sure i understand the water changing process...

when putting back water in the tank, i just make sure that the temp is close to the tanks temp and that i can just treat the water when it is in the tank? in this case, will i be treating for what volume of water, the 25% that i added back to the tank or for the whole 55 gallons of water in the tank?
 
Ceramic rings would be better than carbon. Carbon loses it's activity in a matter of days and becomes inactive.

When you refill with the water, get the temp as close to the tank temp as possible. I treat for the entire volume of the tank when I add water. If you use a dechlor like Prime, you don't have to add much. Some people treat for only the water replaced. Read the back of the dechlor bottle, some say which way they suggest.
 
Hi there, and congratulations on the new tank!

I always treat with dechlorinator for the entire tank, not just the water I am replacing. I measure the temperature of the water at the sink to make sure it matches the tank. I use Prime brand dechlorinator, because you use less, so the bottle lasts a long time. It treats 50 full gallons with just a capfull.

You don't need to actually measure the 10 or 25 percent exactly. That is just a rough guideline of how much water to change. Just look at the tank, and 25 percent will be one fourth of the way down. It's okay if you take out a little more or less. It is not dangerous to add too much dechlorinator, so again, estimating is fine. Always err on the side of too much rather than too little dechlor.

It is ESSENTIAL that you get a test kit during the cycle. Ammonia in fish urine will burn the gills of your fish and kill them, which is why you need to test your water and do regular partial water changes until your tank has cycled. The cycle will grow colonies of bacteria that will turn the ammonia in the urine into nitrite (still dangerous) and then into nitrAte (less dangerous). Until the cycle completes, the levels of ammonia and nitrite can rise quickly and poison your fish.

You should buy a liquid reagent test kit (a lot of people here recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Kit). At the very least you will need tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You can follow the process of the cycle and do water changes whenever ammonia and nitrite levels rise above about 0.5. You don't want to let them get past 1.0, or your fish are really in danger. First you will see a spike in ammonia, then in nitrite. When ammonia and nitrite fall to zero and you have only nitrAtes, the cycle is complete, and you will have to do water changes less often.

I agree with everyone here who said don't add any chemicals except dechlorinator. The fish store will try to sell you a bunch of junk that will only cause you more problems.

I also agree that a Python is the best investment you will ever make for your tank. It makes maintenance so easy. You will never regret it.

Good luck, and keep asking questions.
 
Also re: food, fish live longest with a varied diet. I feed dry food (flakes, shrimp pellets, algae wafers). I also feed frozen food that is sold in cubes at the fish store (bloodworms, brine shrimp and greens). I also give my fish fresh veggies every week. They go crazy when the broccoli and zucchini and spinach arrive. Some people recommend fasting your fish one day per week to avoid constipation. I can vouch that my fish live much longer and stay healthier now that I make sure to include frozen and fresh foods in their diet. I don't know what cichlids prefer, but people here should be able to give you good suggestions about a healthy, varied diet for them.
 
The Emperor isn't really made to use ceramic rings. I never even thought of trying to put them in the media cases, but I guess you could if they fit. The cases are really narrow, though. You might want to check into the AquaClear, which has wider media baskets, I think. Or have you considered a canister filter? A lot of people prefer them because they give the tank a cleaner look (nothing hanging on the back). It's up to you...personal preference. I started with the Emperor 280 and 400 and then bought a canister filter.
 
just got the emperor... might as well find something thatll fit it i guess. . .thanks for your inputs guys..
 
well, lonewolfblue says the ceramic rings would fit. so that might actually work. i just never even thought of putting them in there since it is so narrow.

and i never used the lava stuff lonewolfblue mentions. so that could be an option, too. i think i spoke too quickly.
 
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