Should i clean filter media with W/C

[Moncrief2315]

Hi im currently doing a fish in cycle after something went wrong. Im doing 50% water changes everyday to get nitrites to 0 their about 1.5 now ammonia between 0 and .25 nitrate between 0 and 5 ppm and ph 8.0 ppm and water at 80 f. I was wondering if i should clean my filter sponge in some tank water. I have the fluval c4 and the little tab on the back keeps popping up indicating time for filter change due to water slowing. If i do that though will it increase levels of anything. And should i vacuum the gravel during these water changes. Thank for all your help. Been a couple of years since ive been in the hobby and in a different country too. Oh yeah a my set up is 46 gallon bow front African cichlids

 

[BBradbury]

Fish In Tank Cycling

Hi im currently doing a fish in cycle after something went wrong. Im doing 50% water changes everyday to get nitrites to 0 their about 1.5 now ammonia between 0 and .25 nitrate between 0 and 5 ppm and ph 8.0 ppm and water at 80 f. I was wondering if i should clean my filter sponge in some tank water. I have the fluval c4 and the little tab on the back keeps popping up indicating time for filter change due to water slowing. If i do that though will it increase levels of anything. And should i vacuum the gravel during these water changes. Thank for all your help. Been a couple of years since ive been in the hobby and in a different country too. Oh yeah a my set up is 46 gallon bow front African cichlids

Hello Mon...

Cycling a tank with fish is efficient provided you use a hardy fish species that won't mind less than perfect water conditions. With fish in the tank, you test the water every day for traces of ammonia and nitrite. If you have a positive test, just change 25 percent of the water and no more. You need to feed the growing bacteria colony. If you change out more water, you'll starve the bacteria and delay the cycle. Don't vacuum and don't change the media or you'll remove bacteria. Just test the water every day and change out one-quarter of the water if needed. Feed the fish a little every couple of days to maintain a steady ammonia source. Add some floating plants to help steady the water chemistry. When several daily tests show no trace of ammonia or nitrite, the tank is cycled. Then, you simply change half the water and service the filter every week.

B

 

[Moncrief2315]

Hello Mon...

Cycling a tank with fish is efficient provided you use a hardy fish species that won't mind less than perfect water conditions. With fish in the tank, you test the water every day for traces of ammonia and nitrite. If you have a positive test, just change 25 percent of the water and no more. You need to feed the growing bacteria colony. If you change out more water, you'll starve the bacteria and delay the cycle. Don't vacuum and don't change the media or you'll remove bacteria. Just test the water every day and change out one-quarter of the water if needed. Feed the fish a little every couple of days to maintain a steady ammonia source. Add some floating plants to help steady the water chemistry. When several daily tests show no trace of ammonia or nitrite, the tank is cycled. Then, you simply change half the water and service the filter every week.

B

Thanks bbradbury. I just wanted to make sure im doing it right so i dont have to do it again. Had some people tell me to change 50% water and to vacuum gravel. I have 4 African cichlids in there now and they seem to be doing okay all are active and eating well.

 

[BBradbury]

Thanks bbradbury. I just wanted to make sure im doing it right so i dont have to do it again. Had some people tell me to change 50% water and to vacuum gravel. I have 4 African cichlids in there now and they seem to be doing okay all are active and eating well.

Mon...

The reason for changing half the water and removing the organic material on the bottom, is to maintain better water conditions for the fish. While this may help the fish, it does nothing but remove the nitrogen the bacteria needs to reproduce. You starve the bacteria and this delays the cycle. This is why you should use a very hardy fish, that will easily tolerate somewhat poor water conditions. Your Cichlids really aren't on the list of hardy fish, but if you take care to test their water every day and change out the 25 percent if a test shows traces of ammonia or nitrite, they should be fine. In a month or so, when the tank cycles, you can gradually work up to changing out half or more of the water weekly for the life of the tank. This will improve the water conditions greatly. But, wait until the cycle is complete.

B

 

[fearlessfisch]

I am a big fan of getting used filter media from a healthy, established tank in order to jump start a cycle if there are fish involved. Just make sure the tank is healthy. I have appealed to a local fish club to find experienced fishkeepers in order to do this. Cycling for a month is hard on fish and I don't like to put them through it.

 

[Moncrief2315]

I am a big fan of getting used filter media from a healthy, established tank in order to jump start a cycle if there are fish involved. Just make sure the tank is healthy. I have appealed to a local fish club to find experienced fishkeepers in order to do this. Cycling for a month is hard on fish and I don't like to put them through it.

I had got the tank from a friend who had fish in for two years. Then he got rid of the fish. He let the tank sit for a few months empty then i got it. I used all his filter media and filter since all he did was empty the tank of water. It cycled pretty fast all levels were good. Added some cichlids and everything went crazy and now im having to do a fish in cycle

 

[King Fisher]

Beneficial bacteria doesn't live in dried out media or substrate. So adding water to old dried out filters and gravel didn't do you any good.

 

[Moncrief2315]

Beneficial bacteria doesn't live in dried out media or substrate. So adding water to old dried out filters and gravel didn't do you any good.

Im not sure if it was any good but the filter had water in it still. He just basically drained the tank and walked away. Not sure if stale filter water had beneficial bacteria in it

 

[King Fisher]

Chances are it didn't. BB needs a consistent ammonia source or it dies.