Recent content by echz

Hello all. I recently inherited a bunch of rock from a tank that had unknown failures, and was looking to be able to attempt to reuse it. I am looking to start from the extreme start, get completely rid of anything within the rock that would have the potential to cause harm to the new...

Alright cool, thanks for the advice jlk! I figured I was probably just too impatient, but wanted to make sure that was the case and I wasn't doing anything wrong :) I will continue on with the 15 gallon water changes to keep the ammonia low, and keep testing the levels daily so I can hopefully...

Hello all! About 2 weeks ago, I picked up an API Master Kit (FW) and have been doing daily water tests while waiting for my tank to get established. Everything was set up in early January, and fish were added in twos (2 a week for 4 weeks) about 2 weeks after it was up and running. I'm doing...

Thanks very much, that's what I needed to hear! As long as the water changes won't interrupt the cycling of the tank, I will keep doing them and testing daily.

I gotp my API test kit today, and the PH is reading ~8. Tap water reads at almost a perfect 7, but around 7.6 after aerated for an hour. The heat is set to 76-78. I also took an ammonia reading and it was i think in the 1 ppm range! :( I am going to keep doing daily partial water changes...

Thanks for the welcome! I did take a couple of glassfulls of tank water and put them in a pitcher and rinsed the filter (and discarded the pitcher water) before I stuck the filter back in. I didn't get a python kit (again, wish I'd have been reading here before I started! :facepalm:) I just...

I guess I could just flip flop them, I didn't even think of that! (That's telling me it's also bedtime haha) I cycled it for about 2.5 weeks, and then added fish in 3's for the last 3 weeks, bringing me a total of 9 fish. The test kit does seem like a handy enough item to have around, I...

I got the original back in just fine, but I was only able to add the new filter in the position before the old one, so the new one is doing the 'junk' filtering. I just had my water tested today in the store, and she said everything was alright except it appeared the ammonia was getting near...

Alright cool, thanks for the quick reply! I will go replace the new one with the original -- If I can fit them both, which side of the old filter should I put the new filter on? The "Water out to tank" side or the "Water In From Tank" side, or does it not matter?

Hello all! This is my first post, and I'm glad I've stumbled upon this forum! I've recently set up my 37 gallon Top Fin kit in early January (it holds about 30 gallons of water with all the displacement from the gravel and objects), and have been doing 5 gallon water changes every week. I've...