James_in_MN
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I've recently changed the filters on my two tanks from Aqueon Quietflows to AquaClears (late last week), and decided to do a mid-week check of the nitrogen cycle readings just to be certain there was no mini-cycle. I change the water and check readings on the weekend, so this is sort of a mid-week check.
20g high
old filter: Aqueon Quietflow 30, 200gph
current filter: AquaClear 50, 200gph
changed: Saturday May 7
also has: Marineland Duetto 100, 92gph
10 black neons, 5 five banded barbs, 3 ottos, 2 female bettas, ghost shrimp
amazon swords, unknown swords, corkscrew val, anubias, another unknown plant
10g
old filter: Aqueon Quietflow 10, 100gph
current filter: AquaClear 20, 100gph
changed: Thursday May 5
also has: Toms Aquarium mini filter, 45gph
6 harlequin rasboras, 3 sparkling gourami (added 2 Sunday), 4 amano shrimp, 16+ RCS
java fern, java moss, crypts
Fortunately, I don't have a mini-cycle in either tank. I seeded both with some filter media from the Queitflows, plus I have another filter running on each tank, so I was hoping that I wouldn't have one.
The odd readings came from the nitrAtes.
My readings on my 20g tank are around 30-35ppm prior to a water change on the weekend. Today it was where I would have expected it to be: around 25ppm (orange with slight reddish hue).
My 10g tank, however, was dramatically different. Typically, I'd get 20ppm when I check the numbers before my PWC. I do a 25% water change on this tank, so I'd expect the number to be slightly higher than 10ppm afterward. I added 2 more sparkling gourami on Sunday (bringing the current total to 3), so I expected that I'd see nitrAtes around 15+ppm or so. When I checked it today, it was... 5ppm!
Now, I expected that my biological filtration would have been improved switching from Aqueon Quietflows to AquaClears, but not this dramatic a difference over this short a period of time. I wasn't overly trusting of the bio-holster of the Quietflow, but I didn't think it could be this bad.
20g high
old filter: Aqueon Quietflow 30, 200gph
current filter: AquaClear 50, 200gph
changed: Saturday May 7
also has: Marineland Duetto 100, 92gph
10 black neons, 5 five banded barbs, 3 ottos, 2 female bettas, ghost shrimp
amazon swords, unknown swords, corkscrew val, anubias, another unknown plant
10g
old filter: Aqueon Quietflow 10, 100gph
current filter: AquaClear 20, 100gph
changed: Thursday May 5
also has: Toms Aquarium mini filter, 45gph
6 harlequin rasboras, 3 sparkling gourami (added 2 Sunday), 4 amano shrimp, 16+ RCS
java fern, java moss, crypts
Fortunately, I don't have a mini-cycle in either tank. I seeded both with some filter media from the Queitflows, plus I have another filter running on each tank, so I was hoping that I wouldn't have one.
The odd readings came from the nitrAtes.
My readings on my 20g tank are around 30-35ppm prior to a water change on the weekend. Today it was where I would have expected it to be: around 25ppm (orange with slight reddish hue).
My 10g tank, however, was dramatically different. Typically, I'd get 20ppm when I check the numbers before my PWC. I do a 25% water change on this tank, so I'd expect the number to be slightly higher than 10ppm afterward. I added 2 more sparkling gourami on Sunday (bringing the current total to 3), so I expected that I'd see nitrAtes around 15+ppm or so. When I checked it today, it was... 5ppm!
Now, I expected that my biological filtration would have been improved switching from Aqueon Quietflows to AquaClears, but not this dramatic a difference over this short a period of time. I wasn't overly trusting of the bio-holster of the Quietflow, but I didn't think it could be this bad.