New to this and screwed up already!

[Chris7495]

Yeah that cycle was way too short but I had fish store employees tell me the same thing when I started the bobby. I had one fish in cycle take almost three months, I'm going to try a fishless cycle soon. All you can really do is get that kit, watch for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and do plenty if water changes. You are likely going to have some fish die, do not add anymore when they do. If you take the dead fish back most stores will give you a credit for when your tank is fully cycled. You could add some air stones to help with the gasping Of aiir as that is probably a sign of high ammonia levels which is not good. Water changes are really your only chance to save some of them now. It's ok, just caulk it up to a learning experience.

 

[Whitey73]

Water changes

Can I get away with doing a 3 gal water change every five days if I have two whisper 60 filters in a 55 gal tank? Thanks any info will help new at this...

 

[Chris7495]

Can I get away with doing a 3 gal water change every five days if I have two whisper 60 filters in a 55 gal tank? Thanks any info will help new at this...

Is it an established tank, what do you have in it? I think a 10% water change a week would be more ideal.

 

[Whitey73]

Is it an established tank, what do you have in it? I think a 10% water change a week would be more ideal.

It's a new tank got it a week ago nothing in it ...

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

No you will need to do at least 20 gals every 2-3 days until your cycled. Just keep testing the water.

 

[Whitey73]

No you will need to do at least 20 gals every 2-3 days until your cycled. Just keep testing the water.

What's the best way to test my water pet store? Or how can I do it myself ? An so with what?

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Get an API master freshwater kit. Most stores use the strips, those are highly inaccurate. Right now drsfostersmith.com has them on sale for like 20 bucks.

 

[phishfriend]

I would recommend you check out the site that is in starter guild and in my signature. Angels plus "active" sponges can be very very helpful. I just did a fish in cycle on a 20EXH in two weeks with one. It was around 16$ total. With the amount of fish you purchased. You bio load is going to be very high. So your probably looking at 50% water changes every other day. Remember to use Prime!

 

[Coco1019]

I took out the 50%, added the 58 drops of Prime to the tank and then filled the tank back up.

I'm going to test when I get back to the house and check out getting an active sponge.

What's the best way to keep the temp as stable as possible while doing water changes?

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I would recommend you check out the site that is in starter guild and in my signature. Angels plus "active" sponges can be very very helpful. I just did a fish in cycle on a 20EXH in two weeks with one. It was around 16$ total. With the amount of fish you purchased. You bio load is going to be very high. So your probably looking at 50% water changes every other day. Remember to use Prime!

Radom question about the active sponges...
Can they be used in a tank that's been fish in cycled to help build up more BB before adding more fish to help handle the bioload of more fish?

 

[phishfriend]

Radom question about the active sponges...
Can they be used in a tank that's been fish in cycled to help build up more BB before adding more fish to help handle the bioload of more fish?

I would say that it depends on the size the sponge you get but I was think along those lines when I purchased mine. Larger sponges. larger BB, larger bio load handled. The tank got stocked over a weekend. I know way to quick but the wife and daughter got excited and went shopping. I was worried and checked parameters daily for a week and they never wavered.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I would say that it depends on the size the sponge you get but I was think along those lines when I purchased mine. Larger sponges. larger BB, larger bio load handled. The tank got stocked over a weekend. I know way to quick but the wife and daughter got excited and went shopping. I was worried and checked parameters daily for a week and they never wavered.

So you purchased yours to help avoid spikes and it worked for you? My situation in a nutshell: I set up a 30g I was given and added some media, substrate, and a few plants from my cycled 10, and put 2 platys I used to cycle my 10 with in my 30g, kept getting cycled readings so I went out and bought a quarter sized angel that I added Friday evening and have been testing ever since and I'm still getting cycled readings. I want to add Cory's (i will keep testing through the week before getting the cory's) to my 30g and I know Cory's school and need atleast 5 to be comfy, and im a little uneasy about adding 5+ fish at once vs just adding one fish and was wondering getting a sponge would help
With the bioload.

 

[Chris7495]

I took out the 50%, added the 58 drops of Prime to the tank and then filled the tank back up.

I'm going to test when I get back to the house and check out getting an active sponge.

What's the best way to keep the temp as stable as possible while doing water changes?

Check the water temp before adding to the tank, I usually let the faucet run a little put some in a bowl test it then make adjustments.

 

[phishfriend]

So you purchased yours to help avoid spikes and it worked for you? My situation in a nutshell: I set up a 30g I was given and added some media, substrate, and a few plants from my cycled 10, and put 2 platys I used to cycle my 10 with in my 30g, kept getting cycled readings so I went out and bought a quarter sized angel that I added Friday evening and have been testing ever since and I'm still getting cycled readings. I want to add Cory's (i will keep testing through the week before getting the cory's) to my 30g and I know Cory's school and need atleast 5 to be comfy, and im a little uneasy about adding 5+ fish at once vs just adding one fish and was wondering getting a sponge would help
With the bioload.

IMO it would. Basically you would instantly increase your active bio medium to help handle the bio load.

I'm also about to do a 40 breeder build that I plan to move the one I have into, to speed that tanks cycle. Two birds with one stone!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

IMO it would. Basically you would instantly increase your active bio medium to help handle the bio load.

I'm also about to do a 40 breeder build that I plan to move the one I have into, to speed that tanks cycle. Two birds with one stone!

With them being sponges, do I need to run an airline tube into it like it says or can I just put the sponge directly into my filter without an airline tube? To me I think it would be worth it to pay for the active sponge and it help eat away ammonia and nitrite vs losing fish to ammonia and nitrite
poisoning.

 

[Coco1019]

New testing shows that the nitrites dropped to 0 and the ammonia is still at .50.

I'll do another change tonight.

Can anyone tell me more about the airstones? I've seen them mentioned a few times. Any particularly good ones I can get from a big box store?

I'm also wondering if the filter that came with the kit is a powerful enough one. It's an Aqueon QuietFlow20.

 

[phishfriend]

With them being sponges, do I need to run an airline tube into it like it says or can I just put the sponge directly into my filter without an airline tube? To me I think it would be worth it to pay for the active sponge and it help eat away ammonia and nitrite vs losing fish to ammonia and nitrite
poisoning.

I would just run it as another filter but its up to you. It's totally worth it!

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

I run 2 quietflow 20'son my 20 gallon. Technically the one is enough but the more filtration the better.

 

[Coco1019]

What's the difference between 2 smaller ones and one bigger one?

 

[bud29]

Radom question about the active sponges...
Can they be used in a tank that's been fish in cycled to help build up more BB before adding more fish to help handle the bioload of more fish?

I would think so, just don't wait to get new fish after you add the seeded filter or the new bb may die off. However, still test your water frequently after the addition of new fish.