HooKooDooKu
Aquarium Advice FINatic
OK, so I learne the hard way why you are supposed to rinse out build-up in your filter with "old" tank water from a PWC.
The bucket I normally drain into for PWC was being used for something else, so I just put the drainage tube directly in the bathtub.
But the filter also needed rinsing out, so I just did it with tab water thinking "what's the harm".
Well, 36 hours later, I notice several of the trumpit snails are uncharacteristicly climbing the glass. I check water quality, and sure enough Nitrite is at 0.25 to 0.5 ppm.
Dummy me forgets that tap water has chlorine in it killing off some of my good bacteria.
Fortunately after 48 hours, nitrite is back to zero. But now I understand WHY you are supposed to rinse your filters in old tank water. Next time I'm in the same position, I'll have to make sure to at least use tap water I've at least conditioned with some PRIME.
The bucket I normally drain into for PWC was being used for something else, so I just put the drainage tube directly in the bathtub.
But the filter also needed rinsing out, so I just did it with tab water thinking "what's the harm".
Well, 36 hours later, I notice several of the trumpit snails are uncharacteristicly climbing the glass. I check water quality, and sure enough Nitrite is at 0.25 to 0.5 ppm.
Dummy me forgets that tap water has chlorine in it killing off some of my good bacteria.
Fortunately after 48 hours, nitrite is back to zero. But now I understand WHY you are supposed to rinse your filters in old tank water. Next time I'm in the same position, I'll have to make sure to at least use tap water I've at least conditioned with some PRIME.