Re: Problem with nitrite

[Köi-Lö]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I established a ten gallon aquairum from Walmart with a Tetra 5-15
> Power Filter.
>
> I never clean the biowheel part and I never leave the filter unplugged
> for more
> than 1 minute while cleaning the tank.
>
> At first I had gravel but food sifted into it causing the nitrite
> levels to show dangerous. I test with strips made by jungle. I took the
> gravel out and did big water changes fixing the problem.

WHEN did you establish it? Also, please purchase a fishtank gravel vacuum
hose at Wal*Mart or any pet shop. Vacuum the crud out of or off of the
gravel or tank bottom. Feed less if food is collecting on the bottom and in
the gravel. There should be no leftovers after feeding time. Feed once a
day while tank is cycling. More frequent and larger water changes will help
keep down the nitrites while your tank is cycling.

> Now, the tank bottom is bare and I sweep out food particles daily.
> I also have been doing more water changes but despite this the
> nitrite levels remain high. The levels in fresh tap water are low,
> but nitrate shows a little high.

I would replace the cleaned gravel as it's an excellent home for nitrifying
bacteria. Don't make it too deep - 1 1/2" is fine.

> The other thing is the litle bag that collects debris in the power
> sweeper
> vaccum thingie is discolored. I tried soaking it in fresh water but it
> still
> seems discolored. Ive also noticed the water in the tank sometimes
> looks
> somewhat discolored depending on the angle I look from, but the fresh
> tap
> water does not.

I hope you're not using the sweeper that returns the dirty water less larger
particles back into the tank?!?!?!?! :-O

> As far as aquatic life, I have a single clawed frog about half grown.
>
> What is causing my problem? Do I need plants?

Plants help remove pollutants. Make sure they're true aquarium plants.
Some stores sell houseplants as water plants. These will soon rot and foul
the water. But you need TIME, some gravel on the bottom and remove the
excess food from the bottom with a gravel vac. Feed less. Do more and
larger partial water changes meanwhile.......
--
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Aquarium FAQ are at: http://faq.thekrib.com/
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[dc]

Köi-Lö <¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô> wrote in
. com:

> I hope you're not using the sweeper that returns the dirty water less
> larger particles back into the tank?!?!?!?! :-O

Umm... just about any filter that is not running very fine polyfiber floss
does this in some form. Why is this such a travesty in your opinion?

Waste is waste whether it is big or small. The smaller particles are more
likely to end up in the filter again instead of just laying about in the
aquarium. People use multiple strong powerheads for just this reason in
reef tanks where the live rock is the primary filter.

[Köi-Lö]

"dc" > wrote in message
...
> Köi-Lö <¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô> wrote in
> . com:
>
>> I hope you're not using the sweeper that returns the dirty water less
>> larger particles back into the tank?!?!?!?! :-O
>
> Umm... just about any filter that is not running very fine polyfiber floss
> does this in some form. Why is this such a travesty in your opinion?

Because it stirs up huge amounts of mulm, catches little of it and returns
the fine but visible particles to the tank. I had one of these years ago
and we quickly saw it removed little and made a real mess of the water. A
vac hose removes ALL the mulm with it's waste products and bacteria, both
good and bad, to a bucket on the floor for disposal. I have never had a
canister or HOB filter to make such a mess of a tank. Few filters
(diatomaceous earth filters for example) can catch and remove these
ultrafines so they float around awhile and settle right back into the
gravel.

> Waste is waste whether it is big or small. The smaller particles are more
> likely to end up in the filter again instead of just laying about in the
> aquarium. People use multiple strong powerheads for just this reason in
> reef tanks where the live rock is the primary filter.

Powerheads do not stir up the gravel releasing superfine mulm throughout the
water column clouding up the tank. See above. You would have to have a
filter with ultra-ultrafine poly (or a diatomaceous earth filter) to catch
what those things return to the water. Better in my opinion to dump this
filthy water since partial water changes must be done anyway. They're
little different than vacuuming your gravel into a bucket and pouring the
filthy water back into the tank. That is if what he's describing is the
same thing we had years ago. They fell out of favor quickly with the
aquarium crowd..........
--
KL....
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[dc]

Köi-Lö <¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô> wrote in
. com:

> into the tank. That is if what he's describing is the same thing we
> had years ago. They fell out of favor quickly with the aquarium
> crowd..........

I think we're confusing a battery operated gravel cleaner with an
osculating powerhead, which is what in inferred from your use of the
ambiguous term "sweeper".

There are some good gravel cleaners on the market, but if you've spent less
than $80 on it you've wasted your money.

You would not need a diatom to catch fine particulates created by the cheap
ones, standard fine polyfiber will do, but you will need to replace it
afterwards. You could probably replace the cheap bag in the cheap gravel
cleaner with a cheap wad of polyfiber to improve its performance.

[Köi-Lö]

As yu can readily see it does not take much to confuse Carol Gulley as
she lies to much and the facts and truth to her is just secoindary
stuff not worth keeping up with.....


On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 18:01:40 -0500, dc > wrote:

>Köi-Lö <¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô> wrote in
. com:
>
>> into the tank. That is if what he's describing is the same thing we
>> had years ago. They fell out of favor quickly with the aquarium
>> crowd..........
>
>I think we're confusing a battery operated gravel cleaner with an
>osculating powerhead, which is what in inferred from your use of the
>ambiguous term "sweeper".
>
>There are some good gravel cleaners on the market, but if you've spent less
>than $80 on it you've wasted your money.
>
>You would not need a diatom to catch fine particulates created by the cheap
>ones, standard fine polyfiber will do, but you will need to replace it
>afterwards. You could probably replace the cheap bag in the cheap gravel
>cleaner with a cheap wad of polyfiber to improve its performance.


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[Köi-Lö]

*Note: There are two "Koi-Lo's" on the pond and aquaria groups.


"dc" > wrote in message
...
> Köi-Lö <¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô> wrote in
> . com:
>
>> into the tank. That is if what he's describing is the same thing we
>> had years ago. They fell out of favor quickly with the aquarium
>> crowd..........
>
> I think we're confusing a battery operated gravel cleaner with an
> osculating powerhead, which is what in inferred from your use of the
> ambiguous term "sweeper".

Oh! We're perhaps talking about two very different things then. :-) The
thing I'm talking about sucked up the muck into a cloth bag and the water
and fines were returned to the tank to leave it a cloudy mess. Only larger
particles were trapped in the bag. Everyone I knew used theirs once and
threw it away.


> There are some good gravel cleaners on the market, but if you've spent
> less
> than $80 on it you've wasted your money.

I use one of those plastic gravel vaccs that cost about $5. All the curd
and dirty water goes into a bucket and gets poured in the garden.

> You would not need a diatom to catch fine particulates created by the
> cheap
> ones, standard fine polyfiber will do, but you will need to replace it
> afterwards. You could probably replace the cheap bag in the cheap gravel
> cleaner with a cheap wad of polyfiber to improve its performance.
--
KL....
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
*Note: There are two "Koi-Lo's" on the pond and aquaria groups.
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[Köi-Lö]

=?iso-8859-1?B?S/ZpLUz2?=<¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô>wrote:

> Tottering sidewalk-socialite with abnormal velvet glove and spiritless
> chi-chis needs weakly standing hampton for adventurous
> whisker-digging. Mail me at <¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô>