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Help On Cycling
Hi my husband and I are new to the fish hobby. A week and two days ago we bought six silver tiger angelfish and put them into a 40 gallon aquarium that was already set up. We have done extensive reading on how to properly cycle a tank. Unfortunately on the internet no information is the same. We want to know if during the cycle process we can try to adjust the ph levels and adjust the water clarity of the tank. Our main concern is ph levels. It is currently at a 7.2 border 7.4....the fish are eatting and swimming around no problem but we are aware that the level should be lower for the fish to thrive. Should we try to adjust the ph or just wait until the tank is done cycling? Thank you!
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"stangels" wrote in message
... Hi my husband and I are new to the fish hobby. A week and two days ago we bought six silver tiger angelfish and put them into a 40 gallon aquarium that was already set up. We have done extensive reading on how to properly cycle a tank. Unfortunately on the internet no information is the same. We want to know if during the cycle process we can try to adjust the ph levels and adjust the water clarity of the tank. Our main concern is ph levels. It is currently at a 7.2 border 7.4....the fish are eatting and swimming around no problem but we are aware that the level should be lower for the fish to thrive. Should we try to adjust the ph or just wait until the tank is done cycling? Thank you! -- stangels Regarding the cloudy water, this is normal and can be ignored. It poses no threat to the fish, but the cures can be stressful. It will clear later on its own, and if it doesn't then there are ways to diagnose the cause to be able to correct it. Regarding the pH, it is highly recommended to leave the pH as it is, as pH altering chemicals can be quite stressful. It is quite possible that your Angelfish were born in higher pH water, and they would not even appreciate your efforts. Also altering pH while cycling would be a double whammy for stressing the fish, and would be mostly ineffective as your water change routine would return you to your source water conditions anyways. Regarding cycling, this is your (imo) only priority. Unless you have some aged filter media or Bio-Spira, you will be hard pressed to control the ammonia and nitrite levels, so be vigilant with your test kit and be ready to make frequent water changes, as large as necessary to control the water conditions. -- www.NetMax.tk |
In article , stangels.1mbqw8
@news.fishkeepingbanter.com says... Hi my husband and I are new to the fish hobby. A week and two days ago we bought six silver tiger angelfish and put them into a 40 gallon aquarium that was already set up. We have done extensive reading on how to properly cycle a tank. Unfortunately on the internet no information is the same. We want to know if during the cycle process we can try to adjust the ph levels and adjust the water clarity of the tank. Our main concern is ph levels. It is currently at a 7.2 border 7.4....the fish are eatting and swimming around no problem but we are aware that the level should be lower for the fish to thrive. Should we try to adjust the ph or just wait until the tank is done cycling? Thank you! -- stangels I have kept tank breed angels in 8.0PH and they breed like rabbits. Most LFS get there angels from local breeders (because they multiply like crazy), so they should be ok in your local water (in my area anyway). I think the GH is more important, my old RO unit took my 8.0PH, 300ppm GH water and output 8.0PH, 2ppm GH. Being new to the hobby, I would discourage playing with the water chemistry. Maybe you should use RO water from the grocery store, in my area it is $0.27usd per gallon. Or install an RO unit. Cycling a tank with Angels will kill them all, they are very sensitive to ammonia. Buy some bacteria in the bottle like Cycle and add to the tank per the instructions. Good luck. -- Jim Anderson ( 8(|) To email me just pull my_finger |
"stangels" wrote in message ... Hi my husband and I are new to the fish hobby. A week and two days ago we bought six silver tiger angelfish and put them into a 40 gallon aquarium that was already set up. We have done extensive reading on how to properly cycle a tank. Unfortunately on the internet no information is the same. We want to know if during the cycle process we can try to adjust the ph levels and adjust the water clarity of the tank. Our main concern is ph levels. It is currently at a 7.2 border 7.4....the fish are eatting and swimming around no problem but we are aware that the level should be lower for the fish to thrive. Should we try to adjust the ph or just wait until the tank is done cycling? Thank you! -- stangels It is probably not necessary to worry. Most likely the angels are aquarium bred and will do just as well as at a lower pH maybe even better. Better a stable pH thay playing around with the pH. bob |
I wouldn't put my fish through the stresses of cycling....i love the
fishless method with ammonia because it gives you a nice large count of beneficial bacteria "stangels" wrote in message ... Hi my husband and I are new to the fish hobby. A week and two days ago we bought six silver tiger angelfish and put them into a 40 gallon aquarium that was already set up. We have done extensive reading on how to properly cycle a tank. Unfortunately on the internet no information is the same. We want to know if during the cycle process we can try to adjust the ph levels and adjust the water clarity of the tank. Our main concern is ph levels. It is currently at a 7.2 border 7.4....the fish are eatting and swimming around no problem but we are aware that the level should be lower for the fish to thrive. Should we try to adjust the ph or just wait until the tank is done cycling? Thank you! -- stangels |
Well it seems universal here.
Just follow NetMax's advice. -- Margolis http://web.archive.org/web/200302152...qs/AGQ2FAQ.htm http://www.unrealtower.org/faq |
"stangels" wrote in message ... Thank you for your information...however we are confused again, we were told at the fish store that we were not suppose to do any water changes at all. I have read though we should do 10 to 15 % water changes....which one is correct?? Thanks!! You don't do water changes for a fishless cycle but you must do water changes when cycling with fish. Sue |
During fishless cycle, no water changes are done till the very end of the
cycle...then a test is done an hour later to determine if it is safe to add the fish. "stangels" wrote in message ... Thank you for your information...however we are confused again, we were told at the fish store that we were not suppose to do any water changes at all. I have read though we should do 10 to 15 % water changes....which one is correct?? Thanks!! NetMax Wrote: "stangels" wrote in message ...- Hi my husband and I are new to the fish hobby. A week and two days ago we bought six silver tiger angelfish and put them into a 40 gallon aquarium that was already set up. We have done extensive reading on how to properly cycle a tank. Unfortunately on the internet no information is the same. We want to know if during the cycle process we can try to adjust the ph levels and adjust the water clarity of the tank. Our main concern is ph levels. It is currently at a 7.2 border 7.4....the fish are eatting and swimming around no problem but we are aware that the level should be lower for the fish to thrive. Should we try to adjust the ph or just wait until the tank is done cycling? Thank you! -- stangels- Regarding the cloudy water, this is normal and can be ignored. It poses no threat to the fish, but the cures can be stressful. It will clear later on its own, and if it doesn't then there are ways to diagnose the cause to be able to correct it. Regarding the pH, it is highly recommended to leave the pH as it is, as pH altering chemicals can be quite stressful. It is quite possible that your Angelfish were born in higher pH water, and they would not even appreciate your efforts. Also altering pH while cycling would be a double whammy for stressing the fish, and would be mostly ineffective as your water change routine would return you to your source water conditions anyways. Regarding cycling, this is your (imo) only priority. Unless you have some aged filter media or Bio-Spira, you will be hard pressed to control the ammonia and nitrite levels, so be vigilant with your test kit and be ready to make frequent water changes, as large as necessary to control the water conditions. -- www.NetMax.tk -- stangels |
Unfortunately, fish stores can be notoriously poor with the quality of
their advice (hence the activity on the newsgroups ;~). It's not unusual to be given advice by someone who doesn't even own a home aquarium (it isn't a legal pre-requisite for employment). Advice can also be highly circumstantial, so knowing the application and/or sequence will sometimes yield different instructions. During cycling, if you don't change the water frequently enough to keep the level of ammonia and nitrites low, then the fish will suffer and quite possibly die. During cycling, it's highly unlikely that you could reasonably change enough water to significantly affect the cycling process. The total amount of ammonia consumed determines the total population of bacteria, but it takes only a 'whisper' to promote bacterial growth, and as you have a steady ammonia supply (the fish), I would not even be concerned about the total bacterial population as it will balance out just the same. Note that 10 to 15% water changes are quite possibly ideal *after* you are cycled (even this % will vary according to your fish load and types of fish). During cycling, it's quite possible that this size water change would be too small. The best way to decide how much and how often your water changes should be, would be based on facts rather than opinions. These facts are obtained using a simple tester which will indicate ammonia concentrations (or nitrite or several other parameters of interest, depending on the tester purchased). Opinions and advice are great for ideas on where to go or look next, but water tests are there and see things people can't. Regarding fish store advice: the fact that you were sold Angelfish to cycle a tank pretty much confirms the quality of their advice to less than average, and 'average' hovers around abysmal (jmo of course). -- www.NetMax.tk "stangels" wrote in message ... Thank you for your information...however we are confused again, we were told at the fish store that we were not suppose to do any water changes at all. I have read though we should do 10 to 15 % water changes....which one is correct?? Thanks!! NetMax Wrote: "stangels" wrote in message ...- Hi my husband and I are new to the fish hobby. A week and two days ago we bought six silver tiger angelfish and put them into a 40 gallon aquarium that was already set up. We have done extensive reading on how to properly cycle a tank. Unfortunately on the internet no information is the same. We want to know if during the cycle process we can try to adjust the ph levels and adjust the water clarity of the tank. Our main concern is ph levels. It is currently at a 7.2 border 7.4....the fish are eatting and swimming around no problem but we are aware that the level should be lower for the fish to thrive. Should we try to adjust the ph or just wait until the tank is done cycling? Thank you! -- stangels- Regarding the cloudy water, this is normal and can be ignored. It poses no threat to the fish, but the cures can be stressful. It will clear later on its own, and if it doesn't then there are ways to diagnose the cause to be able to correct it. Regarding the pH, it is highly recommended to leave the pH as it is, as pH altering chemicals can be quite stressful. It is quite possible that your Angelfish were born in higher pH water, and they would not even appreciate your efforts. Also altering pH while cycling would be a double whammy for stressing the fish, and would be mostly ineffective as your water change routine would return you to your source water conditions anyways. Regarding cycling, this is your (imo) only priority. Unless you have some aged filter media or Bio-Spira, you will be hard pressed to control the ammonia and nitrite levels, so be vigilant with your test kit and be ready to make frequent water changes, as large as necessary to control the water conditions. -- www.NetMax.tk -- stangels |
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