Tank Cycling questions

Hello,

Just have a few questions about tank cycling. About 4 weeks ago I
moved my baby oscar from a 20g to a 64g (~240L) tank. He loves it. I
put as much water from the 20g tank into the 64g tank, since it had
cycled (well it had 4 betta females in it and a male occasionally for
over a month).

At about the same time as the tank upgrade, I upgraded my filter from a
air driven sponge to an internal power filter (2400L/h). To reduce the
strain on my oscar, I also added the old filter sponge to the water, so
it sat just below the new power filter.

Since it has been 4 weeks, will it be safe to assume that the power
filter has taken up enough bacteria from the old filter? Can I take
out the old sponge, or should I just leave it? It's hidden so it's not
that ugly.

I ask these questions from your experience, since I dont' know much
about cycling and I still don't have a water test kit. Does anyone
know where I can get a cheap but accurate water test kit in Australia?
I looked on ebay, but I can't seem to get one with all the parameters
(like GH and KH - not sure what these even mean, and do they matter for
oscars?)

Sorry about the long post.

Thanks!

"Beano" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

Since it has been 4 weeks, will it be safe to assume that the power
filter has taken up enough bacteria from the old filter? Can I
take
out the old sponge, or should I just leave it? It's hidden so it's
not
that ugly.


Probably safe to remove the old sponge. Small fish+large tank=long,
but easy cycle. You need a test test kit in a bad way. Hopefully a
fellow Aussie will point you to a good source for equipment.
Read he
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-tests.html

This should give you all the info you need to get started on water
chemistry.

b



I ask these questions from your experience, since I dont' know much
about cycling and I still don't have a water test kit. Does anyone
know where I can get a cheap but accurate water test kit in
Australia?
I looked on ebay, but I can't seem to get one with all the
parameters
(like GH and KH - not sure what these even mean, and do they matter
for
oscars?)

Sorry about the long post.

Thanks!

I didn't bother with a test kit when I cycled my tank. My LFS does as
many free tests as I want, and they're not too far away from my home.
You definately need to test your tank regularly in the setup stage, but
less frequently once the tank is established (once you get into a
routine eg. how much water to change, how often and how much food to
feed, etc. etc.).

Maybe some test strips would suffice as a rough guide, then get your
LFS to do the rest. If your LFS won't test your water for free, find
another LFS.

If you want to buy gear online at reasonable prices, try these guys...
http://www.equarium.com.au/ I bought my filters there, and other
start-up supplies, and found them to be good to deal with.

Where in Australia are you?

Also.. I had small oscars once... they didn't stay that way for long! I
hope you're prepared!

Bottom posted.


"Beano" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

Just have a few questions about tank cycling. About 4 weeks ago I
moved my baby oscar from a 20g to a 64g (~240L) tank. He loves it. I
put as much water from the 20g tank into the 64g tank, since it had
cycled (well it had 4 betta females in it and a male occasionally for
over a month).

At about the same time as the tank upgrade, I upgraded my filter from a
air driven sponge to an internal power filter (2400L/h). To reduce the
strain on my oscar, I also added the old filter sponge to the water, so
it sat just below the new power filter.

Since it has been 4 weeks, will it be safe to assume that the power
filter has taken up enough bacteria from the old filter? Can I take
out the old sponge, or should I just leave it? It's hidden so it's not
that ugly.

I ask these questions from your experience, since I dont' know much
about cycling and I still don't have a water test kit. Does anyone
know where I can get a cheap but accurate water test kit in Australia?
I looked on ebay, but I can't seem to get one with all the parameters
(like GH and KH - not sure what these even mean, and do they matter for
oscars?)

Sorry about the long post.

Thanks!


If you want to play it safe give it 3 more weeks. By the way - the tetra
laborette test kit comes with practically everything you need in the way of
tests and is cheap. Note though that it doesn't come with a nitrate test but
it does come with ph, ammonia, nitrite, carbonate hardness, general hardness
tests. Good luck and later!

Beano wrote:
Hello,

Just have a few questions about tank cycling. About 4 weeks ago I
moved my baby oscar from a 20g to a 64g (~240L) tank. He loves it. I
put as much water from the 20g tank into the 64g tank, since it had
cycled (well it had 4 betta females in it and a male occasionally for
over a month).

At about the same time as the tank upgrade, I upgraded my filter from a
air driven sponge to an internal power filter (2400L/h). To reduce the
strain on my oscar, I also added the old filter sponge to the water, so
it sat just below the new power filter.

Since it has been 4 weeks, will it be safe to assume that the power
filter has taken up enough bacteria from the old filter? Can I take
out the old sponge, or should I just leave it? It's hidden so it's not
that ugly.

I ask these questions from your experience, since I dont' know much
about cycling and I still don't have a water test kit. Does anyone
know where I can get a cheap but accurate water test kit in Australia?
I looked on ebay, but I can't seem to get one with all the parameters
(like GH and KH - not sure what these even mean, and do they matter for
oscars?)

Sorry about the long post.

Thanks!

You should be fine taking out the sponge, although I'd get ammonia and
nitrite test kits first just to be sure. Look at the rest of the filter
media. It should be brownish with bacterial growth like the sponge you
moved.

I can't help you with Aussie shopping, but IMO what you need is ammonia,
pH, nitrite, and nitrate. Don't sweat the rest unless you are doing
something to your tapwater. Obviously, ammonia and nitrite should
always be zero. Oscars are messy fish and hearty eaters, so Oscar tanks
can build up nitrates. Use the nitrate kit to be sure you're changing
enough water. Nitrates are not particularly toxic, but you don't want
them constantly climbing. Use the pH kit occasionally (I check mine
once a month or so) to be sure the pH is staying stable. If it starts
falling, that's a sign that your gravel is not clean enough and that you
need to start cleaning the tank better and changing more water.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

cool thanks guys!

@Rod - I know, I wish he would grow faster actually!

Thanks again guys, will get a test kit. It's lucky that my little baby
is still alive after what happened last night, see this post...
http://groups.google.com.au/group/re...1bbf9b61284d7e

Daniel Morrow wrote:

If you want to play it safe give it 3 more weeks. By the way - the tetra
laborette test kit comes with practically everything you need in the way of
tests and is cheap. Note though that it doesn't come with a nitrate test but
it does come with ph, ammonia, nitrite, carbonate hardness, general hardness
tests. Good luck and later!


I think this may have changed. Recently I bought the tetra laborette
test kit and found that the ammonia test had been replaced by a second
bottle of the pH test. I thought it may have been a mistake, but the
picture in the manual also shows 2 pH bottles. Note, this isn't even
something useful like a high range and low range bottle, but two wide range.

Cheers,
Edward

Bottom posted.


"Edward Peckham" wrote in message
...
Daniel Morrow wrote:

If you want to play it safe give it 3 more weeks. By the way - the tetra
laborette test kit comes with practically everything you need in the way
of
tests and is cheap. Note though that it doesn't come with a nitrate test
but
it does come with ph, ammonia, nitrite, carbonate hardness, general
hardness
tests. Good luck and later!


I think this may have changed. Recently I bought the tetra laborette
test kit and found that the ammonia test had been replaced by a second
bottle of the pH test. I thought it may have been a mistake, but the
picture in the manual also shows 2 pH bottles. Note, this isn't even
something useful like a high range and low range bottle, but two wide
range.

Cheers,
Edward

That would be too bad if it has changed. I bought 2 of the kits so far and
they have sal****er ph and freshwater ph (thus 2 different bottles of ph
tester) test reagent bottles, but man if they got rid of the ammonia test
that would be a big mistake. If they have done that I would recommend the
next cheap test kit in the aquarium pharmaceuticals average test kit - it
doesn't include carbonate hardness or general hardness reagents though. :-(

Daniel Morrow wrote:
That would be too bad if it has changed. I bought 2 of the kits so far and
they have sal****er ph and freshwater ph (thus 2 different bottles of ph
tester) test reagent bottles, but man if they got rid of the ammonia test
that would be a big mistake. If they have done that I would recommend the
next cheap test kit in the aquarium pharmaceuticals average test kit - it
doesn't include carbonate hardness or general hardness reagents though. :-(


Just double checked as I don't want to mislead anyone. The laborette
kit I have definitely has two pH freshwater bottles.

In total:
2 x 10ml pH freshwater
NO2 10ml stage 1
NO2 10ml stage 2
GH 20ml
KH 20ml
4 x plastic test tubes
1 x syringe
1 x pH colour chart
1 x NO2 colour chart
Instruction manual.

Perhaps it's a regional thing. I'm in the UK.

Cheers,
Edward