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  1. #1
    San Merah Discus TW's Avatar
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    7Ft Planted Tank - Planning Stage

    I'm asking these questions here, as the tank will planted & I'd like to keep all my questions for this tank, together in the one thread.

    The tank's been ordered, the light fitting is here & 2 x Eheim 2080's. They're currently cycling on my other tanks. They've been running since 2nd April.

    I haven't been given a date for my tank to be delivered yet.

    But say by 3 May, if new tank is here - will that be too soon to transfer the discus into a tank with those filters, or do I need to leave the filters where they are & running for longer before they're discus safe?

    Also, will I have to transfer the stock over slowly, like I would for a tank that cycled from scratch. I'm hoping that by running the new filters on fully stocked tanks, it will be safe to transfer everyone across at the one time.

    I don't want to move the discus unless it's safe to, so hoping for some advice. Thanks in advance.
    Previously known as "Tankwatcher"

  2. #2
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    This new tank sounds exciting Robyn, can't wait to see some pics once its finished.

    Q. Did you recycle any old filter media from the existing filters into the new ones?
    Q. Are you using any of those water ages/cycle products which you can add a few drops each day to help the good bacteria to build, cycling your filters?

  3. #3
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    if you run the filter for a good solid month on a stocked tank, they'll be seeded, again if you can throw a handull of used filter media into each they'll seed faster.

    if your confident that the bacterial poulation is well established then you can add all the fish starit away, although i would personally transfer 50% in one month and then the other 50% the next month.

  4. #4
    San Merah Discus TW's Avatar
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    Re-reading my question, I see I rushed a bit setting out what I did with the filters I’m cycling (lazy). Here's a fuller explanation of how they're cycling:-

    1st 2080
    This is one of two filters running for a year on a 3ft divided tank. One filter runs on either side of glass divider. There’s a new 2060 (unseeded) cycling since 3 April on a fully stocked & long established African tank. This will replace the 2080 on the 3ft, when the 2080 moves across to the 7ft tank. So, it’s the 3ft tank ( lightly stocked - 4 ottos, 4 pt. nigerian reds & 3 aggies) which will receive a newly cycled 2060. Hope this is ok - not only will 2060 have been running a month, gravel, plants, driftwood in the 3ft will have good bacteria already. Plus the 2nd filter will have at least some impact on the side from which I will be taking the 2080, as the glass divider is not watertight & does allow some transference of water between the halves (when gravel vac one side, both sides empty equally).

    2nd 2080
    Already stole large amount of seeded filter media for the new Heckle QT tank’s filter ( week or so prior) so didn’t want to risk taking out more so soon. So 2nd filter started from scratch, cycling on the 3ft mentioned above (3ft has 3 filters at the mo).

    This all means the new discus tank will have one 2080 that’s been running on a lightly stocked tank for a year and one 2080 that has been cycling on a fully stocked African tank for a month.

    Is it enough

    I'd personally prefer to do the 50% transfer plan, but am under pressure from hubby to close down the existing discus tank asap. To be ready for delivery of new tank (twitch … impatient ... waiting … twitch … twitch) & also so we don’t have to move it a 2nd time, we’ve already moved the old discus tank onto the family room floor, with power leads & C02 bits & pieces surrounding it. Looks messy & hubby wants it gone.

    But if the filter situation won't be good enough – then I’ll put up a resistance to the all in one move. Thanks to both of you & wonder what your thoughts are now with the full explanation?
    Previously known as "Tankwatcher"

  5. #5
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    bacteria that utilise nitrogen in acid water have been proven different to those in neutral and alkaline water(the latter are the type found in'bacteria in a bottle' products)

    whichever way you seed the filter i would be inclined to test the water so to speak, by adding an ammonia source and seeing whether the filters cope with it

    i would imagine they would, though with a large number of discus i would want to know for sure

    andrew

  6. #6
    San Merah Discus TW's Avatar
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    bacteria that utilise nitrogen in acid water have been proven different to those in neutral and alkaline water(the latter are the type found in'bacteria in a bottle' products)
    Thanks for the input. I'm a bit of dummy & not sure what you mean. Do you mean that cycling one of the filters on my African tank (high pH) won't work well when I move it to the discus tank (low pH).
    whichever way you seed the filter i would be inclined to test the water so to speak, by adding an ammonia source and seeing whether the filters cope with it
    How do I add a source of ammonia. I have never been able to find pure ammonia - only cloudy ammonia. I've read that you shouldn't use the cloudy ammonia. I could add a prawn - or just see how it handles my Sydney water. I find I have ammonia coming directly out of the tap, as my established tanks test nil for ammonia, but a glass of water from the tap tests positive for ammonia. What would be the best test - a prawn or just the water itself?

    i would imagine they would, though with a large number of discus i would want to know for sure
    6 discus in total need to transfer, as well as some apistos, ottos, corries & cardinal tetras.
    Previously known as "Tankwatcher"

  7. #7
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    i very much doubt any water board would be allowed to have ammonia in water, much more likely it is the amination of chlorine to make it more stable and dissacioation of this that gives you an ammonia reading

    do none of the hardware stores sell ammonia?



    and yes in theory alkaline or high pH bacteria are different to low pH bacteria, though in practice there are more variable and so these theories often get blown out of the water


    maybe just use some cheap test fish?
    cant wait to see the tank pictures, hint hint

  8. #8
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    Hi andrew, the only ammonia we can get outside a chemist in sydney is coudy ammonia from a supermarkets (bomb making and stupid kids mixing it with iodine).

    TW, throw a prawn in there, it'll make ammonia

  9. #9
    San Merah Discus TW's Avatar
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    i very much doubt any water board would be allowed to have ammonia in water, much more likely it is the amination of chlorine to make it more stable and dissacioation of this that gives you an ammonia reading
    For whatever reason, my tapwater tests positive for ammonia & my cycled tanks don't
    and yes in theory alkaline or high pH bacteria are different to low pH bacteria, though in practice there are more variable and so these theories often get blown out of the water
    Bummer, I stole media from the African filter to seed the wild Heckle's QT filter & those poor fish moved in on day 1 when I brought them home from Xtreme. They seemed to have survived it.
    TW, throw a prawn in there, it'll make ammonia
    I will. Questions
    a) will one large green prawn be enough?
    b) how long till the prawn causes ammonia
    c) how long after ammonia appears will the good bacteria from a cycled filter need to deal with ammonia created by prawn
    cant wait to see the tank pictures, hint hint
    No tank pics yet - not delivered (hurry up Mr Tank Maker pls). I'm restricted by cabinet (19" deep) so tank's made to suit. Sadly, had this U-shaped cabinet made BEFORE I got into the hobby. No room left for free standing purpose built cabinet - so stuck with what I have. Tank on left (1st pic) is 4ft African & the space from TV (1st pic) all the way to the end of 2nd tank (2nd pic) is where 7ft will go. The 2nd tank is the current discus tank & now sits in middle of floor, waiting to shut down. Window is no longer real - insulated & boarded up from outside, to prevent possible algae issues.




    To match the 20" high African tank in height (separated only by TV from the 7ft) the new tank will also only be 20" high. So, it'll be small for a 7ft, only holding 523L or 138G. Fishgeek, not the pics you want (sorry), but still a record for me of my 7ft tank journey. Promise, finished pics will also appear later. Hubby visited a scaffolding supplier & there are now six jacks in the cabinet to ensure the strength. (There are 4 under the African)

    Interior - Main Section - 4 Jacks in place in this shot. Holes in false bottom of cabinet - jacks go all the way to floor.



    Interior - Left Side One side of shelf cut out to house filter. Marking for hole to be cut for filter hoses. Right shelf still needs to be removed for that filter.


    Interior - Ex Pull out DVD / CD Drawer Now where to store my DVD's There are 2 more jacks in here


    That's if for now - already too long a post
    Previously known as "Tankwatcher"

  10. #10
    Medium Discus
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    Quote Originally Posted by ILLUSN
    (bomb making and stupid kids mixing it with iodine).
    whats stupid about touch powder? and you can use cloudy for that
    we used to paint it on the desks at school , let it dry and listen to the bangs as kids dropped there books, or with the lift top school desks , under the stoppers

    great fun old touch powder


    I will. Questions
    a) will one large green prawn be enough?
    b) how long till the prawn causes ammonia
    c) how long after ammonia appears will the good bacteria from a cycled filter need to deal with ammonia created by prawn
    the prawn is a bit variable... you are awaiting protein decompostion to release the nitrogen and convert to ammonia, that too depends on bacteria
    urine is 2 ammonia bound as urea, at least that is a closer starting point than protein
    or just use fish food that too has protein

    best is to by the ammonia, as you can measure that with the test kit you have and will know precisely what is going on

    otherwise just feed the tank and do what thousands have before , put the fish in and monitor closely , large tank so unlikley there will be huge swings... you are doing your best to seed filters.... the theory i am spouting is just theory

    where's them pictures?

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