I am sorry to have to ask this again but I am confused, my tank is cycling for the 1st week with one fish in. When should I do my first water change? I have asked this before and someone said when your ammonia is high. At the moment I do ot have a water test kit, I take mine to a pet store. I would like to know a guideline is it once a week or twice a week etc and how much should I take out, a couple of jugs.

I would have thought that I wouldn't take much out for the first few weeks why the tank is cycling, could anyone please help me?

thanks

Anyone got any idea, I have read kokos link but I am confused, I only want to know, do I take any water out in the first week of cycling and if so how much.

thanks

How big is the tank? Are there fish living in it? How many? How big?

The tank is 12 gallon and I have one blackmoor who is about 1.5 - 2 inches. I put him in the tank last Saturday and the tank has been cycling now for 4 days.

thanks

The tank in question was running for 3 weeks previously, I added the Stress coat and stress zyme like it said on the bottle, 1st, 7th and 14th day but didn't have a fish in. Someone on here told me that the state of the tank water would be exactly the same as 3 weeks ago because I didn't have any fish in, the stress zyme needs ammonia to work. So I went home and added the fish on Saturday and I have started again with the stress coat and zyme, I am waiting to put my next dose of stress zyme in on the 6th March.

I honestly didn't realise how hard this all was. I love my fish (I only have one) but I am constantly worried for him, I don't have the money to buy everything at onc, I don't own a water test kit yet. I spent a lot of money on a BiOrb and stand for him until I realise how bad they were on here ? I then purchased a 12 gallon tank for him with stand. He looks a little spooked in it though - do you think it could be the change of shape from round to rectangle, maybe he can see a lot more from the normal shaped tank and that is why. I also think that the light in the new tank is brighter than the one in the BiOrb. I had to take my fish out from the BiOrb because the water was dangerous for him.

With no test kits, and one small fish in a 12 gallon tank, I personally would change 30-50% of the water every two days until you can get test kits.

It's pretty normal for a fish to seem "a little spooked" when they get moved into a new tank.

I don't know much, but I'd the say the first thing to do is get test kits for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate, and ph.

You won't know for sure where you stand until you test the water.

When my first 20 gallon was cycling with 3 very small goldfish in it I had to change water daily for a while there, because the Ammonia level would spike, once that settled down the Nitrite level would spike. Once the Nitrite level settled down things got easier because the Ammonia and Nitrite levels were stabilized, and all I really had to worry about was the Nitrate level.

I gotta say if I was in your posistion I'd change some water every other day or so just to be safe.

If you have'nt changed any water for close to a week, and you can't test the water I'd definetly change 50% just to be safe. When in doubt change some water until you get a test kit.

Maybe the guy at the fish store that does your testing can give you one of thier old dirty filter pads. You could put that, or atleast part of it in your filter to help get the biological system going.

Tom

So this is a catch 22 situation, I need to get my bioloical system going but this won't happen quickly and it certainly won't happen doing 50% water changes every two days?! Maybe this is what they call a no win situation. Is there anything else I could have done to make things easier?

I had goldfish for years when I was a kid with no filter or pump and I used to do a complete water change one a week. They didn't seem to suffer and they lived for years. it seems now that you have pumps, filters etc its more technical

Its just so confusing................................

Doing a partial water change won't hurt your biological system. In fact the partial water change is a necessity. You have to get that ammonia/Nitrites/Nitrates out of there or the fish will suffer and die.

The biological system will be fine!

The Good bacteria will form colonies in the filter, and on the surface of the gravel, plants, ornaments etc.

When you had the fish in bowls when you were a kid, the bacteria was probably established in, and on the gravel. So you could change all the water and still have the bacteria in the gravel.

Make dang sure you DO NOT clean the tank, Gravel, and Filter all at the same time!

Clean one or another and wait a few days before cleaning anything else that way you can maintain your Good Bacteria.

Change some of that water! Make your Black Moor smile!!

Tom

Dear Tom

Ahhhh now that made more sense. How much do you think I should change ?

And for cleaing the gravel I need a Vac, how often would you clean that? If you are from the UK area, which vac would you consider?

thanks so much for your patience

Em

You're doing okay. Don't panic. New fish take a while to acclimatise. Don't make any more big changes. One fish only will cycle a tank for you just from his poo and food.

You need to change some of the water twice a week. Everyone recommends a diff ammount for these w/c's. I would say for a small tank with one fish
just 25%.

If you really can't get test kits you can tell a lot from the smell of the water. When it's fully cycled there will be no smell (or a nice rain on soil smell). Till then the tank will smell somewhat some days.

You could post in the International help forum here for exact recommendations of UK products.

Let us know how it all goes.

Oh thanks, everytime I post a question on here I found out I have done something wrong or harmful. So I need to change 3 gallons of water twice a week (12 gallon tank). What would you cal drastic changes ? I also want to put a pinted pottery ornament in my tank, would that be ok, someone else said that the paint may give off toxins ?

thanks again for your advice

What you'd call drastic w/c's on a tank that is just starting up a cycle would be I think more than a 50% change, some would say less. What you're trying to do at the beginning is build up all the good bacteria which isn't in the water but grows best in a stable water environment. On the tank surfaces/gravel/decor etc.

Not sure about the pot, someone else will tell you. Personally I only ever use stuff specifically for fish tanks.

Is it best to fill 3 gallons of water and let it stand overnight, then take the 3 gallons out in the morning and then transfer the new 3 gallon of water straight away.? Otherwise if you take out the 3 gallons and only put the new 3 gallons in, in the morning the water level will be low. Do I also turn of the pump when switching the water about ?

thanks

Oop's sorry do I also add the de-chlorinator (stress coat I think) as soon as I have added the new water in the morning?

Do I have this right ? I will be suprised!

If you use de-chlor you don't need to let the water sit out for 2 or 3 days. It's one or the other.

I'm sorry I don't quite understand what you mean about taking out/putting water in but taking out 3 gallons will be first and putting in the new de-chlorinated will be after that! Its okay for the water to be low for a few mins while you do this.

Also you don't need to turn off the pump for partial water changes.

Thanks for that.

So if I use dechlorinator, do I just mix that with the new water and then add it to the tank straight away - no need to wait overnight/24 hours?

Does the de chlorinator work straight away ?

No need to wait overnight if you've added de-chlor. Every brand of de-chlorinator works diff. so you'd have to read the packet instructions.

Mine are little crystal looking shapes that dissolve in about 8 mins. Then I stir a bit and add the new de-chlorinated water to the waiting tank.

Others have liquid type which just need mixing and then immediately can be used.

When you add that 3 gallons of new water, make sure the temperature of the new water is as close as possible to the temperature of the water in the tank!

Hopefully you have an aquarium thermometer to check this with.

Dear GolfNut

When you talked about the colonies of good bacteria growing on the filters, ornaments and stones yesterday!

I am now confused as to how these colonies of good bacteria grow on the filters if every month, 6 weeks and two months, I need to change the filters?

thank you

That is why you don't want to clean the tank, and clean the gravel, and clean the ornaments, and clean the filter all at the same time.

As long as you only clean one thing and then wait maybe a week before cleaning somethng else you will keep the bacteria going fine.

When you replace the filter elements you don't have to wash the filter housing and get it squeeky clean either. Just replace the filter media, or element whatever you have, and leave the filter housing alone. That way you will still have bacteria in there. That bacteria will migrate to the new filter media, or element very quickly.

If you do clean the filter housing so it is squeeky clean, the bacteria in the filter will be gone,....but as long as you have not disturbed the bacteria in the tank, gravel,ornaments, the bacteria from those places will find there way to the newly cleaned filter and will colonize there.

So remember it is important to NOT clean the entire tank, gravel ,ornaments, and filter all at the same time...That's a No No. If you do that you will have destroyed your bacteria/biological system. If that happens you will be back to aquare one, and need to cycle the tank again.

Tom

You shouldn't have to REPLACE any of the sponges, pads, cartridges or biological media in your filter for a long time. The mechanical filter media can last for at least a year, and the biological media can last even longer. When you clean your filter just rinse the filter media in used tank water to get the gunk off. Don't replace the filter media until it is literally falling apart.

If you clean your filter in this way it won't kill the biological bacteria on the media and disrupt your tank's cycle.

Hi - Are you sure - this is a juwel filter and the sponges have to be changed at different times

Blue fine 2 months
Green 6 weeks
Black 4 weeks
White every week.

Or thats what they recommend. Does anyone else have a Rekord 60?

thanks

On the Juwel filters you only need to change out the white floss on the top every week or whenever its dirty. As for the blue sponges you only need to squeeze those out alternately once a month or so. Manufacturers get you to keep buying when you dont need to. My rekord has had the original blue sponges for nearly two years now.

Dear Sandy - Really ????

That is terrible. I was going to change my black one this weekend. Do I just take it out and squeeze it under cold water? Do I not squeeze them all at the same time?

thanks for that!

Sandy

Do you mean only the blue one's you can squeeze but I need to change the rest of them ?

You do not need to change anything except the floss. You can rinse and reuse all the sponges.... And don't rinse them in tap water, use tank water that has been siphoned from the tank. I wouldn't rinse all the sponges at the same time.

Don't squeeze them all at the same time. Pick some type of schedule & squeeze them in used tank water (or if you have to in clean water that has water conditioner in it - the chlorine in untreated tap will will kill off the beneficial bacteria).

I don't have a Jewel but these principals are the same for any filter (the box the stuff comes in tells you to change more frequently instead of rinsing because the company is trying to get you to buy more stuff)

Jenn

PS - There are bacteria on the stuff inside the tank (ornaments gravel whatever) but the vast majority live in the filter. If you change all of your filter stuff at the same time you risk loosing your cycle. If you rinse all of it at the same time (esp combined with a large waterchange) you risk a mini cycle. If you rinse in tap water it is the same as changing it from a good bacteria standpoint because you kill off all of the good stuff)