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OK, home now. I just tested the water and the ammonia is up to .25 so I just did the first gravel vac - ...
OK, home now. I just tested the water and the ammonia is up to .25 so I just did the first gravel vac - lots of junk down in there! I had two small artificial plants here that that were in the Betta tanks so those are floating now. I'll need to run out tomorrow and buy more though.
Thanks for all your help.
Lots of junk in the gravel bed already? How much and how often are you feeding the fish?
During cycling it's a good idea to leave the gravel alone. If a water change is needed, then it should be just water. A week into setting this up with fish, and there shouldn't be enough in the gravel to warrant a gravel vac... if there is, then something is wrong.
Remember, each time you do a gravel vac at this early stage, you are going to hurt the bacteria culture that is building there, and this will only prolong the cycling process.
Feedings should be kept light... what the fish can completely finish in 1 minute every OTHER day.
Dawn, maybe she didnt clean the gravel before she put it in the tank. But thanks for the information, maybe thats why my tank is taking so long to cycle, i keep cleaning the gravel! I better stop
Dawn, maybe she didnt clean the gravel before she put it in the tank. But thanks for the information, maybe thats why my tank is taking so long to cycle, i keep cleaning the gravel! I better stop
I guess that answers your question as to why your cycling takes too long.:) Gravel vacuuming should not be done during the process of cycling.
thanks. When it was just the two mosquito fish in there I was feeding twice a day to generate more ammonia to speed things along. Now that we've got 9 fish I will switch to every other day starting with no food yesterday.
No more vacuming for now. You guys are such a good help with this. :)
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