[girlofgod]

okay...i JUST setup my new 47 gallon column tank...and i am planning to do discus/angels primarily...anyways...i have a few questions.there is water in the tank, and i currently have sand as the substrate and am about to put the heater in. these are my q's:

1. i dont have the filter yet. so should i go ahead and try to establish some bacterial colonies in the new tank by hanging some gravel in a stocking and moving a decoration/media from the filter over? or should i wait until i get the filter plugged up to do that? will it kill the bacteria if the filter isnt running?

2. since there isnt a filter plugged in yet, should i wait to treat the water for chlorine/chloramine? or will it still work even without the filter hooked up?

i will ask when i have more q's. thanks in advance!

bri

 

[Amphitrite]

You should wait until you have the filter in place before adding any established media as it won't survive without the filter.

 

[caferacermike]

Taking it in small steps? A great idea.

Myself I'd either try to find an old powerhead or an air pump and stone. Get some circulation in there. Not much is needed but oxygenating that water is a good idea. I'd go ahead and put some old media in some of mothers old panty hose or float a filter pad from an existing filter. Bacteria will inhabit all areas of the tank, not just the filter. You will need to dechlorinate the water or any beneficial bacterias will be killed by the chlorines.

 

[Gump]

I wouldnt have put water in with out the filter but caferacemike's idea is a very good one if you have a powerhead. If not your stagnent water ill become quite gross and a big water change or a few will be needed before fish are added anyway.

 

[girlofgod]

i will only have the water sitting for a day or so. i didnt think it would become nasty that quick...also, i ddnt really want to run the heater until all the sand had settled, which will prolly take a good day or so. i have an air pump and stone...so i should put that in there? does it make a difference how powerful it is? cuz i think the one i have came with a 1 gallon tank...LOL oh well...thanks guys!

bri

 

[girlofgod]

ok..so i have a small filter running on the tank right now...and i moved media from my established tank over to the new one and dropped some flake food into the new tank to feed the bacteria. when should i move my platys and danio over to help cycle? wait 24 hours or so? thanks!

bri

 

[girlofgod]

bump

 

[Lupin]

ok..so i have a small filter running on the tank right now...and i moved media from my established tank over to the new one and dropped some flake food into the new tank to feed the bacteria. when should i move my platys and danio over to help cycle? wait 24 hours or so? thanks!

bri

I don't think it's necessary to wait for 24 hours. Why not use the danios and platies to cycle the tank with instead of using flakes(well, they will eat the flakes anyway :mrgreen: )? Danios and platies will survive the cycling.

 

[girlofgod]

i am just worried about the ph differences between the two tanks...i know to float them as i would if i brought them home from the store...but still....i will try and monitor their behavior. thanks!

bri

 

[crazie.eddie]

Is there a difference in pH with both tanks? If so, by how much? If it's more than +-1, then there maybe something effecting the pH. If there is a big difference, then floating the bag and adding water slowly into it is the best option, which you already are doing.

Also, since you have sand susbtrate, I would put a pre-filter sponge in the filter intake, to prevent any sand from getting into the filter. Without it, the sand may damage the filter.

 

[girlofgod]

what is a pre-filter sponge? also...should i also use one in my canister filter wheni get it? thanks!

and the difference in ph is alot...like .6...its because i used tap water to fill the large tank and i use spring water for the small one. anyways..thanks

bri

 

[crazie.eddie]

A pre-filter sponge is just a sponge fit over the filter intake. You can use either media sponge, like the Aqua Clear sponges and cut a small opening on one side to slide the filter intake into it. I use a pre-filter sponge from my mag drive pump, which I never used for the pump. The pre-filter sponge fits perfect for the round intakes of my filters. The sponge looks like this...



And can be bought from BigAls.com

It will look like this on the filter intake (pre-filter sponge is on left side)

 

[girlofgod]

well..how does the filter work then? it seems that it wouldnt be able to suck the large pieces of junk out of the water...also, i think it looks a little unsightly for my personal preferences...is there any type that will go INSIDE the intake? just wondering....

bri

 

[Tracy]

wow eddie your tank is gorgeous!

 

[girlofgod]

so i found what you were talking about eddie at petsmart..i havent bought it yet..but i did get an extension for the intake hose on the HOB that is in the tank presently...its also "planted" (silk plants) and has cycled fairly quickly...its cleared up mostly..i need to update the pics in the FW pics thread...maybe tomorrow. thanks!

bri

 

[bettababy]

Bri,
I haven't seen anyone ask yet... if you have discus planned for this new tank, have you decided what method you'll use to bring the pH down?
Also, what kind of sand are you using? If it's aragonite, as many on here have used, that will not be safe for discus. I'd just hate to see you go through all the work and expense and to have problems early on.

 

[joeshmoe]

i didnt thing discus tall tanks i thought people sad to get a long tank? :?

 

[girlofgod]

um...i havent actually decided about the discus yet Dawn, but about the ph, i was just going to bring it down the way i did with my other tank. start doing regular water changes using spring water only. this worked in my other tank as my ph settled down to a great 7.4 after about a month and there it has stayed.

bri

what concerns me is that i get a high reading on my test strips at home, and when i took my water sample to my lfs, i specifically asked for them to use the master test kit (liquid) and give me specific readings, which they did, and he said my ph was between 7.2 and 7.4. how is it possible to get such astronomically different readings?

 

[Lupin]

what concerns me is that i get a high reading on my test strips at home, and when i took my water sample to my lfs, i specifically asked for them to use the master test kit (liquid) and give me specific readings, which they did, and he said my ph was between 7.2 and 7.4. how is it possible to get such astronomically different readings?

A lot of members mentioned before that test strips are quite inaccurate and will recommend liquid kit. I do second on that.:mrgreen:

 

[girlofgod]

so i should trust the lfs test kit over mine? even when it seems out of the question that the ph should be so low already?