Cycling of new Zebra pleco tank

[Titus]

Maybe using new water and a good dose of BB would be good.

I use a good dose of EasyLife to kick start my BH++. Can spare u a small bottle to kick start

[wasabi8888]

Wasabi8888, I would suggest you use the Eheim Installation set for ease of use for your filter. The priming function sometimes doesn't want to cooperate as I've found out for myself. This piece of equipment will allow you to fill the inlet part of the tube connected to the filter with water via a twistable cap. Unscrew the cap, fill the inlet tube with water and screw back the cap. Start your filter. That's it. I'm using it for all my freshwater setup.

OK. just went to C328 and hands itchy and thus bought the installation Set 1. This is for the inlet one. Did not buy the installation set 2. So for the 1st time use of the 2028, i can pour water throught the inlet right? Do I pour until the whole cannister is full?

What I understood is that you intend to use water from the old tank for use in the new tank for the purpose of reducing cycling time. Just the old water alone, is that correct?

IMHO, this will not help significantly enough because there really isn't much of these bacteria in the water column. They colonise mainly on porous surfaces and materials, so short of resuing your gravel and sponge media in the new setup, the net gain is not much even if it will somewhat help.

Or are you intending to reuse the gravel and sponge media as well?

Now I understand. Yes, only using old water. Not reusing gravel and sponge media. The amount of BB will not that much. but i will probably cycle longer...

[Quixotic]

Okay, if so, try to aerate the old water as well, it will provide more oxygen to the bacteria.

[Gecko]

When setting up my 2028s, I fill the cannister with old water so that when the motor "cover" is put on, the cannister is completely filled. Then using a hose with water straight from the tap, I hold it against the inlet tubes, one at a time until I see water gushing out from outlet. You will need someone to turn on the tap for you as you close the hose against the inlet tubes. Did not have to prime by pumping and actually did not know of "installation set". I dont think that the extra tap water would kill off that much BB.

Also, use your finger or something to check that both inlet tubes are operating...

To cycle or age your tank, vaccum up the poo from the gravel from your other plecos, assuming that they are healthy...they poo so much, it's easy to collect.

Final note, the 1 ft tank for your zebra babies might be very unforgiving given small volume of water...celtifish does daily? water changes...it might wear you out and take away some fun....

All the best!

[wasabi8888]

I think with the installation kit, i probably do not need to hold the hose like you mentioned.

You said "Also, use your finger or something to check that both inlet tubes are operating...", ah... are there 2 inlet tubes?

Pertaining to the 1 ft tank with the zebras, I feel that it's OK for now. Main reason is the tank is running on 2 filters, a eheim 2211 and a Liberty 100. FIltration should be OK. Also, the zebras are only 6 months old, thus very small. They should do well in the 1 ft. Sexual maturity is prob 3-4 years from now. Still got quite a bit of time

[Gecko]

2028 is pro II....only one inlet,my bad, thought you were referring to pro III....

[akoh]

Pertaining to the 1 ft tank with the zebras, I feel that it's OK for now. Main reason is the tank is running on 2 filters, a eheim 2211 and a Liberty 100. FIltration should be OK. Also, the zebras are only 6 months old, thus very small. They should do well in the 1 ft. Sexual maturity is prob 3-4 years from now. Still got quite a bit of time

Plecs regulate their growth rate according to it's environment hence " tank size does matter ! " Go for 2 or 3 footer and go easy on the bioloading ! cheers !

[wasabi8888]

Plecs regulate their growth rate according to it's environment hence " tank size does matter ! " Go for 2 or 3 footer and go easy on the bioloading ! cheers !

Will take note of that.

When setting up my 2028s, I fill the cannister with old water so that when the motor "cover" is put on, the cannister is completely filled. Then using a hose with water straight from the tap, I hold it against the inlet tubes, one at a time until I see water gushing out from outlet. You will need someone to turn on the tap for you as you close the hose against the inlet tubes. Did not have to prime by pumping and actually did not know of "installation set". I dont think that the extra tap water would kill off that much BB.

Also, use your finger or something to check that both inlet tubes are operating...

To cycle or age your tank, vaccum up the poo from the gravel from your other plecos, assuming that they are healthy...they poo so much, it's easy to collect.

Final note, the 1 ft tank for your zebra babies might be very unforgiving given small volume of water...celtifish does daily? water changes...it might wear you out and take away some fun....

All the best!

When you metioned to vaccum up the poo from the gravel of other plecos, where do I throw those poo into? Straight onto the new tank or into the filter?

[akoh]

The easier way is to take a " aged " filtering wool and put it into the new filtering system ( new tank ) for a quick kick-start.

[wasabi8888]

But what happens is if the aged filtering wool is not the same type of filter in the new set up? Just try to fit it in there?

[akoh]

All you need is just a small pc to kick start the bacteria growth.

[Saint]

The easier way is to take a " aged " filtering wool and put it into the new filtering system ( new tank ) for a quick kick-start.

just to clarify... currently i have a 2026 running in my tank and wish to include another 2026 to improve the water quality, can i take out the aged filtering wool from the current one (replace it with new wool) and place it in the new 2026 to kick start the system???

[akoh]

Not necessary, cause bacteria already present in the current water.

[wasabi8888]

Hi all

Just thought I should update what has so happened so far, and I need help with some issues.

I did attach the pic in the Aquascape section, but I thought I would do one here as well.



So far, the tank has been cycling for 2 weeks. Despite earlier suggestions, I have cycled this tank like a new set-up. I did not take any old water nor use any old filter media. I just pumped in about 5ml of BacterLife every day to help with BB. Also, I have one SAE in there to cycle the tank. I intend do wait until about 1st week of Feb (tank will be cycled for 4 weeks) before I test it out with some fishes.

However, I have some questions about PH. In the 1 ft tank (which currently houses the plecos that I will be transferring into this new set-up), the PH is about 6. I reckon it's because of the tanins from the DW and TR7 (Black water) that I added. The new set-up has a PH of 7.8. I measured the PH of my tap water and it's about 8. Hence I have a PH difference of 2.


I am thinking of

1. Adding ketapang leaves in this new Biotope set-up to lower the PH. Not sure how much I should add though. Will the Ketapang leaves mess up the whole tank? Does anyone who is keeping plecos have experience on this?

or

2. Adding Sera Super peat in the cannister filter


Not sure which one to go. One of my friends did suggest to add black water until the PH drops to 6.5. But I reckon that will need a lot of black water.

[corydora]

i thought driftwood will lower ph?

[wasabi8888]

Depends on how much tanin they leech. The DW that you see in the pic was bought from tanks in LFS, so it could have leeched alot previously. Correct me if I am wrong though.

[corydora]

have you considered peat moss then? not sure where to get though, sorry.

[Freshman]

Very nice looking setup

Anyway, I feel it will be safer to get some test kits and test the various water parameters first before testing with fishes.

What filter media are you using in the Eheim 2028? I remember the last time when I was cycling a new tank, the pH dropped to quite low and I have to up it using some coral chips.
Has the cycling process begun?

[wasabi8888]

Freshman

media=biohome plus, media ring and eheim substrate pro..


Not sure whether the cycling process has begun though. i do not like the test kits, because I do not really trust them. I reckon that 1 month cycling should be OK.

I am more worried about the PH issue. Can anyone advise?

[wasabi8888]

Bought ammonia test kits.

Ammonia = 30 (can't remember the unit of measurement)

I have added about 75ml of Sera Morena to bring PH from 7.8 to 7.5. Will be adding more to bring it down to 6.8. Hope my cycling fish (aka 1 SAE and 1 guppy) can take. Will know tonight.