I also did it exactly like Coler says ....didnt have any problems nor did I experience any mini-cycles since I hung several handfuls of the old gravel in some pantyhose in the tank for a week or so.
This is what I used.....
And if you have another tank already cycled you can transfer over some media along with some ammonia to get your cycle started much faster.
You can pricematch at Petsmart.... Just print off the web page with price and they will give it to you for that..Mine will pricematch other competetors prices...if yours will you can get it for
$15.29 Big Al's
or
$19.99 Petsmart
My wife keeps 2 female Con's in a 29g and they do fine with each other...of course they still go through the egg laying process but we dont have fry to deal with.
You shouldnt have any problems....but if you want to error on the safe side take a few handfuls of the current gravel you have and place it in a piece of pantyhose and hang it in the tank for a week or so to help establish any bacteria you might have removed by changing substrate..... I have...
I change atleast 30% in my tanks weekly.....
As for checking temp during changes I use an extra digital thermometer to first check the tank I am doing a WC on then I take that reading and match it to the water I am adding with my Python. I figure by using the same thermometer to check both the...
A good way to transfer over gravel to another tank is to use the foot portion out of a pair of women's hose.... fill it with a few handfuls of gravel and hang it over the side for a few weeks to help transfer good bacteria over. Just be sure to use a new pair that hasnt been washed in any...
I too leave the large tube on my Python when I vac my sand....but the video does give everyone a general idea on how to do it. For the stubburn stuff that doesnt want to suck right up you can usually just wave the end of the tube alittle over that spot and the added water movement will usually...
Try taking it apart and cleaning the impeller ....sometimes gunk can build up around them and not want to start back when power comes back on ..... After 2 days your good bacteria might be pretty much gone that was built up in it unless it has stayed wet ...then you still should keep an eye out...
My bleeding hearts are the same way...run and hide if I even get close to the tank... When I am not close they pretty much just sit in one spot all the time...seems each one has a favorite spot in the tank they call thier own.
How are you seeding the filter each time for water changes? Looks like the nitrate levels in the water change tank would be high...and seems like it would be like me doing a water change but then turning around and putting the same water back in since I do them to reduce nitrate levels in my...
Yes.....You will want to continue adding ammonia to keep it in the 4-5ppm range until nitrites have finished spiking and you then see your nitrate spike... When it gets to a point to where you can dose ammonia to 4-5ppm and wait 24hrs and test and results come out to 0 ammonia , 0 nitrite and...
If you are doing daily water changes then you are replacing the water with tap water that already reads at 1ppm so it will probably continue too read at 1ppm plus you are doing a fishy cycle that is adding more ammonia to the ammonia that is already present in your tap water .... Try dosing with...