Hello Everyone,
Well my son Zach and I were successful in purchasing and gently adapting our White Cloud friends to their new home. I have been testing the water and I can maintain safe Nitrate Nitrite and ammonia levels so far with regular water changes.
My question now revolves around the filter, and feedings.
1. We have a powered Whisper in tank cartridge style filter. The front slide in section is charcoal and the back slide in piece is a filter media type material. I have been told that since we are still in the tank cycling process.."Do Not Change or clean the filter" I was also told to only rinse the charcoal portion about once every other month and change that piece just once a year! Beneficial bacteria etc??? The cartridge media part should be changed monthly according to the pet store, but others say to just rinse both it and the charcoal portion of the filter in aquarium water and re install it. Don't change either untill they are falling apart! I don't know which to do? Guidence once again would be welcomed from you professional here.
2. Now on to feeding. I have been feeding the (4) little White clouds only what can be consumed in 5 minutes or less every other day. The store says this is cruel and to feed them the same amount twice daily? They do seem to go crazy eating when I feed them every other day, as though we are starving them. Since they are so tiny, We crush up the flakes into real fine particles. Is this all ok or should we feed the larger flakes as they come from the container (Non crushed) twice a day as the store recommends?
I have more faith in this wonderful forum then I do in the kids in the pet store!
Thanks again everyone...We seem to be on the right track. We havn't lost any fish andd they seem to be pretty active and healthy so far.
Rick and Zach
Well my son Zach and I were successful in purchasing and gently adapting our White Cloud friends to their new home. I have been testing the water and I can maintain safe Nitrate Nitrite and ammonia levels so far with regular water changes.
My question now revolves around the filter, and feedings.
1. We have a powered Whisper in tank cartridge style filter. The front slide in section is charcoal and the back slide in piece is a filter media type material. I have been told that since we are still in the tank cycling process.."Do Not Change or clean the filter" I was also told to only rinse the charcoal portion about once every other month and change that piece just once a year! Beneficial bacteria etc??? The cartridge media part should be changed monthly according to the pet store, but others say to just rinse both it and the charcoal portion of the filter in aquarium water and re install it. Don't change either untill they are falling apart! I don't know which to do? Guidence once again would be welcomed from you professional here.
2. Now on to feeding. I have been feeding the (4) little White clouds only what can be consumed in 5 minutes or less every other day. The store says this is cruel and to feed them the same amount twice daily? They do seem to go crazy eating when I feed them every other day, as though we are starving them. Since they are so tiny, We crush up the flakes into real fine particles. Is this all ok or should we feed the larger flakes as they come from the container (Non crushed) twice a day as the store recommends?
I have more faith in this wonderful forum then I do in the kids in the pet store!
Thanks again everyone...We seem to be on the right track. We havn't lost any fish andd they seem to be pretty active and healthy so far.
Rick and Zach
