Filter changes

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by carpguy
...... .... If the gunk is starting to impede waterflow through your filter, then your filter isn't really functioning the way it's supposed to. This isn't what you want to have happen.
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You need to watch the filter and clean it before it starts clogging - as carpguy said..... Look for your filter 'floss' to get dirty. That may take 3 weeks, or 2 months; each aquarium is somewhat diffferent on this.. After awhile you will know when too much debris has accumulated.

 

[anonapersona]

Originally posted by momopoms
I have a 29g.....[snip].... has been up a month, am having a rise in nitrites, up to 4.0 daily and necessitating daily large volume water changes to get nitrites down to less than 0.25. This tank has 22 fish, two of which are large goldfish. Also in residence, 3 pink gouramis, 4 cory cats, 10 bloodfin tetras, one bala shark, two clown loaches.

Cyclling a tank with 22 fish in 29 gallons? and two of the fish are large goldfish?? Amazing they aren't all sick and dying yet.

Get the goldfish their own tank, the two of them will need about 40 gallons at maturity, but 29 gallons for the two of them would be sufficent now, as long as there are no other fish in the tank, none, nada, zip, no cats in particular.

You probably need another tank for some of the others, too, but it can probably wait.

 

[momopoms]

thanks

Ok, I already knew that 22 was too many, but there was a reason I had them all in this tank, so I will share it.

I purchased a used but cracked tank, I had no idea it was going to leak, and had just purchased the fish, so had to put them somewhere, the bucket I put them in while trying to repair the tank was, to me, too much to endure for the time it would take to fix the tank, turned out wouldn't be repaired, so tried to locate a specialist, but being in the boondocks here, no specialist, and actually I sent my daughter on her day off to a glass repair place that said (over the phone) that they could repair it, but after she dropped it off, got a phone call that they cannot, and will not take responsibility for repairing it, so another trip of 100 miles wasted.

The fish are where they are because I cannot return them, and didn't want to have them in a bucket while waiting for the time when I could purchase another tank for them.

Nuff said, any way, I, being a newbie did not know that those cute goldfish would be poop engines, and when I can, they will be the sole inhabitants of another tank. The cats, are peaceful, and so far, my fish are doing ok, I check the levels of ammonia and nitrites daily, and change water nearly every day.