Water problem

a ugf uses the gravel as a biofilter..so you could very well have more nitrates build up.
you should vac the gravel in a ugf every water change.
keep an eye on the nitrates ..most ugfs with powerheads work well I have a 55 with two powerheads on a ugf..I do approx 2 30-40% wc per week on it..on a bad week I do a 50% wc 1x

I also have a HOB to capture solids
 
AndrewMack said:
how do I drop nitrites and nitrates if they go up?
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water changes, water changes, water changes. It's much safer and more effective than relying on chemical means like pads that claim to absorb nitrogenous compuonds.
 
I seems to have a little confusion about water changes whenever there's problem.

Let's say PH low problem.
Every water change will affect the PH if the new water PH is higher, then if the cause of low PH is not identified, I will have the PH drop again.
In that case I would not have a stable PH in my tank.

Is there any guideline like a response flow chart to check what's the water problem or how to identified the cause?
I know water change is the fastest method to do whenever there's problem, but the thing is that it keep repeating :sad:
 
AndrewMack said:
Ok so if I got another filter like a Jebo Canister filter would that help? how do I drop nitrites and nitrates if they go up?
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Once the tank is cycled, you won't have to worry about Nitrites going up. They won't, unless you do something that damages the bacteria in the biofilter.

Again, once the tank is cycled, Nitrates will be on a steady climb. This is controlled with water changes, as Nitrate is the final stage of the Nitrogen cycle.

A canister filter would be far more effective than even a powered UGF, especially with Jack Dempseys... They tend to be rather messy...

Hoping not to have a problem
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Not to sound pessimistic... hope for the best but expect the worst... Depending on tank size and number of fish, that sounds like a combination I'd rather not try...
 
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oops, forgot to add....

See what you can do about returning the pH chemicals, they're a disaster in a bottle.

Also, depending on where you got your stuff, you may even be able to return the test strips - some places like PetSmart have a very liberal return policy. If they ballk at this, let them know you want to exchange it for something, that often makes a diference.
 
just an FYI, there is a final process in the nitrogen cycle..de-nitrification..anaerobic bacteria reduce nitrates to nitrogen gas.

but for freshwater aquaria we are mostly concerned with the first 3 phases. :)
 
True. In fact, I even considered building a DIY de-nitrification system, but it has some potential drawbacks in the form of byproducts that I didn't like.

But since that is well beyond the scope of most casual hobbyists, I never mention it.

I think I'll stick to water changes. And plants.
 
well I added 4 big gold fish to the tank today and so far so good. If they make it about 4-5 more days Ill go buy my first cichlid... Is aqaurium salt required for having cichlids. The pet store was trying to sell me a big box for like 25 bucks and i didnt want to buy it if it was a scam. Its not normal salt like Instant Ocean. It says Aqua salt
 
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