Hello

New to this and need a bit of advice please.

The filter that came with my tank had a small bag of activated carbon which sat on top of one of the sponges in the filter.It had a tag on it saying to remove bag after 3 weeks use. I did this and tank went all cloudy. I bought some stuff to clear it and since then it has been OK.

However nowhere in any instructions, or books can I see if I should replace the bag of carbon?

Should I buy another or will it be OK without it ?

Cheers
Mark.S

Hello slips and welcome to fishkeeping The site as well as the hobby If the bag in your filter was just a basic carbon bag then there is no need to replace it, but if you have to treat the tank for any reason then you can replace the carbon after the treatment is over to filter it out. What filter do you have as I will see what I can find out just incase.

Goldy

Thanks for reply.

The filter came as part of a starter kit 'Moby Dick' of all things made by a firm called SICCE. It has two sponges one larger blue one and a smaller white one then a 'bio wheel'. On the whole it works OK the only thing I struggle with is with the nitrite levels.

It clears ammonia no probs. Did have trouble with PH levels but that seems to have settled down now.

I used to keep fish in a tank when I was a youngster and there was none of this measuring various levels of Ammonia,nitrite,nitrate Etc. Now I have a garage like a chemistry lab.

Cheers
Mark.S

slips I know what you mean about testing, there wasn't anything about the nitrogen cycle when I was a youngster either that I knew of. Anyway can I ask you a few questions so that I will be better able to help you. How long has your tank been set up for, and how many fish do you have "what type" etc, also did you cycle it before you put the fish in the tank or is it still going through its cycle at present, as you mentioned you were having trouble with the nitrite I would suggest to just keep doing regular part water changes about 20-25% every couple of days with declorinated water and the levels should come down.
I am not familiar with the moby dick filter is this your set up as it doesn't tell us much Im afraid: http://www.notcutts.co.uk/garden/promos/md-cold-starter.htm

Goldy

Yes the picture is the tank we have 'Moby Dick' it is 15" x 8" x 8" and is 20L capacity I have no where near what they have shown in the photo in it though. Just a fake plant,a real plant and a luminous 'awful' bridge thing that the kids wanted for it.

The fish we have are an Orange Oranda (Nemo) and the other one I think is a fantail (Biff) (The kids chose the names by the way).

I cycled it for a week as per the shops instructions. But only added stress zyme and stress coat which came with the tank. (Did not add any food during this). The tank has been up and running for a month now (fish been in 3 weeks) and I have been testing it every day and have changed 20% of the water most days. Now started leaving it for a day or two between changes. Apart from white spot on one of them (treatment sorted this out)fish have been OK.

Both seem like a pair of hungry so and so's, either that or extremely friendly. Been feeding them twice a day (shop said a couple of times a week?) and twice a week have been giving them some Daphnia in a jelly from a sachet(only a drop from it not whole thing).

I appreciate your help.

Cheers
Mark.S

Have you read any of the previous coldwater posts on here slips as you will find lots of information already written that may be of help to you, Goldfish always appear hungry feeding twice a day is fine once the tank is fully cycled, but you may want to just feed them once a day for now until the nitrite levels settles down, which shouldn't be long now.

Goldy

Yes have read some of the threads. There is so much to try and remember though.

Tank seems to have finished cycling now. Nitrite,Ammonia and PH settled down nicely. Problem now is Nitrate it is getting up to 80-100ppm (think thats right PPM's that is) will this settle down as well. Am changing 20% of water daily at moment to try and get it down a bit. Understand 40 is acceptable.

Thanks for the help.

Mark.S

You say the Ammonia, Nitrite and Ph have settled down that's good, but what are your readings, Ammonia should be 0, nitrite 0, Nitrate under 50 but better under 25 so yours is very high, keep doing the water changes and remember to only feed once a day, and hopefully it should come down.

Goldy

Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 Nitrate not as high as previous but around 80 now. Will carry on with water changes.

Cheers
Mark

Hi,

You might want to test your tap water for Nitrate as well. Can be surprisingly high!

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