Fish tank help please......??????

Question

My tank has finished cycling. How much water is it okay to take out without messing it up? And is it okay to move the gravel around? And should I change the filter cartridge.?

Answer 1

How did you cycle the tank, are there fish in the tank right now? The biggest source of bacteria is in the filter cartridge, so you should change it as little as possible. Alternatively, if you have a filter with other forms of biological media (like an aquaclear with a separate sponge and carbon bag, or a biowheel separate from the cartridge itself) then you should change the cartridge every two weeks to ensure maximum chemical filtration.

Try not to disturb the gravel too too much, and don't vacuum the gravel within a week of changing the filter cartridge if there is no separate biological filtration. Very little bacteria lives in the water itself (I've heard that they can't process waste while in the water, they need to be attached to something) so don't worry about that, but don't change too much outside of emergency situations to avoid shocking the fish. I'd go with a 50% as the most ever, stick with 25% every two weeks as a bare minimum. Best to find something in between there.

Answer 2

You can take out about 20-40 percent of the water and yes it is okay to move they gravel. You can take the filter cartridge and clean it with water for a few times until you throw change it. Remember to teat the water weekly too.And you can pick up a basic aquarium guide that has all the imformation you need at your local pet store

Hope i helped!

Answer 3

Take out about 20% water when cleaning, if in need of a serious clean or detox then 50% but no more than that.

You should move the gravel when cleaning, the dirt settles there. Get a siphon. Just taking out jugfuls of water does not take out much dirt.

I always rinse my filter sponge in tap water but some people prefer to wash it in old tank water. Do this only if it is fairly clean water.

Always remember to add water purifier to the new water!

Good luck!

Answer 4

First thing... DONT WORRY.

When you do your water change, roughly 20% every week is fine. Replace with de-chlorinated water. The bacteria should replenish and fill the tank up again - you shouldn't see too much clouding either.

When you use your gravel vac, the gravel WILL move around. Don't worry. Try not to move it around too much, but it won't create any problems regarding bacteria, balance, etc.

You don't need to change the filter cartridge. Just RINSE the sponges in USED AQUARIUM WATER from your weekly water change. As for the activated carbon, it should last a little longer without needing to be replaced.

And... that's about it.

Good luck