Angelwhispers

I set up my new 29Gal tank just a couple of days ago. It has an undergravel filter with Carbon Canisters that sit at the top of the upright tubes. I don't have any fish in there because I read that I have to let the tank cycle before adding anything. So far I just have gravel and plants in there.

This morning though, I noticed that the water has gone a little on the cloudy side and it worries me a little bit. Is this normal during a tank cycle? Back when I had my tank a few years ago, I never had this issue, so I'm a little worried that I may have done something wrong.

clinton1621

Yep, thats perfectly normal... its a bacterial bloom which means your tank is cycling =)

Remember you need a test kit to confirm ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings to be able to see where you are in your cycle to know when its safe to finally add fish.... 0 PPM ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and 5 - 20 ppm nitrate means you are 100% cycled and ready for fish!

On a side note I would personally suggest getting at least a small hang on back filter.... undergravels are notoriously inefficient for proper waste removal so adding the hang on filter will help you avoid high nitrate problems down the road (along with good gravel cleanings and weekly 20 to 25% water changes, especially with an undergravel!)

Angelwhispers

Thanks for that info. I'm relieved.

I actually have 2 small readers that are on the inside of my tank that read for pH, and Ammonia. So far I have what's classed as "safe" ammonia levels, and the Ph is at 7.4. I'm not too sure how accurate those are though and the girl at Petsmart just said that if we found them to be inaccurate we could take them back.

I also intend to get a API Master Test kit at some point during this week so that I can keep an eye on my Nitrite and Nitrate levels, and it'll give me a chance also to see how accurate the little readers are.

clinton1621

No Problem

The little readers arent perfect but they are ok for simple screening to see if you have ammonia or not, I wouldnt trust it for an exact reading though... same with the pH, but its usually close enough on the pH that it works for a rough reading, maybe a plus or minus .1 -.2 difference which isnt bad at all

pepetj

Angelwhispers: Welcome to fishlore! it's nothing to worry about, perfectly normal as clinton says. What are you feeding your tank with?

One idea to add in case you add the HOB: if you can, reverse the flow so the undergravel system takes water from the powerhead, that way you will release debris that can be easily picked up by the HOB and aid the bottom-dwellers.

For a 29gal tank, (I have a 29gal bow, for Angelfish -six juveniles in them until a pair is formed, I will donate the other four when that happens, with eight Harlequin Rasboras and six Panda Corycats) I use AquaClear70 (350GPH) in order to meet the suggested guideline of 10 times the volume of the tank per hour (290GPH). It works wonderfully.

It cycled (fishless) in less than 2 weeks. What plants do you have/intend to have? I keep plants in all my tanks (keep nitrates down and look great).

Pepe
Santo Domingo

Angelwhispers

Clinton. Thanks. That's good to know about the readers.

Pepetj. Thanks also for your advice. In terms of plants that I have right now, I have some Hornswort, which I'm already regretting because it's shedding needles all over the tank, I have something that looks like corkscrew Vals, but it's not corkscrew (I forget the name) and some Cardamine.

Ideally, I'd like to replace to Hornswort with some Cabomba or some Ambulia, and I'd love to get a bit of driftwood with some Java Moss on it to create like a green carpet along the bottom, though that would make it a lil hard to syphon the gravel.