Plecolover12

Hi everyone! I went to the petstore and bought 4 plastic plants and some gravel with beneficial bactieria( it said so on the label). I added water, and I started up the filter. I am going to install the thermometer and the heater next. I will try to send a picture. Peace out!

Sophism

Nice, how are you going to cycle it? Can you get some established filter media or gravel from another tank? What fish are you going to put in it.

Dont forget to get yourself a liquid based test kit.

API makes a great one!
http://www.petsolutions.com/default....34&SID=FROOGLE

pinkfloydpuffer

Was the gravel wet? Otherwise the bacteria would be dead...

Congrats on getting that set up! Have you decided on stocking yet?

Lucy

What kind of beneficial bacteria did you buy?
Unfortunately most products that claim to cycle your tank contain bacteria that's not self sustaining and dies off quickly never allowing your tank to properly cycle.

soldieroffortune1974

Plecolover12 unfortunately,the bacteria in the gravel is terrestrial (land based) not aquatic (water based) and will die within 36 hours of being submerged.(under water) It wont do anything for your cycle.36 hours isn't enough time for the aquatic bacteria to develop.

You're still going to need to cycle that aquarium in the normal,fishless manner.

Plecolover12

I know. I added a chemical that kills off harmful stuff. Thanks for the help.

Steve113

What chemical did you add?
I wouldn't advise adding any chemicals to kill off anything when you are trying to establish bacteria in your tank...

Plecolover12

It is not a bad chemical. It is amquel plus. You will probably say it is the worst thing to add to the tank.

Red1313

ok, first what was this gravel you added? I'd be leary of trusting the bacteria.
second, amquel I believe is simply a decholoronator it doesn't "kill off" anything that i know of.
third are you planning to cycle this tank or are you trusting the bacteria.

good luck with this new tank!!!!

Steve113

Amquel is not a dechlorinator - I think it 'quels' ammonia
I don't know but I thibnk it may be like ammolock? or similar, if so then do not use it.

It will do no harm, but you need the ammonia in order to start the bacteria development.

If amquel gets rid of the ammonia then there will not be any for the bacteria to use.

EDIT: - I read that it does infact nutralise the heavy metals and chlorine/cloramines but also has an ammonia binding function like ammolock.
but I would not class it as a dechlorinatror as such...

Amquel will bind up the ammonia in an emergency situation, rendering the ammonia wastes non-toxic but it does not address the nitrites.
I see that it is commonly used as a quick fix in an emergency, or when an uncycled tank is needing to be detoxified quickly and as a temp solution.

It is also used when transporting fish as the waste ammonia will be detoxified.

Please Google the product for a full description of what it is for.

75galguy

Do you already have a fish tank established? If so take some of that gravel and some of its water and put it into your other tank. Wait about two weeks then put 2 high ammonia producing fish in there. Also make sure you use aqua-safe. It dechlorintaes your tank in seconds and it also helps with water changes and fish's slime coatings.Also a good thermometer is called "stealth" thermometer. Ive had mine for a little while and it doesnt let the temp of your water fluctuate no more then +.1 to -.1 of the set temp degree. Its a great product and really affordable

sirdarksol

As I've stated in another thread, AmQuel Plus is a quality dechlorinator, on par with Prime (which has a similar ammonia binder). SoldierofFortune says that he's seen a version of AmQuel Plus that claims to have "nitrifying agents" which should be avoided, but the stuff available locally does not have this. It's simply a dechlorinator that detoxifies heavy metals and your typical waste products, just as Prime does. It does not harm the cycle in any way. The ammonia and nitrite are still present for the bacteria to feed on, they're just in a form that is less toxic to the fish.

Plecolover12

Well, I think I can add it weekly and it will work like a water change.

Steve113

Ah I see, I stand corrected, although I simply checked the product on google and the few sites I found seemed to make reference to the product being used as described above.

Is this not the case?
Sure it dechloronates, but wouldn't it's use be similar to that in my previous post?

Plecolover12

I found a link on it and it says what it does. It is the same exact product. Here it is: http://www.fishsupply.com/amquelplus1.html.

Minnow

Adding Amquel weekly will NOT replace a water change. You should still do weekly water changes to vacuum up fish waste, and put Amquel in the water as a dechlorinator before adding the new water to your tank.

Plecolover12

I know that they cannot replace water changes and that they are meant to be used after water changes.

sirdarksol

Ah, I think I understand where the issue is coming from in this discussion. I may have misunderstood what the AmQuel was being used for.

I am referring to AmQuel being used as a dechlorinator. I only use the stuff when I'm doing water changes.

As Minnow said, AmQuel should not be used to replace water changes, because it's not actually removing anything from the tank. It makes the stuff less toxic, but "less toxic" does not mean "non-toxic." For that matter, even "non-toxic" doesn't mean it won't hurt fish given time.

The only way to safely avoid water changes is to find a way to actually remove nitrates from the tank (zeolite, one of the "mega nitrate-removing filters," or the Zero Water Change System(potentially), are the ways I can think of), and then only top the tank off with distilled, RO, or rain water. Otherwise, stuff will build up in your tank and will eventually become dangerous to the fish.

CHoffman

Not after a water change but with a water change. You need to add it to your water before you put water in your tank.

Steve113

PLecolover - Dechlorinators are to be used during your water change not after. it eliminates toxins in tap water making it safe for fish.

SDS, What is this Zeolite of which you speak?
if not here, could you tell me about it via pm?

* Sorry choffman, Seems as though I'm too slow to update (I am at work and often I get distracted and come back to my posts)

sirdarksol

Zeolite is a filter media that is similar to activated carbon, but is white, and absorbs nitrogen.
It needs to be changed frequently, and has the potential of making your tank "addicted" to it (if it absorbs all of the ammonia, and you then remove it from the tank, your nitrifying colonies will atrophy and die). I keep the stuff around for emergencies (I recently had a filter give out on me and put a cartridge of zeolite in the aquarium to keep ammonia levels down until I could get a new filter), but I don't use it to remove nitrate from my aquariums.
If used properly, and if a person is willing to pay money every week for something like this, it can be a useful tool, but I prefer more natural methods combined with water changes.

Plecolover12

Well, thank you for your time!

-Plecolover12

Minnow

Sorry, Plecolover, I misunderstood when you said, "it will work like a water change." I thought you meant that instead of doing a water change, you would add Amquel.

Steve113

^ Yep, that's how it came across.

Oh and thanks SDS, I might have to go have a look for some for "Emergencies" as you say .