Just Being Carefull

[chris]

Hello I really wont to get my Turq pair in my breeding tank ASAP.
My breeding tank consists of A sponge filter put in on Sunday that just past. An internal fluval filter thats been working for 5 months.
2 discus one recovered from hex.
I wont to get them out ASAP.
The sick one has been in there for 3 days, she stayed with a friend for 11 days when I was in bali.
Shes been treated for HEX and wormed.
showing no signs of Illness, she actually turned a bit angry.
Gravel bottom
sides covered.
Breeding cone.

Ideally I wont 2 two discus out, the gravel and the internal filter.
my questions are how long before I can take out that fluval filter, the gravel and the fish.
Any opinions welcome :?:
I have a hex shaped tank that needs a bit of work. I need to cut the legs down. It was my Dads old Tank he raised it and it become unsafe.
By a heater and buy some plastic sides for it.
So It might take me a bit of time to get going.

[Merrilyn]

Chris, wondering if it might be just as easy to remove everything, gravel, fluval and fish, and do a full fishless cycle on that tank.

Just make sure you leave some of the used filter medium in the tank to kick start the bio cycle, and you should be done in 10 days.

[chris]

Ive never done a fishless cycle, not sure on them :!:
I think I might put the two discus in my comunity tank on the weekend then put the pair in on next wednesday.
Take all the gravel out on weekend, leave The fluval in till wednesday.
Check levels frequently after that, and before.

[Dave76]

I'd be taking the gravel out before adding any fish as a lot of muck is likely to be stirred up & floating around which may stress the fish.

Dave

[leanne31]

If it was me Chris id put the sponge filter in your community for a couple of weeks so it gets nice and full of the good bacteria id strip down the tank you want the pair in gravel and everything out then refill it with half tank water half aged water add the cycled sponge then you should be fine for the fish.

Leanne

[Kaza]

WHY are you taking the fluval out I have them in all my breeding tanks and have had no problems. I turn the filter down when the eggs are being laid and then again when the fry become free swimming for the first week. I dont really understand why people want to use sponge filters apart from cost. If you use a good canister filter with a tap or something to turn the filter down what is the problem. I also use a prefilter made out of filter floss to stop babies being sucked up.

[chris]

The Fluval filter in the tank im talking about is an internal filter not a Canister.
I liked your idea leanne but, ive got a sponge filter in my breeding tank its been there since Sunday just gone, my plan is to get rid of the gravel and the discus in that tank back into my community tank on the weekend.
And get rid of that internal fluval filter(its not a canister) in the breeding tank that been going for about 5 months. Leave the sponge filter only.
How long should I leave both filters going :?:
Does bacteria continue to grow if there is no fish in the tank but everything else is correct like temp Ph amonia Nitrates etc :?:
I do own a fluval canister 204 this filter has been going for probably 15 month in total, this filter will probably go in my 3 foot hex tank if I have success with my turq pair.

[Merrilyn]

Bacteria will only grow in the presence of food in the form of ammonia, either produced by fish in the tank, or by your adding liquid ammonia to the tank daily.

Without food, your bacteria colony will begin dying within a matter of days.

[chris]

Thanks for the info Merillyn

Ive got one goldfish which ive had in this tank when all the fish have been healthy I was thinking of putting him in after taking out the gravel out and the fish this weekend. And run one single golfish for a week. Then put the pair in, and take out the other filter.
Is this not enough amonia :?:
Where to you get liquid amonia from :?:

[goldenpigeon]

you can buy it from any grocery store... i think it is used as a cleening agent?

[Merrilyn]

One goldfish will not provide a lot of ammonia unless you feed him really heavily.

If you want to use the liquid ammonia, it can be purchased in most supermarkets. Make sure you get the cheap one, without any detergent in it.

Give the bottle a shake. If there are foam bubbles on the top, don't buy it. The pure stuff does not have bubbles.

Toss in about 5 mls per day to keep the bacteria in the filter growing. The day you want to add the fish, do a big water change, and don't add any liquid ammonia. The fish will be providing the ammonia now to feed the bacteria.

[Kaza]

Sorry Chris I didnt notice it was internal,
I would leave the tank as is, your breeding pair with a bit of luck will take a couple of weeks to settle, giving the sponge more time to grow bacteria. The gravel will give you extra bacteria, I woould put the fish in and then after a week, using a wide tube suck a bit out every few days (that way it doesnt cloud the tank or upset the balance).
Add a couple of ammino balls for peace of mind.

[leanne31]

Chris if you find a place that sells the liquid ammonia can you let me know as Ive searched high and low around our area and cant find any

Leanne

[leanne31]

Oh and I got confused about your filter as well Im sure you said in one of your other posts that you wanted to run the canister in your breeding tank my mistake as thats what I told Karen you wanted to do when I asked her about her intake bags.

Leanne

[chris]

Yes Leanne your right I do have a canister fluval at home in my community tank thats been running for over 8 mths now. And I was going to use this in my 3 foot hex tank, but now I might use my quarentine tank for the pair. Which has a fluval internal filter. So I wont to take out the fluval internal and leave my Sponge filter which has been in there for about a week now.

[chris]

These pics will clear it up :!:

[madaboutfish]

Hi ,

When i first started to breed my discus, it was done in a tank with gravel and I had a fair proportion of them wriggling into the gravel and dying there as they did not seem to be able to find their way out. Now I only breed in bare tanks. I am not sure if others had encountered the same problems. Has anyone succeeded in breeding without losing any fry to the substrate?

Nick

[DR.V]

watch those golf ball ?? fall into the tank :P
those balls look cute hehe ^^

[leanne31]

Ok if your going to use that for your breeding tank you will have to get rid of that filter Id say and also the gravel and you'll also have to change your background to a plain blue one the babies will get attracted to anything that is dark and they might not attach to their parents properly and you will want to get the maximum fry that you can get from your spawns.

Leanne