Susi Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 Hi everyone I need your help once more! We have set up our new tank (180l) 17 days ago. We have got a Via Aqua 230 external filter and 2 undergravel filters. At the moment we stock 10 neons, 1 Otto, 3 platys, 2 mollys and 2 albino corys. I was moving some plants the other day and there was all that rubbish in the gravel... The plants and rocks also show some sign of brown algae. When are we suppossed to do our first waterchange or gravel clean? And how bad is it if direct sunlights shines on the tank? It only happens in the late afternoon for about 30 min - at the most. Thank you for all your help, Susi PS: I always thought fishtanks are boring... now I think they are an addiction! I can't stop buying stuff for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 Well control yourself and don't buy any more fish! You will stock too quickly for the filters to keep up. Your water change and gravel clean are done at the same time by using a siphon to clean the muck off the gravel as it takes water from the tank. Do a 20% water change now (or at the weekend, I don't mean - immediately) and do this every 2 weeks. Some suggest 10% every week but both are fine. The brown algae is normal in a new tank and it should go away once the plants start to grow and use the nutrients being produced by the fish. At this time of year, 30 minutes of sun shouldn't hurt but it may tend to make the glass go green with algae where the light hits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 I'd reccommend 25% every week, especially when the tank is cycling. And while the tank is cycling you should keep an eye on the ammonia and do water changes if it starts to get a bit high. I do 50% every week myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 I would look at doing no less than 20% every week given you stocking levels. The trick at the moment is everything is alive so you think there isn't a problem, but what happens is the cycling process take a bit of time, and its expodential. So you may not have issues with your stocking level now, but in a month time you may start to pay for your earily stocking. Water changes will help smooth this out, but the key is frequency at the moment. Once the tank settles you can do fewer water changes, but its reccomended you do as many as you can as often as you can. There is never a bad time to do a water change. Good luck. Pies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susi Posted July 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 Thanks for all your help. I'll go out today and buy all the stuff I'll need for a waterchange. I didn't know that we have to do one so soon, one lady in a shop told us we shouln'd do one for about 4 weeks after we've set up our tank... i wonder why she said that. Thanx again, Susi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 So she could sell you some more fish, after those ones you have, have died. Cunning eh?? Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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