[IanES]

I saw on this forum some old threads discussing the OF Hydra30 filter.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=242062

I didn't want to pop that old thread back to the top - but I think I have a question that I couldn't see answered on that thread.

There was a chap defending the Hydra30 by saying it removed Ammonia so prevented Nitrite.
My question - Is he suggesting that the filter only removes ammonia and therefore prevents nitrite by simply breaking the natural cycle. Or does the filter also remove Nitrite if nitrite was present. (The label on the box says "Detoxifies ammonia and nitrites)

I do accept that there is no substitute for a properly cycled tank so I don't want to avoid the cycle altogether but I find myself in the unenviable position of having a new tank with fish and I've been juggling ammonia for the last month. But now hit a nitrite spike. 50% water change yesterday and today but still too far above zero for comfort. (1 (one) on the teststrip scale). I have a water additive, probably based on salt, that supposedly prevents the fish taking up the nitrite but I'd rather just get the nitrite down.

I was wondering - would a Hydra filter get the Nitrite down (or does it only remove ammonia as that chap said) in which case the nitrite would still be there waiting, hopefully, for the budding bacteria colony to kick in.

I was wondering if I ran the hydra for, say, 12 hours a day and then switched it off for the other 12 then maybe there'd still be low level nitrite to continue building up the bacteria colony to manage the nitrite naturally.

Basically I want a natural cycle even if it takes longer than usual and was thinking that I could prevent dangerous spikes with ever decreasing use of the Hydra filter?

Sorry. I hope I'm making sense.

Thanks
Ian

 

[Deeda]

Welcome to C-F, Ian!!!

That thread you linked to was old and never did fully answer questions posed by some members here so I wouldn't rely on using any unit to accomplish what you want quickly.

Since you have fish in the tank, the best option is to continue with daily water changes to keep any ammonia and nitrite as low as possible to avoid harming the fish.

Some people do use Seachem Prime water conditioner to temporarily bind ammonia and nitrite to make it less harmful to fish but yet still make it available to the beneficial bacteria.

Another option is to use a bottled bacteria product such as Start Smart Complete or Dr. Tim's One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria when cycling with fish.

Finally, see if your local fish store can temporarily hold your fish for you until your tank is fully cycled.

You can also check out the link in my signature to the Fishless Cycling from the C-F Library as it should answer some questions on what to do if the tank is not finished cycling and you already have fish in the tank.

Keep us posted with your progress and any other questions you may have.

 

[zimmy]

+1 to what Deeda said, especially regarding daily water changes and the use of certain water conditioners. I would use Seachem Safe instead of Prime as it's much cheaper. You basically double the usual dose to neutralize ammonia and nitrites.

I have not found much benefit to using bottled bacteria products but YMMV. What does work, if you can get it is some biomedia from a cycled tank. If you know anyone with a fish tank and they're willing to give you some decorations from their tank or, even better, a bit of biomedia from their filter, it will jump start your cycle. I once completed a fishless cycle of a 120G in about 5 days after squeezing the sponge filter from a cycled 10G by the filter intake of the new tank and then running that same sponge filter in the new tank for several weeks.

 

[Ronzo]

I once took the removable filter pack of the secondary Whisper 2 HOB from a cycled 55G (leaving the primary Emperor 400 untouched), and transferred it to a 20G that I needed to set up quickly for a batch of juvenile Jewel Cichlids I had been given...I figured it "instantly" made a brand newly setup tank (everything sterile, and new water...but now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I "seeded" the water with maybe 25% from the 55G also) suitable with a working bio-cycle, and the Jewels did fine...am I kidding myself, or was that a good way to proceed??

 

[nodima]

I once took the removable filter pack of the secondary Whisper 2 HOB from a cycled 55G (leaving the primary Emperor 400 untouched), and transferred it to a 20G that I needed to set up quickly for a batch of juvenile Jewel Cichlids I had been given...I figured it "instantly" made a brand newly setup tank (everything sterile, and new water...but now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I "seeded" the water with maybe 25% from the 55G also) suitable with a working bio-cycle, and the Jewels did fine...am I kidding myself, or was that a good way to proceed??

That is similar to what I've done in the past to set up a new tank. Most folks will say that there is little or no benefit to moving aquarium water over from a cycling perspective. I've jump-started many tanks by taking media from an established filter and putting into an otherwise brand new uncycled tank with great success. Key is not to overload the amount of media added to the new tank. In your case with a whisper cartridge, it is scaled about right to a 20 with fry. I'd suggest that it would not be sufficient for another 55 on it's own, unless there was a really small bio load.

In my sumps, there are nylon stockings containing bio media above and beyond what is needed for that tank, so that if/when I need extra, I have it on hand. This has happened when dealing with unexpected fry, a great deal at an auction, or need to set up hospital tank.