help answer my ?'s please!!

[ma2pac105]

im kinda new to fish tanks .i just bought a new 55 gallon tank with all the rocks an decerations and i have had problems and i need some ?'s answerd please. i have 10 fish i have 3 koi 3 that i dont know the name of i think concil or something 2irridescent sharks i plan to get rid of, a big fancy goldfish and a red cap oreanda.

1.after the cycleing os done and i change my filter pads do i cycle again.
2.how fast do the koi and sharks grow
3.how do i maintain the tank
4.can i speed up the cycle time
5.can i add plecos algea eaters
6.what do i do about cloudy water.
7.any tips
8.where do i put my filter(middle side)how long should the tube be(should it touch the bottom)
9.what do air stones do
10.i cleand the filter out and rinsed it with clean water IS THIS BAD?

i plan on putting the koi in a pond when they grow a little


pleas help Thanks in advance!

[t_chelle16]

Can you post pictures of your mystery fish? How big are all the fish and how long has the tank been set up?

1) Once the tank is cycled (which idealy you should have done before adding any fish), you shouldn't have to replace the filter cartridges; just rinse them out occasionally. But if you do replace them, then yes, the tank will have to re-cycle because you threw out all your beneficial bacteria.

2) I believe they both grow somewhat quickly. Really, if you don't have concrete plans for housing them when they get bigger, then you should get rid of them now. It is very difficult to find new homes for large fish. Especialy large fish that will get HUGE. As long as your pond is at least 1000 gallons, the koi should be fine, but the iridescent sharks will need a heated aquarium of a couple thousand gallons (they sholdn't even be sold in the first place because who has 2000 gallon aquariums?). If you can still return them to the store, I'd do that ASAP.

3) You need to buy test kits for ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte (get liquid tests, not the strips). Since I'm guessing you didn't cycle the tank before adding fish, you're going to need to do those 3 tests every day. Any time the readings get over 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrIte, and 20ppm nitrAte, you need to do a water change.
I also recommend you read this article on the nitrogen cycle:
http://flippersandfins.net/Cycling.htm
And this article on goldfish care:
http://flippersandfins.net/goldfishcaresheet.htm

4) If you can get some media from an established fiter that should help speed things up. You could also try to find some Biospira (I don't recommend any of the other "bacteria-in-a-bottle" products, just Biospira. And even then the Biospira will only work if it's been properly handled and refrigerated so it's not 100% guaranteed either).

5) I wouldn't add anything until you get rid of at least the iridescent sharks. And really plecos don't make good tankmates for goldfish because a) they are not coldwater fish so they need warmer temperatures and b) they have a tendency to s**k on goldfish and can cause ulcers.

6) The cloudy water is likely bacteria bloom because the tank isn't done cycling. Do the ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte tests that I mentioned earlier and post the results here. In the mean time, I'd start doing 25% - 35% water changes every day because it's highly likely your ammonia and nitrIte are going to be too high.

It really doesn't matter too much if it's to the side or in the middle. For the intake, if you have gravel, I'd have the bottom of it about 6" above the gravel. If you have sand, I'd have it 9" - 10" above the sand. Also, What kind of filter is it? If that's the filter that came with the 55 gallon kit, it's likely not big enough (for little tropicals, yes, but goldfish are big and messy so you'll probably need more filtration).

9) Generally, airstones/bubble walls are just for looks. They can run undergravel filters but those really aren't very efficient filters and I don't recommend them. And they also agitate the surface to help oxygenate the water, but most times the filter agitates it enough.

10) Most people say to avoid rinsing the filter media in tap water because of the chlorine. But I've also had a microbiologist tell me that there isn't really enough chlorine in tap water to kill the bacteria. In the future, to avoid any possible problems, I'd just rinse it tank water (just put some in a bucket when you do a water change and rinse the media in that).

-Chelle

[ma2pac105]

thanks for the info chelle i cant get pictures right nowbut i have had the tank set up for 6 days
i was also wondering why they sell filters in large pacages and if i can replace the carbon inside

its a whisper 60


thanks again

[t_chelle16]

Carbon isn't really necessary unless you're trying to remove meds (I haven't used carbon in well over a year). But if you want to replace it, then yes, you can, but I wouldn't do that until the tank is done cycling. Then you will need to replace it every few weeks because activated carbon loses it's effectiveness after a few weeks.

Personally, what I do in my HOB filters is buy a sheet of pond filter media (just a big piece of coarse sponge), cut pieces that will fit in my filters, and just use that. I have 2 coarse sponges in each filter.

And definitely get those test kits soon.

-Chelle