tolga
04-21-2013, 06:55 AM
Hi
I have just completed my fishless cycle for my wild heckel tank. Ammonia and nitrites are zero. Nitrate is around 15. My ph is 6.8 and my hardness is around 90 micro Siemens. My problem is tiny white flee like creatures floating in the main tank. They can sometimes be seen on the glass and on the driftwood. They also float and make flee like movements in the water column. I was hoping that they would disappear of their own accord, in the absence of any food. Their numbers have not reached enormous proportions but they are not disappearing. I have installed eheim's new UV steriliser in the hope of zapping some of them but it hasn't solved the problem although it has made my water much clearer. I am planning to set up a purigen reactor today in the hope of tackling some of the remaining dissolved organics as there are some rotting plant bits from the early stages of my cycle when the floating water lettuce lost some of its roots. I also thought that purigen would assist in keeping redox values high once the discus are in and the feeding begins.
My question is this: I have been told that these Copepods are harmless and I certainly want them in my sump to help breakdown stuff. But will my heckel be alright? Can I add them to the tank with the Copepods? I don't want these tiny creatures cover the skin of my discus at night. I'm also not in a position to add any cardinals or corries to snap up these creatures as quaranteening these extra fish would require another month and my supplier has already kept my heckel for more then three months and I would ideally like to take the heckel from him sooner rather then later. Should I add the discus as water parameter appear to be perfect in every other respect? I'm on a drip system ( approximately 30 percent straight RO water added everyday with added trace elements and a little bag of crushed coral for the time being)
Thank you for any advice.
Tolga
I have just completed my fishless cycle for my wild heckel tank. Ammonia and nitrites are zero. Nitrate is around 15. My ph is 6.8 and my hardness is around 90 micro Siemens. My problem is tiny white flee like creatures floating in the main tank. They can sometimes be seen on the glass and on the driftwood. They also float and make flee like movements in the water column. I was hoping that they would disappear of their own accord, in the absence of any food. Their numbers have not reached enormous proportions but they are not disappearing. I have installed eheim's new UV steriliser in the hope of zapping some of them but it hasn't solved the problem although it has made my water much clearer. I am planning to set up a purigen reactor today in the hope of tackling some of the remaining dissolved organics as there are some rotting plant bits from the early stages of my cycle when the floating water lettuce lost some of its roots. I also thought that purigen would assist in keeping redox values high once the discus are in and the feeding begins.
My question is this: I have been told that these Copepods are harmless and I certainly want them in my sump to help breakdown stuff. But will my heckel be alright? Can I add them to the tank with the Copepods? I don't want these tiny creatures cover the skin of my discus at night. I'm also not in a position to add any cardinals or corries to snap up these creatures as quaranteening these extra fish would require another month and my supplier has already kept my heckel for more then three months and I would ideally like to take the heckel from him sooner rather then later. Should I add the discus as water parameter appear to be perfect in every other respect? I'm on a drip system ( approximately 30 percent straight RO water added everyday with added trace elements and a little bag of crushed coral for the time being)
Thank you for any advice.
Tolga