Three Questions

[NordicBruin91]

I have my basic plan set up and in motion - I have 3 basic questions.

1) What is the best process for a water change?
2) What exactly is a sponge filter? How does it work?
3) What kind of food should I feed them? Where do I get it/how do I make it?

[damba]

1) dechlorinated ro/mix water left to stand 24 hours and equalised where possible to a few degrees of tank water. Siphon water out - normally 25-50% then slowly add clean water.
2) a sponge filter is what it says a sponge that mechanically and biologically filters water. Normally operated by an air pump.
3) various. Discus mix, blood worm, tetra prima, new life. A varied high protein diet is best.
Hth
Tom


Cymru am byth. Rydw i'n mewn cichlids nhw hi'n drud iawn.

[Teshi]

1) for water changes I use straight tap water because my PH isn't more than 1pt off from aged and straight out of tap. I siphon with a Python hose and refill straight from tap after adding "Safe" to my tank.
2) http://www.jehmco.com/html/hydro-sponge_filters.html
3) I make a frozen beefheart mix.. Grind beef heart and mix in some ProGrowth fish flakes. They love it. I also feed FDBlackWorms. I also feed the flakes just plain and some tetra pellets. But I vacuum most of the flakes and pellets up after feeding. The fish LOVE the blackworms and Beef heart.

[aalbina]

I have my basic plan set up and in motion - I have 3 basic questions.

Most of these questions can be answered by searching the forum... but I'll write my thoughts...


1) What is the best process for a water change?
The best" process, in my opinion, is one that makes it easy to do. I say this - because if it's a pain in the A$$ then you won't do the water changes and your fish will suffer. My "best" process is an ageing barrel in the basement into which I have my well water running through a filter with an auto shutoff float valve. My pH rises by a full point (remember this means 10 times more basic as pH change is a logarithmic curve). In that barrel I have a clear water submersible pump. That output is attached to pvc plumbing that runs up to a spigot I installed in the basement doorway. I heat and aerate the storage water for a minimum of 24 hours. This ensures that as the CO2 gases off, and the pH rises to 7.8 or so - that it will match the pH of the water in my tanks. To get water out of the tanks I have a little utilitech self priming pump with a garden hose on the output and clear vinyl tubing on the intake. I throw the intake in the tank, flip on the pump, and clean the whole tank while I'm pumping out the old water. I do this on my 55 and my 30 every 2nd day. I remove about 70% of the water on the 55 (houses adults) and about 90% of the 30. I connect a white RV drinking water safe hose to the outlet at the top of the basement stairs, add appropriate measurement of Safe (a water conditioner) and use a remote power switch to turn on the storage barrel pump and refill the tanks. Whole process takes about 20-30 minutes.


2) What exactly is a sponge filter? How does it work?
This is a sponge filter:
http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/ati-hydro-sponge-filter-4.html

You assembly the filter just like the picture and attach a standard air pump to the uptake tube. As the air bubbles move up the tube it creates a vacuum that draws water through the sponge. It is a biological filter only. It will not remove detritus or feces or old food for the tank. Bacteria that is necessary for the conversion of deadly ammonia and deadly nitrite into the much less harmful nitrate - have much surface area in a sponge filter to grow and multiply.


3) What kind of food should I feed them? Where do I get it/how do I make it?
Some staple flake or pellet food along with a whole array of other supplemental choices. It depends on what you get. If you want to grow juveniles into adults then they need high protein foods and lots of them. Many use a beef heart based or seafood mix based homemade food. Search the forum for literally 100 recipes you can make yourself. I have found beef heart difficult to find in NH. Freeze dried blackworms are a high protien staple that I feed my fish and they literally attack it. I get them from Al - the owner of this forum at http://www.aquaticsuppliers.com/.

Hope that helps.

Adam

[NordicBruin91]

Most of these questions can be answered by searching the forum... but I'll write my thoughts...


The best" process, in my opinion, is one that makes it easy to do. I say this - because if it's a pain in the A$$ then you won't do the water changes and your fish will suffer. My "best" process is an ageing barrel in the basement into which I have my well water running through a filter with an auto shutoff float valve. My pH rises by a full point (remember this means 10 times more basic as pH change is a logarithmic curve). In that barrel I have a clear water submersible pump. That output is attached to pvc plumbing that runs up to a spigot I installed in the basement doorway. I heat and aerate the storage water for a minimum of 24 hours. This ensures that as the CO2 gases off, and the pH rises to 7.8 or so - that it will match the pH of the water in my tanks. To get water out of the tanks I have a little utilitech self priming pump with a garden hose on the output and clear vinyl tubing on the intake. I throw the intake in the tank, flip on the pump, and clean the whole tank while I'm pumping out the old water. I do this on my 55 and my 30 every 2nd day. I remove about 70% of the water on the 55 (houses adults) and about 90% of the 30. I connect a white RV drinking water safe hose to the outlet at the top of the basement stairs, add appropriate measurement of Safe (a water conditioner) and use a remote power switch to turn on the storage barrel pump and refill the tanks. Whole process takes about 20-30 minutes.


This is a sponge filter:
http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/ati-hydro-sponge-filter-4.html

You assembly the filter just like the picture and attach a standard air pump to the uptake tube. As the air bubbles move up the tube it creates a vacuum that draws water through the sponge. It is a biological filter only. It will not remove detritus or feces or old food for the tank. Bacteria that is necessary for the conversion of deadly ammonia and deadly nitrite into the much less harmful nitrate - have much surface area in a sponge filter to grow and multiply.


Some staple flake or pellet food along with a whole array of other supplemental choices. It depends on what you get. If you want to grow juveniles into adults then they need high protein foods and lots of them. Many use a beef heart based or seafood mix based homemade food. Search the forum for literally 100 recipes you can make yourself. I have found beef heart difficult to find in NH. Freeze dried blackworms are a high protien staple that I feed my fish and they literally attack it. I get them from Al - the owner of this forum at http://www.aquaticsuppliers.com/.

Hope that helps.

Adam
I searched but it's such an overwhelming amount of information I couldn't really process it.

Thanks for your answer. My tap water is good on hardness and PH, so I think I will treat it in a bucket before I do my water changes. Siphon old water directly into the sink.

[Eddie]

Just to add, if you want to make your own food, there are tons of recipes in the Food and Nutrition section.