The Puffer Forum

Hi all
I understand that a fishless cycle is probably the safest way to go about getting the bacteria going in the filter...but unfortunately time is against me. I have 3 f8 puffers in a tiny tank (not my doing...I was given a tank with 3 in there from my boss's kids and they know nothing about f8's). I have got a bigger tank now - it's a 30g tank and I think it should be ok, even though I've been told 15g for first and an extra 10 per additional, but I cannot afford a bigger tank and this one is free from my brother in law for now.

I have just filled the new tank up with freshwater only and de-chlorinated it. There is crushed coral substrate and it's made the water really murky - will it settle after being filtered? and i'm worried it might be harmful to my fish, it's really really murky! I will be getting marine salt in the morning to make it brackish but my main concern is that the filter bacteria are probably long ago gone and now I'll need to get it going again. Is it a good idea to do a fishless cycle for a few days and leave the poor creatures in the tiny tank, or should I get them in the bigger tank asap and get it cycled while they're in there?

How often should I test the water if I put them in asap before the bacteria has grown? I really don't want them to get sick.

You can run the filter with some floss in it to get the water looking better. Guess you didnt wash the CC very well LOL.

If you move EVERYTHING from the smaller tank over to the bigger one you should be ok. Doing a bunch of water changes till you are fully cycled

xrayjeeper83 wrote:Doing a bunch of water changes till you are fully cycled

please excuse the noobishness.....but how does one know when they are fully cycled? I'm totally new to this.

and no...i didn't wash it ... didn't think I'd need to as it's not new and had water in it still from my bro-in-law

Keep testing your water with a good liquid test kit. Heavy daily waterchanges and everything from the smaller tank and you will get through this glitch free.

Move everything over like xray said. Do 50% water changes until you can get a test kit. When you get a test kit, post your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. You might be lucky,.the tank might be cycled,.but the water changes will be your insurance until you know.

Go get a FW(will work with low brackish) master test kit, should come with at least Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. Your Ammonia and Nitrites will spike then go to zero and you will show some nitrates. Im sorry someone will post a link up shortly for you.

Ya not washing the crushed coral will cause that milky, but running the filter with filter floss should help clean it up. Be sure to wash out the floss daily so it doesnt get clogged up

If it were me I wouldn't worry about salt right now. Do you have fish stores there that may have some cycled filter media to seed your new filter after the cloudiness is resolved?

JRC3 wrote:If it were me I wouldn't worry about salt right now. Do you have fish stores there that may have some cycled filter media to seed your new filter after the cloudiness is resolved?

I don't even know what that means! I'm such a noob! I also don't have a massive barrel or the muscles to cart around enough water for the new tank. *cry*

I went to the store today to get a few more things and the owner helped me with some things. He gave me this stuff..



I'm not even sure it was necessary, so call me a worry-wart :p
I'm sorry if the pics are too big :O

This bacteria might seed your tank but I doubt is't alive.

Everytime i cycle a tank i ask my LFS to squeeze a sponge filter into a bag most the time i get it for free but when i seed my tank with it it is cycled within a week or less i also let my bio media soak in it for a few hours befor i dump it in my tank. yes it will be murky but it goes away after a few hours of the filter running.