cycling

10 posts

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


bigduke45123
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:19 am

cycling

by bigduke45123

I just set up my 10 gal tank and put some plants in it and some drift wood but the last few days I have noticed a clear jelly looking film all over the bottom of the tank and on my plants and driftwood anyone have a clue to what it might be


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

Any chance you could snap some photos? Use flash if you have to, just take the picture from an angle so the flash won't shoot straight back into the lens from the glass.


bigduke45123
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:19 am

by bigduke45123

here is the best pic that I can get of it it looks like a clear slime and stringy
3743c-Picture.jpg


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

have you been over feeding?

or possibly some form of fungus due to poor water conditions

sometimes if you begin adding new plnats, driftwood (by the way, did you boil the driftwood), you introduce bacteria to the water column which can, in time, produce strange things like that there in you rpicture

is it all clumped together in one area of the tank? over feeding? how old is the tank in relation to any new live plants or driftwood added? did you boil the driftwood?


bigduke45123
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:19 am

by bigduke45123

the tank has just been set up I havent had any fish in it yet and havent had to feed yet. I stripped it all the way down again and did a 100% clean up job on it and cleaned the drift wood really good and right now it has been crystal clear for the last two days so hopefully it willl stay that way


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

in order to cycle you must have fish, that is, it is best you cycle the natural way with fish...you can cycle fishless with chemicals or get some gravel from someone who has built up good bacteria in it...but I frown upon this measure

you need to get 2 zebra danios who will begin the natural cycle. fish means poop and poop means ammonia and ammonia means nitrite and nitrite means nitrate and nitrate at 20 ppm, with ammonia and nitrite at 0 ppm means a cycled tank

but it is good to see you no longer have that film


bigduke45123
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:19 am

by bigduke45123

I know that cycling with fish is the best way to go but I have two other tanks that I took plants from along with some gravel and put in my little tank. I have been setting it up to raise crystal red shrimp so I have plenty of time to get it cylcled fishliess because I dont have all the money I need to buy the shrimp yet. I normally do like the fish cycle myself also but mainly just a planted tank at the moment until they take off and then will get the shrimp and by then it should be cycled


a70m1c
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:39 am

by a70m1c

could have been seepage from the driftwood. i have seen similar jelly stuff come from bamboo and wood that i was soaking in a bucket.


bigduke45123
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:19 am

by bigduke45123

That is what I think it was also was seepage from the driftwood. When I cleaned everything out I took the driftwood and cleaned it with a 1 part bleach and 10 parts water and then sprayed it down really good until I couldn't smell any bleach at all on it. Now the tank is crystal clear and smells pretty healthy also.


tomargir
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:18 pm

by tomargir

Actually cycling with fish is by far the worst way to go. Unless you don't bother torturing the fish. I wouldn't want to be swimming in a pool full of acid and the fish wouldn't want to swim in a tank full of ammonia either.
Fishless cycling is also more effective and gives you more opportunities with stocking (you can fully-stock immediately after the cycling is over for example). Cycling with fish isn't natural (in nature fish don't gather in ammonia pools!). It is just the old way to do things. This hobby has to evolve. So go fishless.

Now as far as your question is concerned. I had the same problem when i was cycling (fishless obviously). The white film should be gone before the cycle is over. So don't worry about it (for the time).

cycling

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