OK first things first.
The lady was very wrong you only need to clean your filter sponges if a. they are VERY DIRTY or b. your filter output slows or it is not preforming as well as you want it too (which would indicate it's clogged up with gunk it has filtered out bring us back to scenario a. ) either way give it a
gentle shake, you don't want to dislodge the bacteria any more than is necessary in the process, in a bucket of tank water, pick out any big bits you can see and put it all back together. Be prepared for it to blow a little brown muck into the water when you start it back up. It's not a problem and will quickly clear.
DO NOT let the sponge dry out you will kill your filter and will more than likely have to cycle all over again.
It's unfortunate that they don't keep their staff better informed but it sometimes happens that sales people feed the unsuspecting buyer and potential newbie false information (not knowing any better) that can have some catastrophic consequences. Most of us assume that if they work in an aquarium store then the know what they are on about
Where you are now....
Turn your filter ON if you haven't already it will keep any bacteria that managed to hang in there alive AND will help to clear the sand particles (cloudieness) from the water faster.
Having removed the gravel and cleaned the filter your tank WILL be cycling again. Hopefully you haven't scrubbed the glass or anything else inside the tank so there will still be a little bacteria in there to kick you off again.
Cycling can be confusing and hard to get your head around as you have discovered mostly because there are 2 things you need to get a grip of.
The first is fairly simple ~ What is the nitrogen cycle? Big name for a simple process :happy:
Here it is
Axolotls produce waste and waste, rotting plants and decaying food all equal
Ammonia.
Here starts the cycle! Here it is as simply as I can
Ammonia is turned to Nitrite which is then turned into Nitrate.
There you go, that's it, in all it's simplistic glory
So
Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
or if you prefer
Very toxic > Less toxic > a little toxic
All of this is done by the bacteria living on the surface of everything in your tank but especially in your FILTER :happy: The Nitrate is then removed by your water changes and small amounts of it will also be used by your plants for food.
Which brings us to the actual cycling :happy: and thing # 2 that you need to get your head at least partially around
I know it's long and complicated but I've made it as simple as I can.
Cycling is what we call process that happens while all the bacteria you will need to keep Gem's water healthy sets itself up and gets settled in your filter to the point where the ammonia is being consumed at the same rate or faster then it is being produced and Nitrite is being consumed at the same rate or faster than it is being produced.
There are 2 types of bacteria in the filter when all this is finished. One that eats the Ammonia and excretes Nitrite and another that eats Nitrite and excretes Nitrate.
That's it. Personally I think it is poorly named.. Cycling your tank
you're cycling your filter, it's ALL about the filter.
OK so How do you do it?
Over the next few weeks you will be growing both lots of bacteria.
Each day test your water for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. You don't really need the nitrate at the start but it's good to have it should it do anything funny on you so ignore the result until later in Phase 2
What you're looking for are the 3 Phases of cycling to run their course.
There is no set time frame for how long this will take however it's generally anywhere from about 2 weeks to 2 months but it's usually faster if you already have a little bacteria hanging around your tank as you do now. So you're doing more of a mini cycle... we hope
As you have some of both bacteria already (hopefully) you will probably see small amounts of nitrite and nitrate as you go but you shouldn't see great fluctuations in either until the end of phase 1 (for nitrite) and the end of phase 2 (for Nitrate)
Well that's all well and good but how do I do it and what am I looking for?
First you'll need an ammonia source and Gem's fridge water is an excellent place to start (thank you Jacquie). Just tip it into the tank each day when you do her water changes. Removing a little water as needed to make room of course, we cant have soggy carpet and wet floors now, they are a health and safety risk
Phase 1 ~ The Ammonia eaters move in and multiply
What your tests will show;
Ammonia ~ Rises steadily to a peak before starting to drop back down.
Nitrite ~ will be 0 or at least remain steady and will begin to rise as the ammonia levels drop
Nitrate ~ will be 0 or at least remain steady with no real increase or decrease except after water changes.
You may find you tank goes a little cloudy for a couple of days during this phase, don't worry about it, it's completely normal and will clear on it's own
Phase 2 ~ The Nitrite eaters move in and multiply
What your tests will show;
Ammonia ~ Will continue to drop and will then remain at zero
Nitrite ~ Will continue to rise to a peak before starting to drop back down to zero
Nitrate ~ will be 0 or at least remain steady until the Nitrite begins to drop at which point it will begin to rise.
Phase 3 ~ A fully cycled tank
What your tests will show;
Ammonia ~ 0
Nitrite ~ 0
Nitrate ~ rising slowly
NOTE: if at any time while cycling you get ANY of the following readings do a 20% water change to bring the numbers down!
Ammonia ~ 0.8 or higher
Nitrite ~ 0.5 or higher
Nitrate ~ 40 or higher
If you have Gem or anything else living in the tank you will need to change some water if you get any of these levels at any time.
Ammonia ~ 0.5 or higher
Nitrite ~ 0.3 or higher
Nitrate ~ 35 or higher
