Changing initial filter cartridge

[Kash]

Hi everyone! I went through some of the different set up posts with regards to setting up a FOWLR tank.. Nonetheless I still have one question.. I was hoping someone could help me with.

My tank is about 1 month old, and has one blue damsel and one false clown fish, which are both doing quite well. Eating and going about quite healthy. I know that I didn't follow protocol quite well, with regards to putting in the two fish early, but water parameters indicated to me that a good cycle had taken place. At any rate, I guess I overlooked something, that I know about at least.

I was running tests on my water, and I took a look at the main filter cartridge, not the biofilter, and noticed thats it has turned a sort of brownish color, algae..etc I assume. Should I change the cartridge already or wait a little longer? Since the tank is not so established and quite new. Though I was advised to change the filter cartridge every 2-3 weeks.

[charlie]

I would lose the cartridge and let your live rock do that work for you. Are you running a protein skimmer?
A little more info about your system would help also, OK?

[Kash]

Thanks for the input. Let's see, my tank:

-40 gallon (long rectangular)

-Regular power filter

-1 powerhead

-1 water heater

-Not enough live rock yet, but it has maybe 15-20lbs or a little less of live rock int

-Live sand substrate

Cleaning crew
-2 blue feet crabs

-2 nassarious snails

Live stock proper
-1 false clown fish

-1 blue damsel

Ammonia was at, I believe, "0.025"

Nitrite was 0.1

And it appears to be the case that my Nitrates are .0

I don't have a protein skimmer, I'm going to save up for one and get one really soon. I wish I could afford one already. Let me know if any other parameters or factors of the aquarium might need to be taken into account for this question.

[charlie]

OK, first off, if you still have ammonia and nitrites, your tank is not done cycling yet, and the critters that you do have are in danger. If you are going to be adding more rock, I would try to find a home for what you have until your tank is totally ready, which may be another 4-6 weeks. Slow down a bit, there is no need to hurry anything, especially with a tank this new. Take that time to do a bunch of reading and research into what you really want to do with this tank.
Start here:

Click here before you ask, (links to answers)

There is a ton of info there!!!

[Kash]

You're suggesting that I find a temporary home for all my critters for the next 4-6 weeks?

[charlie]

Your tank isn't done cycling yet, and if you add more rock, now or later, it is going to continue to cycle, so yes, that is what I am suggesting. I don't know if your LFS told you that it would be OK to add these critters, but whoever told you was definitely wrong.

[Kash]

I read that these fish might help the tank cycle.

[charlie]

That is fine, but look at your ammonia and nitrite. Nothing should have been added until those were at 0. Please do a little research on how a tank cycles before you add anything else!!!!!!

[Kash]

I did undertake research and most of the scholarship indicated, as you say, to wait, but a significant portion also concluded, although somewhat moraly frowned upon, that some fish might infact help the nitrogen cycle in a tank. But I agree with you completely at any rate. I will slow down before adding any additional fish. And as always thank you for all of this input into the matter.

[charlie]

Hey, no problem!!! Believe me, we have all made the same mistake, some of us more than once. I think you will find that no matter how much research you do, there is always more to do. This has become a constantly changing hobby, and the more reading that you can accomplish, the better off you are gonna be.

As time goes on, you will also want to be monitoring the Ph, specific gravity, calcium, alkalinity ,and the magnesium levels...............................see what I mean??

[Kash]

I do currently measure the Ph, specific gravity (w/ a hydrometer) and alkalinity but havn't yet measured calcium and magnesium.

[charlie]

Are you going to stick with a FOWLR?

[Kash]

haha. In the future, many months from now-- I want to introduce coral. But many months from now.

[Kash]

Btw My sister just moved back to Montana, she was born and raised in Missoula.. well maybe born in Darby and raised in Missoula but she just recently moved back to Montana, but this time to Billings

[charlie]

OK, that is when you will really need to start monitoring the calcium, alk, and magnesium. As for now, look at keeping the calcium around 400, try to balance the alk with that, somewhere around 8-9 dkh. Your mag. level should be 3x or better than your calcium level.

[charlie]

Btw My sister just moved back to Montana, she was born and raised in Missoula.. well maybe born in Darby and raised in Missoula but she just recently moved back to Montana, but this time to Billings

Are you folks originally from MT.?

[Kash]

Are you folks originally from MT.?

Well my folks are actually orginally from India. However, my father's first marriage was in Montana where he spent about a decade or so as a lumber jack around Darby, Montana...

Then he moved down to South Texas, where I was born and raised..

[charlie]

Whew, that had to be some kind of culture shock moving from Darby to south Texas!!!!!

[Kash]

lol. Well since my dad was born in India, raised in Singapore, spent sometime in Darby, and then from 80s-2000's in South Texas, I guess that helped. Are you originally from Montana?

[charlie]

Been here since 1974, grew up in Chicago.