titch 104 Posted September 25, 2017 I'm in the process of cycling my tank (3 weeks in) - all seems to be going well so far. I do, however, have a lot of hard water deposits accumulating on my airline & the rubber connections on my filter intake/outlets. On previous setups, I would usually just wipe them off when I do my water changes, but obviously while I'm cycling I'm not doing any wiping down of the tank. Are they an issue for fish or are they nothing to be concerned about? My GH test changes at 16 drops and KH at 8-9 drops. On the plus side... I have algae!! Lol! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fantailfan1 26,742 Posted September 27, 2017 I don't think those are hard water deposits. Hard water deposits usually form above water or at the air-water interface. They are also hard to get off, usually requiring scraping or the use of vinegar. That looks like biofilm to me which is completely harmless. Happy cycling! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
titch 104 Posted September 28, 2017 11 hours ago, fantailfan1 said: I don't think those are hard water deposits. Hard water deposits usually form above water or at the air-water interface. They are also hard to get off, usually requiring scraping or the use of vinegar. That looks like biofilm to me which is completely harmless. Happy cycling! Oh wow, really? Fab. ☺️ Sometimes, it can come off like flakes in the water flow. It’s VERY unsightly when I wipe it off, kinda chalky. Thanks for the cycling wishes. Currently dealing with high nitrites, but I’m getting there. I think. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fantailfan1 26,742 Posted September 29, 2017 The nitrite phase seems to last forever. Sky high for weeks then, boom they will drop quickly.. Hang in there!! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
titch 104 Posted September 29, 2017 35 minutes ago, fantailfan1 said: The nitrite phase seems to last forever. Sky high for weeks then, boom they will drop quickly.. Hang in there!! I'm hanging in. Just! Currently, they're rising to between 2.0 & 5.0 in 24hrs. Any longer and they're most definitely off the chart as it takes 2 big WCs to bring them right down. I'm doing a large WC most days (70%ish) which brings them back down to 0-0.1 (light blue but not turquoise, no hint of purple) and then I redose the ammonia to 1.0. Am I doing the right thing by doing a WC when the nitrites reach 2.0, or should I leave it be to see what happens? I read that nitrites higher than 2.0 could stall the cycle. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites