Water changes, 55 gallon

[xDestro]

So I'm about a week or so from filling up my 55 gallon and let the tank start cycling, my girlfriends mom is giving me a few baby tetras to help it get on its feet so I'm going to do about 20 gal water changes at least once a week unless needed, my question is what all goes into a water change? Is it as simple as draining the tank directly into a drain and then treating water with conditioner in a bucket and fill the tank back up? Or is there more to it? Ik u should get temp as close as possible but is there anything I should also be doing? And as far as cycling what should I be looking for as in good and bad with ammonia nitrates and nitrites?

 

[SandNukka15]

Personally i wouodnt use the tetras.... just fill the tank up with the filters runing and throw some fishfood/shrimp/tilapia whatever to get the cycle started

I dont like using live fish to cycle tanks .....if u are using a python for water changes just drain tank to desired water change and add conditioner acordingly fill back up and ur good....but adjust temp

 

[Chockful O Phail]

If your friend has a running tank, ask for a handful of established bio media. It'll give you a super fast kickstart on your cycle. the cycle is ammonia then nitrites then nitrates. You'll see ammonia first then a week or so later you'll start seeing nitrites and then a week or so later you'll start seeing nitrates, by the time you get nitrates you shouldn't see ammonia at all, then about a week or so later you shouldn't see nitrites, then your established and water changes remove and dilute the nitrates. So when testing you want 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and as low nitrates as you can get. General rule of thumb for basic fish is never go past 40ppm nitrates. Some fish require much lower but it's an ok place to start.

 

[Chockful O Phail]

As to water changes spend the money on a python or the aqueon equivalent, I found when using a syphon and buckets there were weeks I would skip wc just because of the amount of work with buckets and such. Drain as much as you need to (depends on stock level/nitrate production), add prime to treat total water volume, refill. 50% is an ok baseline, you need to keep testing and adjust how much/often accordingly. Be sure to dig into the gravel and clean it thoroughly.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Let me make two suggestions. First is to open and read the article in the following link. It is a long and detailed read. I have it saved and use it as a reference.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/nitrogen_cycle.html

Next, let me suggest one of the siphon tubes designed to work into the substrate. They have a small clear hose of around 3/8 inch internal diameter which is several feet long attached to a larger plastic tube of about an inch or so in diameter. I get the siphon started and can plunge the big end into the substrate. This allows me to siphon out the lighter detritus (fish waste, excess food, other bits of organic waste) and leave the gravel behind. I siphon into a bucket.
As far as using a python device, I have not use one myself for two reasons. One is that the principle of suction they can use appears to depend on using running tap water. Not sure if the tap water must run all the time or only to start a siphon. Either way some fresh tap water goes down a drain. The other reason is that I have a septic system and am very careful about what I put into it. I would be reluctant to dig into the gravel for fear of running gravel and stuff into the septic. Might not be so much of an issue on a city sewer system.

Back to the cycling. If your friend has an established tank from which you can get the tetras, they may also be willing to give you some stuff that has the beneficial bacteria (bb) on it. This can be many solid materials from old filter media to a handful of substrate. The bb live on surfaces in a tank. Once a new tank is filled with the equipment is running and checked out to satisfaction, including get the temperature where you want them it, some bb covered material can be added from the old (established) tank and a few fish can be added at the same time. This speeds up the cycling and is a method I have used many times.

The fishless cycling method can take weeks and is used when you do not have access to bb covered media from an established tank.

Good luck and thanks for asking first.