Zero Water Change Test (Froggy)

[HiQ-USA]

FroggyFox, If you do not care for the bubble effect you do not need to purchase an air pump. As long as you can feel the water being sucked into the filter everything is O.K.

[FroggyFox]

Ok thanks HiQ. I might get one anyway, like maybe a smaller pump and just run one side or something. Just because, like Chris pointed out, it seems like the additional oxygen is going to have a fair amount of difference in the effectiveness of the system. Plus I do like the bubbles heh

And as far as the plants go...I dunno. I mean I'm pretty sure that having plants in the system won't do anything except help things along. From a purely test perspective I can see why I shouldn't put any in...however...in the interest of helping things along and keeping my fish healthy I'd like to put some plants in. Maybe I'll just give it some time and not put any in now.

[FroggyFox]

I just realized one spot on the HiQ website says to wait two weeks before putting fish in...but the instructions say two days. I'm thinking two weeks is a typo but want to make sure!

I also just got finished doing the math and have some questions on restocking supplies from the website. I figured I would post them here for HiQ to get to whenever they can so we can all learn at the same time. Sizes listed for 3 of the 4 products say "1 lb" instead of a measurement like "4 cartridges" or "50 doses" etc. I just need to know how many paks are in the smaller filter pak boxes (the picture I *think* says 2, but I don't know if that is a picture of the 1lb box or not), and then about how many 10 gallon doses or ml or grams etc are in each of the additive containers. The main filter cartridges that get replaced every 3 to 4 weeks come in boxes of 2, 4 or 8...so I got that one figured out lol

[FroggyFox]

After some pondering, I have decided what to do with the tank. It will be a community tank with the theme of orange and blue! As some of you know I am a die hard Denver Bronco fan and this tank is smack dab in the corner by my TV and amongst my Bronco memorabilia, so what could be more fitting than a color themed tank

Stocking list will be determined by what I can find here locally, but right now I am thinking somewhere along the lines of:

Blue Female Betta
Orange Female Betta
Blue Cray
Blue Glo Danios (5)
Orange Glo Danios (5)
Powder Blue Gourami
Orange Platy (3)
Orange Swordtail (3)
Orange Guppy (3)

I'm actually excited, I will need to look at BV and some others here who have crays since I've never had one before Same thing with the gourami. And no jumping on me for the glo-fish. I finally saw some at Petco the other day and they are SO cool looking (and over priced) lol Pretty sure there were blue and orange ones, but I'll have to go back and take another gander.

[brian1973]

Originally Posted by FroggyFox

I just realized one spot on the HiQ website says to wait two weeks before putting fish in...but the instructions say two days. I'm thinking two weeks is a typo but want to make sure!

I also just got finished doing the math and have some questions on restocking supplies from the website. I figured I would post them here for HiQ to get to whenever they can so we can all learn at the same time. Sizes listed for 3 of the 4 products say "1 lb" instead of a measurement like "4 cartridges" or "50 doses" etc. I just need to know how many paks are in the smaller filter pak boxes (the picture I *think* says 2, but I don't know if that is a picture of the 1lb box or not), and then about how many 10 gallon doses or ml or grams etc are in each of the additive containers. The main filter cartridges that get replaced every 3 to 4 weeks come in boxes of 2, 4 or 8...so I got that one figured out lol

Not sure if this helps but in the first thread about this system you asked about cycling and the response from the HIQ-USA was 2 to 3 weeks. it on page 7 if the link doesnt take u to it.
Zero Water Change System

[FroggyFox]

Ugh, now I'm even more confused. I remembered asking the question but at the time I was more thinking about how long I should take between putting the first fish in to full stocking levels. I was assuming the directions were right with the waiting two days before adding plants and then slowly stocking over the next three weeks.... but his response to my question was:

In or system, the nitrogen cycle starter (Bio Magic) typically cycles the aquarium within two weeks so we would only suggest stocking after the cycle period. Ammonia and nitrite levels increase only slightly during the initial phase of the cycle. After the two or three week period of the tank being started, ammonia and nitrite almost always go to 0. We have heavily stocked tanks here that do this. The great thing about our system is that it's more effective in handling the critical period of the first two or three weeks regarding ammonia and nitrite levels than any other filter set up that I've used. Once the tank has been started, it's been cycled and it's been running ammonia and nitrite are literally 0 most of the time.

*growl*

[brian1973]

yea that was what I was refering to in TAL's thread to Ishar, HIQ posted that an uncycled tank still had to go thru a cycle period before stocking, well hopefully you get a better answer but my guess is going to be 2 to 3 weeks.

[FroggyFox]

...but there's nothing in the tank to make a cycle move forward...

[brian1973]

Originally Posted by FroggyFox

...but there's nothing in the tank to make a cycle move forward...

OHHH...I see your problem now..lol..I thought the chemicals they provide were to start it??

I went to the getting started page on their website and to me it looks like they want you to use fish to cycle it..It states that a day after adding fish you should see the ammonia start to rise. So to help confuse you a bit more.Zero Water Change System

P.S. I tried the link in the MFT banner but it didnt work..IE took me to google search and the "do you mean" HIQ-USA came up

[FroggyFox]

OK I guess I need to get some input from them as I'm not getting any clear vibes. As soon as I decide one way, I flop back to the other. I don't have an issue with fish-in cycling a tank, but I don't want to do that if the thing is designed to do it fishlessly. Right now I am back to leaning towards putting a few fish in tomorrow...but I hope HiQ comes in here and helps me clarify the "right" way to do it.

PS I found on the installation page where it says to test the levels after you add fish, but now I can't seem to find where I was reading on their page about the 2 weeks thing. Maybe I'm just going crazy?! lol