Habitat - Indoor :: Proper way to treat water & fluval fx5

[nh198921]

when we first got our RES, we were instructed to add water conditioner to the tank water to take out the chlorine at a local pet store. after browsing throughout this forum i have seen posts where people say they use water conditioner but have also seen that using activated carbon in your filter is safer and will dechlorinate the water also. we have a filter with carbon and treat the water with Kordon NovAqua Plus. so that being said i have a few questions.

1. is it necessary to treat the water with a conditioner if you have carbon in your filter?
2. if you do not treat the water, how long does your filter need to be running with the carbon to dechlorinate your water before you can put your turtle in?
3. how often do you change the filter carbon?

i have a 75 gallon tank i am picking up today and a fluval fx5 on its way. i have been reading around the forum about getting the filter set up with the right media, carbon etc. i didnt even think of this- but the fluval doesnt come with any of the biomedia, purigen or carbon does it? it seems quite complicated to be honest i am just a new turtle owner so we are trying to figure this all out.

[VeipaCray]

1. No. You don't want to use water conditioner. It's best to filter your water through carbon prior to introducing it to your tank.
2. Chlorine isn't an issue... it will evaporate out. Chloramine will NOT evaporate. The time depends on how much water you have. Probably a day or so - best guess.
3. Monthly.

These links might be helpful:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=33171

[nh198921]

i JUST saw that filter thread. absolutely awesome info on there. i still have one question though. for the fx5, how much of each item will i need? is there somewhere i can find that out? i am planning on using your methods so i would go optional for 24-48 hrs then normal for the rest, i know over time i will need to buy more carbon etc but i was wondering for the initial optional set up, how much:

1- filter floss
2- carbon (should carbon be in bag?)

and for the permanent, normal set up, how much:

1- carbon (bag?)
2- bio media

this is just so i know how much to purchase for my initial tank prep. thanks again for all the help

[VeipaCray]

Enough media to fill up the trays as the diagrams show.

As for long term / permanent / normal setup:

1. Carbon needs to be in a bag per the FX5 instructions. A bag full... get a cheap media bag and fill it up... you don't need a lot for the long term setup.
2. Bio media - if you use the Fluval brand, you'll need 5 boxes.

[nh198921]

ok, so a box of fluval bio media is half a tray full. i am thankful of all of your help and hope i am not getting too repetitive but i am still wondering a couple more things.

1- i cannot seem to locate a "blue fx5 sponge pad" ive looked on amazon, google etc
2- do the side sponges come with filter or are they also sold separately?

i understand my questions may be quite specific but i am ordering the media online and hoping to set up the filter this week, so i am sure you can see that i want to make sure the right amount and right items. i dont want to end up with not enough of some media to set up the tank.

[VeipaCray]

No worries... we like the questions

1. http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-FX5-Fine-F ... l+fx5+blue
2. The side sponges are the only media that comes with the FX5.


The link for #1 above is labeled wrong. Blue FX5 pads are "Fine" pads. White pads are super fine or polishing pads. You definitely want the blue pads. The title on Amazon says "Fine filter polishing pad" which is incorrect.

[nh198921]

awesome thats just what i was looking for (according to you, haha), thanks again. so i will throw that in there with a bag of carbon and some media for the top tray of the perm. set up.

1. are all media bags the same size? for some reason i feel like a 100g nylon bag made by them isnt enough to fill the whole bottom tray for the initial phase? if i dont get the fluval brand pre bagged carbon i think i can get it cheaper....?

i will look around for some filter floss, hopefully my local pet store will have some of that? that doesnt need to be bagged right?

thank you very much VepiaCray

[VeipaCray]

1. all filter bags are not the same size. You don't need one to 100% fit the tray. As long as there's a bag of carbon laying somewhere in the tray it will do the trick. If you're worried the bag is too small... get two bags .
You can definitely get carbon cheaper in bulk. I buy mine from bulkreefsupply.com. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-bulk- ... arbon.html

2. Filter floss is sold at any petstore. However, it's also called polyfill or pillow stuffing and sold at walmart / target etc.. for much less. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Poly-Fil-Prem ... z/17808670

[nh198921]

Again, very helpful vepiacray. Providing me with the links and everything. I will be snagging that stuff this week and getting my res into a great new, clean habitat. Thanks

[nh198921]

i actually thought of another couple questions if its ok:

once i get through the initial phase and then move my turtle into the tank with the normal set up, i should expect my tank to cycle correct? that means no changing water despite possible cloudiness etc for about a month?

should i be testing the water during that phase or no?

after the tank balances out, and finishes its cycle the water should be clear and balanced right? so, at that point, if i am going to clean the tank or do a partial water change do i need to do anything special to the water i am putting into the tank? if i was going to take out 1/3 and replace it say, can i just put tap water to replace into the balanced, chloramine free water or no? what would be this process? thanks

[PridgNYC]

With a 75 gallon and an FX5 stacked to VeipaCray's recommendations you probably wont see much cloudiness unless the FX5 is spitting micro bubbles, if this happens, just turn down the output a bit until it stops. Start testing the water after about a week, and once a week after that. It probably shouldn't take more than 4-6 weeks for ammonia and nitrites to reach 0. After that, doing partial water changesfrom the tap is fine as long as the carbon in the filter is good. How long it lasts is up for debate.

[nh198921]

thank you pridgnyc. sounds straightforward enough. now all i have to do is get these dang water stains off the new tank and we can move the turtle in.

[MEandYouPhoto]

thank you pridgnyc. sounds straightforward enough. now all i have to do is get these dang water stains off the new tank and we can move the turtle in.

if the tank is glass then one of the easiest ways I have found is a brand new rectangle shaped razor blade and some water to get them off quickly

[nh198921]

yeah, thanks for the suggestion. i spend like 2 hours yesterday soaking the tank with vinegar and scraping it with a brand new razor blade. i also used an aquarium sponge. after i scrubbed the tank and used the blade i sprayed the stains with vinegar in a spray bottle every 10 mins for a couple hours but the water stains are still there...

[VeipaCray]

sometimes the glass can become etched from hard water and you'll never be able to remove the etching. Try filling it with water. Usually any water stains magically disappear once the tank is full.