Recent content by Aiken Drum

I know you have already done your aquascape etc, but have you considered a aquadecor background? Would look amazing on that new aquarium. https://aquadecorbackgrounds.com/

Do you know how to do a fish in cycle? https://www.aquariumadvice.com/threads/fish-in-cycle-guide.382320/

100% water change.

It just takes time, you are 4 weeks into what could easily be a 3 month process. A water change can sometimes help out a stalled cycle by replenishing KH. You are having to dose baking soda to get your KH which suggests your tap water is low on KH so that wouldn't help. Are the 6 KH and 9 GH...

That looks like ich to me. Lets wait for a 2nd opinion from @Andy Sager before deciding what to do next.

You can get manufactured rock similar to what filter media is made from. If you look for "Real Reef Rock" these are man made rocks that resemble natural marine rock. https://krakencorals.co.uk/aquatics/substrates/real-reef-rock.html Biohome is currently testing these products.

I would change enough water to bring the nitrite to a readable level. I assume its off the chart high, but if its not then dont do a water change. If its off the chart high, you really dont know how high it is. It might need a 90% water change or higher to bring the nitrite to readable levels...

You might want to skip some days adding ammonia, or maybe not add so much. 1ppm of ammonia turns to 2.7ppm of nitrite, so during the stage where 2ppm ammonia is fully being cycled out, but nitrite isnt, there is the potential for nitrite get very high. Even if nitrite is being cycled out it can...

It looks like a hard water stain. This is caused when water evaporates and leaves behind a calcium deposit on the glass. Similar to limescale build up inside kettles thats common in areas with hard water supplies. This would be consistent with a 9 year old aquarium thats just been left with...

Is the aquarium glass or acrylic? Glass aquariums are separate pieces of glass "glued" together with silicone sealant. Acrylic aquariums are "welded" to form a solid unit with no joints. Can you post a photo of this haze and one of the joints?

A bit of a related story, but one of my wifes friends cultivates rare house plants for a hobby. Makes a bit of money on the side selling them too. She also keeps an aquarium. Thing is she understands plants, but her attempts at planted aquariums never really worked. She looked at my aquariums...

Personally i think you are over complicating things going for a high tech planted aquarium as a beginner. If thats really what you want to do then go for it, but expect it be a learning exercise where mistakes are made, rather than getting things right first time. Personally id go for a simpler...

If the HOB is filtering water in your aquarium then dont do that. Zeolite should be entirely separate from your aquarium. While what you are proposing will have a reduced effect on your cycle because you have a filter that doesnt have it included, it will still reduce the abilty of your aquarium...

And just to add, there are chemicals like zeolite that will remove ammonia. However if you use these chemicals in your filtration they will starve the microbes responsible for the nitrogen cycle and kill your cycle. This happened to a collegue recently. If you want to use these chemicals to...

Activated carbon removes organic compounds. Ammonia isnt an organic compound, so it wont remove ammonia. What i think is happening is that your water has always had a level of ammonia, but that level has been below a safe threshold for your pH. Chloramine is normally dosed at around 2 to 4ppm...