Ammonia Levels At 4.0 -

[ProHaloSniper]

Well if it makes you guys happy, I have decided to keep them and put them in a 10 gallon tank in my living room.

Cheers!

--Jim C.

 

[backley420]

Just toss the Feeder Fish in the Trash.


I KNOW- some of you guys are hardcore fish keppers. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[azzman]

ahaha great white shark, that was classic. thanks that was good reading.

 

[vinylman]

Just toss the Feeder Fish in the Trash.


I KNOW- some of you guys are hardcore fish keppers. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

I don't think you have to be a 'hardcore' fishkeeper to object to people sacrificing fish just to cycle a tank.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

You hardly "got to" throw live fish into a tank that is cycling perfectly without them.

 

[cloudnine]

Just toss the Feeder Fish in the Trash.


I KNOW- some of you guys are hardcore fish keppers. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

I don't think you have to be a 'hardcore' fishkeeper to object to people sacrificing fish just to cycle a tank.

Yeah exactly!

 

[rdd1952]

Well if it makes you guys happy, I have decided to keep them and put them in a 10 gallon tank in my living room.

Actually, if they are comets which most feeder fish are, that is just as bad as they will very quickly out grow a 10 gallon tank, their growth will be stunted and they will live a much shortened life. A true fishless cycle is still the way to go.

Just toss the Feeder Fish in the Trash.


I KNOW- some of you guys are hardcore fish keppers. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

backley, if that is your attitude toward fish, you will soon find that you dont have many friends here. Any suggeston of simply killing a perfectly healthy fish because it doesn't suit your needs any more is totally ignorant. You need to find another hobby.

 

[ProHaloSniper]

I certainly don't agree with just "tossing fish in the trash" so I'll ignore that statement.

I'm not 100% sure what the feeders are, but they are kinda cool, so I would rather let them live in a 10 gallon tank than be eaten. I know that's just the way it goes sometimes, but this time they got lucky.

BACK ON TOPIC!

When should I see my ammonia levels "spike?" Its been 2 days with the feeders. When it "spikes" what reading should I expect from my test tube?

Help me out! I'm so close to getting that Teacup Stingray!

--Jim C.

 

[vinylman]

I'm not 100% sure what the feeders are, but they are kinda cool, so I would rather let them live in a 10 gallon tank than be eaten. I know that's just the way it goes sometimes, but this time they got lucky.

But how long are they going to be lucky in a 10G tank?.

 

[-germ-]

I certainly don't agree with just "tossing fish in the trash" so I'll ignore that statement.

I'm not 100% sure what the feeders are, but they are kinda cool, so I would rather let them live in a 10 gallon tank than be eaten. I know that's just the way it goes sometimes, but this time they got lucky.

BACK ON TOPIC!

When should I see my ammonia levels "spike?" Its been 2 days with the feeders. When it "spikes" what reading should I expect from my test tube?

Help me out! I'm so close to getting that Teacup Stingray!

--Jim C.

What?
Teacup stingray? Where are you going to put this?
Uncycled 10gal mind you vinyl....
(glances over shoulder and catches the slightest glimpse of a troll)

 

[rdd1952]

As I mentioned before, you don't want to see the spike. You should do daily (or ever how often necessary) water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels as low as possibly, preferably under .25 ppm. If you let the ammonia spike, it will be off the chart of what you can measure, at least 10 ppm. You will also start to lose fish as they can't handle the high reading.

Also, keep in mind that rays need very good water parameters. Before you get him, you need to make sure your tank is 100% cycled for the number of fish you have. A tank (actually the filter) is only cycled for the fish load that is present. Adding more fish will mean more ammonia and the bacteria will have to catch up so a mini cycle is possible. I would also wait until the tank is mature, at least 6 months old before adding sensitive fish (or rays) to the tank.

Hopefully, you have already done the research on it but the ray can grow to 14" across the disc (not counting the tail) and needs an eventual minimum tank size of 180 gallons. You will need to upgrade rather quickly as my understanding is that they grow fairly fast. They also need a fine sand substrate. Below is a quote on growth rate from this site:

"What is the average rate of growth for stingray?
Very fast, if fed and cared for properly. If you got the ray, at, say, a 6" disc diameter, expect it to outgrow the 55g in less than a year. I wouldn't put a 6" ray in a 55g to start with. Given the cost of rays, you really will be farther ahead to start with a tank that can house them for their lives, not for a few months. It will cost you more in the long run to keep upgrading just to keep them in "adequate" sized housing. Please think seriously before making your purchase; better to wait and succeed than to be impatient and risk losing the fish."

 

[vinylman]

I certainly don't agree with just "tossing fish in the trash" so I'll ignore that statement.

I'm not 100% sure what the feeders are, but they are kinda cool, so I would rather let them live in a 10 gallon tank than be eaten. I know that's just the way it goes sometimes, but this time they got lucky.

BACK ON TOPIC!

When should I see my ammonia levels "spike?" Its been 2 days with the feeders. When it "spikes" what reading should I expect from my test tube?

Help me out! I'm so close to getting that Teacup Stingray!

--Jim C.

What?
Teacup stingray? Where are you going to put this?
Uncycled 10gal mind you vinyl....
(glances over shoulder and catches the slightest glimpse of a troll)

Yes, the thought has crossed my mind. Cynical old me.

 

[ProHaloSniper]

Excuse me, but I am the furthest thing from a "troll." I came here for help and get called a troll?! Nice people.

You need to get your facts straight before coming to conclusions.

Like I ESTABLISHED BEFORE, I HAVE A 55 GALLON TANK.

That is big enough for a teacup and one or two other fish.

The 10 Gallon was for the feeders only.

Is there a problem with that?

Im trying to get my tank perfect before I end up spending $80.00 on the ray, that is why I am doing all of this!

--Jim C.

 

[-germ-]

QUOTE(backley420 @ Jun 29 2007, 05:19 AM)

Just toss the Feeder Fish in the Trash.


I KNOW- some of you guys are hardcore fish keppers. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

Also the 'dumb' comment @ Rdd was uncalled for IMHO, he may have jumped to a conclusion but he never insulted anyone.
I digress, i must be in a bad mood.

 

[Imber]

I didn't see anyone bring this up(sorry if I just missed it), but isn't there a huge risk of introducing nasties like parasites, etc when cycling with feeders? and aren't rays pretty sensitive to meds that would possibly be used to get rid of said nasties? That would definitely be my biggest concern when cycling with fish(well that and the well-being of the fish as I am a goldfish lover). Also, if the pond is large enough and is an absolutely closed system that is already stocked with ornamental species then it would definitely be preferable to a 10g tank.