Dead guppy. I replaced with two live bearer's

[Byron]

Please read the two articles @Essjay posted in post # 12, here is the link:

Cycle Your Tank! A Complete Guide For Beginners

Fishless cycling https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ Silent or plant cycling https://www.fishforums.net/threads/planted-silent-cycling.470400/ Fish-in cycling...

www.fishforums.net

These will answer your latest questions.

 

[pettygil]

Please read the two articles @Essjay posted in post # 12, here is the link:

Cycle Your Tank! A Complete Guide For Beginners

Fishless cycling https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ Silent or plant cycling https://www.fishforums.net/threads/planted-silent-cycling.470400/ Fish-in cycling...

www.fishforums.net

These will answer your latest questions.

I read some of it, but I do have a question, if I add bottle bacteria, do I have to do water change, before adding any fish?

 

[Essjay]

Bottled bacteria do not instantly cycle a tank; the best ones just make the cycle quicker, the worst ones do nothing. The best ones are Dr Tim's One and Only and Tetra Safe Start as they contain the correct species of nitrite eaters.

If you add bottled bacteria and do a fishless cycle (before adding fish) yes you do have to do a water change. That's because you need to add ammonia to feed the bacteria and that will make a lot of nitrate by the end of cycling. The water change once cycling has finished is to remove this nitrate.

If you add bottled bacteria while there are fish in the tank, you have to do a water change whenever ammonia or nitrite test as more than zero.

 

[pettygil]

Do I have to do a WC every day while using bacteria in a bottle.

 

[Essjay]

If there are fish in the tank you need to test every day with a reliable test kit and any time there is a reading for ammonia or nitrite above zero, a water change needs to be done. This might mean a water change every day depending on the readings.

If there are no fish in the tank, ammonia needs to be added as in the instructions for a fishless cycle on here, and a water change done only when the cycle has finished.

 

[pettygil]

My fish store is going to be bringing me, Convict fish, to help me cycle my tank. I have a 6,5 gallon tank. I looked up these fish and they can get up to 6 inches. So I will not be able to keep these fish, just used to cycle my tank. Then I will return these fish. And get me a Betta fish. I did a water change in my tank today, that has 2 live bearer's. they are very tiny fish. Are there different types of convicts fish?

 

[Byron]

My fish store is going to be bringing me, Convict fish, to help me cycle my tank. I have a 6,5 gallon tank. I looked up these fish and they can get up to 6 inches. So I will not be able to keep these fish, just used to cycle my tank. Then I will return these fish. And get me a Betta fish. I did a water change in my tank today, that has 2 live bearer's. they are very tiny fish. Are there different types of convicts fish?

Please, do not do this. It is very cruel and inhumane to deliberately use a fish, any fish, to cycle an aquarium. There are methods that do not risk any living creatures.

 

[pettygil]

I'm doing a fish in cycle. I will do 50 percent water changes every day, plus I'm going to use quick start, to cycle my fish tank faster. My tanks have 0 ammonia 0 Nitrite. I'm still going to do WC everyday, until cycled. Right now I have 2 live bearer's, which are hardy fish. In my other 6.5 gallon tank,, which is un cycled. I check my water every day, and do wc every day. I personally do not think it's cruel and inhumane, as long as, I am doing WC every day. I am also going to add media from my cycled tank, and put into my un cycled tank. One thing I did learn the hard way, is not use Betta to cycle the tank. Just hardy fish. I did a fish in cycle, That is how I cycled my 20 Gallon, tank. My fish are doing fine.

 

[Byron]

It is also cruel and inhumane to bring home any fish, stick it in a tank, and then take it back. This is the highest level of severe stress comparable to the fish trying to escape a predator. I'm sorry this is just not how one should treat fish.

There are no "hardy" fish when it comes to subjecting them unnecessarily to stress.

 

[pettygil]

It is also cruel and inhumane to bring home any fish, stick it in a tank, and then take it back. This is the highest level of severe stress comparable to the fish trying to escape a predator. I'm sorry this is just not how one should treat fish.

There are no "hardy" fish when it comes to subjecting them unnecessarily to stress.

When I cycled my 20 gallon tank, with feeder's, they made it past the cycle. I took the feeder's back to the pet store. No one at the pet store said anything, about being inhumane. They took the fish back, and I had a cycled tank. I could not do that with a betta, or guppy fish. There are people who feed their fish, other fish, now that to me is not right, but I'm not going to make them feel bad about it. Because to me that is inhumane. Fish are a lot stronger then what people give them, credit for.
Also I had fish mailed to me, so is that inhumane, mailing a fish?

 

[powerdyne6]

It sounds like you are doing what you like and not listening to any advice in this thread.

Most of these posters have years and years of experience.

Fishless cycle is the way I cycled my tank.. yeah it takes sometime but it was well worth it knowing the fish I added to the tank weren’t going to be harmed/stressed by any rising ammonia and nitrites.

 

[Byron]

When I cycled my 20 gallon tank, with feeder's, they made it past the cycle. I took the feeder's back to the pet store. No one at the pet store said anything, about being inhumane. They took the fish back, and I had a cycled tank. I could not do that with a betta, or guppy fish. There are people who feed their fish, other fish, now that to me is not right, but I'm not going to make them feel bad about it. Because to me that is inhumane. Fish are a lot stronger then what people give them, credit for.
Also I had fish mailed to me, so is that inhumane, mailing a fish?

This was cruel to the fish as I have explained. It was also highly dangerous--we all know that fish can carry disease into our tanks, that is why we recommend quarantine. You are deliberately risking disease getting in the tank from these fish. I'm sorry, but acquiring any fish with the intention of returning it for any reason is cruel and inhumane and risks your tank and fish down the road.

There is cycling using ammonia, some use fish food and though slower it does work and would be better than what you are intending. Then there is silent cycling using floating plants, the safest of all and the quickest.

 

[sharkweek178]

I'm doing a fish in cycle. I will do 50 percent water changes every day, plus I'm going to use quick start, to cycle my fish tank faster. My tanks have 0 ammonia 0 Nitrite. I'm still going to do WC everyday, until cycled. Right now I have 2 live bearer's, which are hardy fish. In my other 6.5 gallon tank,, which is un cycled. I check my water every day, and do wc every day. I personally do not think it's cruel and inhumane, as long as, I am doing WC every day. I am also going to add media from my cycled tank, and put into my un cycled tank. One thing I did learn the hard way, is not use Betta to cycle the tank. Just hardy fish. I did a fish in cycle, That is how I cycled my 20 Gallon, tank. My fish are doing fine.

They survived. That's not the same thing as doing fine. A fish can't communicate with us and tell us how it's doing. Stress from a fish in cycle makes them vulnerable to disease and shortens their lifespan.

 

[pettygil]

I talked to lady at pet store and told her I need fish, that I do not have to take back to the pet store, she said she had other fish. I told her I have a 6.5 gallon tank. She is bringing the fish tomorrow. she did not give me the name of the fish, thoe. She said she would talk to me tomorrow when she brings the fish over.

 

[xxEMOxLIZZARDxx]

I talked to lady at pet store and told her I need fish, that I do not have to take back to the pet store, she said she had other fish. I told her I have a 6.5 gallon tank. She is bringing the fish tomorrow. she did not give me the name of the fish, thoe. She said she would talk to me tomorrow when she brings the fish over.

This just sounds like a bad idea. Pet store people really don't know a lot about proper fish keeping I've found. They really care more about profit than the proper care of fish.