First fishy friends

[Tegz]

Hi all I hope that everyone is well.

I'm a28 year old graphic designer from cape town south Africa and this tank sits on my desk

I got my first tank 2 weeks ago and have loved every second of having it. It's a 3.2 gallon (not a great start I know but space was very limited I have a bigger tank on the cards hopefully in the next month or two)
It came with a drip style sponge filter and submersible pump and LED light in the canopy. I also got a 50w heater and a little boyu ramp cave thingy.

I got the tank and rinsed it out added a fine gravel substrate, filled it with water to which I added sera aquatan and seachem prime as recommended by my lfs. I ran the tank for the day and went back to get a few fish. I proceeded to get 2 neon tetras and 2 bronze corydoras.

I acclimated them and set them free into their new home.

The first week I treated the water with both stability and aquatan and set the heater for 26°C.

I fed them the day after adding them to the tank the tetras were okay but the corys were quite pale. I also got two plants but don't have a clue as to what they are called.

The corys started to brighten up a bit by Wednesday but that evening I noticed one of the tetras was starting to behave weirdly it was being carried around by the current and was losing color by the second I tried to give him some rest by putting him in a bowl but he just didn't recover.

The other fish were perfectly fine

I tested water everyday and the water stayed at a steady 7.5ph with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate.

All other fish made it through that week and I went back to get 2 more neon tetras as the other one seemed quite stressed. One of the plants broke apart while I replanted it so I got some Marina aquascaper fake plants to give them some more hiding spaces.

I do 20% water changes every other day and ph is at 7 and ammonia is at 0.3ppm.

There are still no nitrites or nitrates in the water yet but I'm still dosing whenever I do a water change.

They get fed tetra flakes for now but I will change their diet once the tank has cycled.

All the fish are healthy and hungry with good colours.

I do have a few questions.

1. How long would one estimate this cycle would take to complete?

2. Is there anything beyond what I am doing to make it easier on my fish?

3. Should I get an air stone or bubble wall? My submersible pump does airate the water.

4. Should I get one more cory or a few more tetras? I know the tank is very small but would it be possible?

I've attached some photos of the tanks progress

They've only been in my life for a short while but I love my fish already they do the weirdest things but I they are my lockdown buddies.

PS... The stuff on the intake of the filter is the cotton from the plant pot.

The neon tetras are Jaws, Jaws 2 and Bruce. The Corydoras are Bong and Blunt bong being the bigger of the 2.

 

[FishFinatic77]

This tank is just too small for the fish you have. I know you've grown attached to them, but they need much more space. I would recommend rehoming the fish, doing a fishless cycle, and then getting a betta for the tank instead.

 

[KevinZ]

1-5 gallons tank Cycling time is variety, some people take 3 months and some people can't finish the cycling process and always got an ammonia spike's somehow.
You should increase water change to 50%-65%
For now, if you going to buy another bigger tank you should keep them and maintained daily. 1 month isn't a long time imo, and hopefully your fish can keep their "sanity" and the faster you got the tank is better.
Good luck, <3

 

[Tegz]

This tank is just too small for the fish you have. I know you've grown attached to them, but they need much more space. I would recommend rehoming the fish, doing a fishless cycle, and then getting a betta for the tank instead.

I do realize this and have arranged a 25 gallon boyu tank its just just a matter of collecting it we are still in lockdown.

1-5 gallons tank Cycling time is variety, some people take 3 months and some people can't finish the cycling process and always got an ammonia spike's somehow.
You should increase water change to 50%-65%
For now, if you going to buy another bigger tank you should keep them and maintained daily. 1 month isn't a long time imo, and hopefully your fish can keep their "sanity" and the faster you got the tank is better.
Good luck, <3

Thank you for the advice I will start doing the bigger water changes and keep you posted

 

[Circus]

Welcome!
It is good that you are working on getting them a bigger tank. When it comes in, you should remember that both corydoras and neon tetra need groups of 6 or more to be healthy and comfortable. And for the new and bigger tank you should have the substrate as sand, to accommodate the corydora. They actually take the sand into their mouth and expell it from their gills while searching for food. Gravel can scratch their little barbells, leading to infection. When you do move them, a betta could be comfortable in a tank as small as your 3.2 gallon.

The tank is very cute, though.

 

[PhantomCarp]

Hi all I hope that everyone is well.

I'm a28 year old graphic designer from cape town south Africa and this tank sits on my desk

I got my first tank 2 weeks ago and have loved every second of having it. It's a 3.2 gallon (not a great start I know but space was very limited I have a bigger tank on the cards hopefully in the next month or two)
It came with a drip style sponge filter and submersible pump and LED light in the canopy. I also got a 50w heater and a little boyu ramp cave thingy.

I got the tank and rinsed it out added a fine gravel substrate, filled it with water to which I added sera aquatan and seachem prime as recommended by my lfs. I ran the tank for the day and went back to get a few fish. I proceeded to get 2 neon tetras and 2 bronze corydoras.

I acclimated them and set them free into their new home.

The first week I treated the water with both stability and aquatan and set the heater for 26°C.

I fed them the day after adding them to the tank the tetras were okay but the corys were quite pale. I also got two plants but don't have a clue as to what they are called.

The corys started to brighten up a bit by Wednesday but that evening I noticed one of the tetras was starting to behave weirdly it was being carried around by the current and was losing color by the second I tried to give him some rest by putting him in a bowl but he just didn't recover.

The other fish were perfectly fine

I tested water everyday and the water stayed at a steady 7.5ph with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate.

All other fish made it through that week and I went back to get 2 more neon tetras as the other one seemed quite stressed. One of the plants broke apart while I replanted it so I got some Marina aquascaper fake plants to give them some more hiding spaces.

I do 20% water changes every other day and ph is at 7 and ammonia is at 0.3ppm.

There are still no nitrites or nitrates in the water yet but I'm still dosing whenever I do a water change.

They get fed tetra flakes for now but I will change their diet once the tank has cycled.

All the fish are healthy and hungry with good colours.

I do have a few questions.

1. How long would one estimate this cycle would take to complete?

2. Is there anything beyond what I am doing to make it easier on my fish?

3. Should I get an air stone or bubble wall? My submersible pump does airate the water.

4. Should I get one more cory or a few more tetras? I know the tank is very small but would it be possible?

I've attached some photos of the tanks progress

They've only been in my life for a short while but I love my fish already they do the weirdest things but I they are my lockdown buddies.

PS... The stuff on the intake of the filter is the cotton from the plant pot.

The neon tetras are Jaws, Jaws 2 and Bruce. The Corydoras are Bong and Blunt bong being the bigger of the 2.

View attachment 111901View attachment 111902View attachment 111904View attachment 111905View attachment 111908View attachment 111909

Depending on your ph and gh when you move your fish to the 25gallon you could put in a dwarf puffer, shrimp, snails,. IMHO I disagree with a betta I think they should all get atleast a 5 gallon.

 

[FishFinatic77]

I do realize this and have arranged a 25 gallon boyu tank its just just a matter of collecting it we are still in lockdown.

It's great that you're getting them a bigger tank! As @Circus said, once you get the tank you should upgrade each school to at least 6 of each. You also need sand as your substrate for the cories.
For the 3.5 gallon, depending on the hardness of the water, you could put in a betta (though they prefer at least a 5 gallon), a pea puffer, some shrimp, or some snails.

 

[Tegz]

**Update**

The tank has finally cycled and is bigger than initially stated closer to 15g and I have not lost any fish or had any sickness.

I have also turned it into a planted tank.

I've also added 3 julii/ false jullii (not 100% but I paid a premium) corys and 3 black tetras to the tank.

I've added seachem matrix to the filter and I am using seachem flourish for the plants.

I have decided against a 20 gallon for now and will get something a bit bigger in a month or two.

Thank you to everyone who assisted.

 

[FishFinatic77]

The tank looks great. Once you get the bigger tank, you should change the substrate to sand for the cories, and then add to each of the schools even more. You're doing good so far though!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but sand is a must for for corydoras.

Much better on the bigger tank, glad you are learning!

 

[Tegz]

The tank looks great. Once you get the bigger tank, you should change the substrate to sand for the cories, and then add to each of the schools even more. You're doing good so far though!

Thank you, I wanted to change over to when I did these updates but my lfs suggested against it as it is a newly cycled tank. What kind of sand would you suggest I use? I'm absolutely loving my corys especially the big bronze one I have she is full of personality so I will definitely be getting some more once I am able to house them properly.

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but sand is a must for for corydoras.

Much better on the bigger tank, glad you are learning!

It has been mentioned, but I was advised against it by my lfs, I will pick some up this weekend, any suggestions on what type of sand to use? I really like the look of the dark substrate

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Do not take the advice of LFS or pet store owners. They are usually very wrong...

Corydoras need sand as a substrate, because they are filter feeders - meaning they take bits of sand in their mouth, spit out the bad stuff, and keep the food to eat. (All which happens in a slept second, which is pretty cool to watch)

Make sure whatever sand you get is fine. Black is OK, you may want to call and ask what brands they have. (There are many brands to choose from, and we can help you narrow your search)

 

[FishFinatic77]

Thank you, I wanted to change over to when I did these updates but my lfs suggested against it as it is a newly cycled tank. What kind of sand would you suggest I use? I'm absolutely loving my corys especially the big bronze one I have she is full of personality so I will definitely be getting some more once I am able to house them properly.

You can use the sand from your lfs, or you can get a bag of play sand from lowes or home depot. It's completely safe for fish. Just make sure the sand is very fine for your cories.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You can use the sand from your lfs, or you can get a bag of play sand from lowes or home depot. It's completely safe for fish. Just make sure the sand is very fine for your cories.

I can not speak for other brands, but I know Quikrete is completely safe. (Not sure if they have that in Africa)

 

[Tegz]

**Update**

Firstly.
New tank is in the process of being setup, it's a 20 gallon, got one from a family member needed some tlc though mainly a good clean. Picked up a cascade 200 HOB filter, a full spectrum LED light and a 100w heater along with some seachem sand as substrate with some new spider wood and Java fern.

My question is can I move over my seachem matrix and filter sponge to the new tank and consider it cycled and ready for fish? Or should I cycle this tank without fish with the new filter then slowly move them over?

Secondly.
I picked up 2 ottos and the lfs gave me 5 glo danios which I don't really know much about. The one passed away last night and another is swimming quite low in the tank, any advice on what may be the problem?

PH: 7
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Tank temperature is 27°C

They're an amazing addition to the tank and would like to get some regular ones once the new tank is ready.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Also here is a snap of what the little tank looks like now