Just About To Stock My 48L Fish Box

[nightstalker2485]

Hey All...

New-be Rob here...
Great site!!!

I'm currently in the process of cycling my interpet fish box 48l....
Ive gone down the fishless cycle route as I dont fancy stressing any little fishies out or even worse kill them - specially when the little hardy so n so's would have to leave to make space for the fish I/the kids want...
Soooo
Its been almost a week now, not much happening, I've got me plants in the pump/filter is slowly building up bacteria - I've begun with PURE AQUARIUM which was recommended by my local fish person... - So I've put about a total of 10 we balls in over the week to dose the filter up. I've found some snails hitched a ride on the plants (I think they are both the glass type snails - quite translucent) and also some wierd looking growth has attached itself to the rocks the glass and some of the leaves - some guys recon its Hydra although none of the Hydra pics I've come accross look like the wee little blighters in my tank see these links:

http/i1196.photobu.../IMAG0222-1.jpg


http/i1196.photobu...nk/IMAG0222.jpg

Next week I'm going to start with feeding the tank some pure ammonia and keep an eye on the stats... unless the pure aquarium and some of the fish food I've put in start the cycle by itself...

Once all is ready I will be stocking up on
Guppys
Platys
Glowlight Tiger Tetra
some dwarf frogs
and then for my cleaning crew
I'm torn between the following...

Amano shrimp
Red Crystal shrimp
Red Cherry shrimp

I was wanting to put in 2 Bolivian Ram but found out that they like space (at least 30gallon tank) mine without any substrate plants n rocks is around the 12gallons so that would not be fair on these nice fish. Shame as I really like them

Anywho, with what I've listed above can anyone recommend how many of each I should/could place in the tank. I've read about the inch per gallon rule but as these fish are so small and thin would I be able to add a few more...

I'd like to get at least 5 of each plus 3 or 4 shrimp would that be acceptable in such a tank or would it be a bit crowded...

I will post more pics up once the tank is a bit more established.

Thanks for your help.

Regards
Rob

 

[moochy13]

i think in the right numbers you'll probably have too many fish. also, im not entirely sure frogs are the best idea. being a frog, doesnt it need at least some sort of dry land to get on ?

platys i think will get too big, and you could end up with babies, which will be a nightmare. id stick with guppies, tetra and shrimp, thats all. 1 or 2 male guppies at most, 4 or 5 females. again, they will breed, but with a bit of luck the tetra will gobble up any tiny fry.

 

[nightstalker2485]

Cheers for that...

from what I've been told, the dwarf frogs spend most the time under water and only come up for air...
I was thinking of those as a snail deterrent... obviously once the wee blighters have been taken then I'd get food for the frogs, they only grow to about an inch...

As for the shrimp, which ones would you recommend... I have about 5 plants in the tank which would need a good scrub from them and then there's the substrate and the rock formation for them to get busy on ;-) Also at what stage is it recommended to add shrimp?

In regards to the fish, looks like (after your advice) we'll go for 5 guppies (1 male and 4 female... I've heard 2 males in a smallish tank with not enough women to go round would be constantly fighting... now we dont want that - feel sorry for the male tho... ratio 1 to 4... nowt but trouble ;-) )which will be introduced around the 17th of Feb to our tank (our sons birthday) and then around the 1st march the tetras will arrive (the daughters birthday) I hope she goes for the glowlight tiger ones as I quite like them... then again, it's the kids tank so they can choose - I'm only letting them know what fish they can choose from... The shrimp will be added later - not sure how long one would need to wait though so any advice on that is greatly appreciated and also which type of shrimp is the hardiest/best cleaner...

Regards
Rob

 

[moochy13]

from what i know, crystal red shrimp can be a bit expensive and hard to find. cheery shrimp are everywhere, and nice and cheap. shrimp barely add any biowaste, once youve got a few fish in there i wouldnt worry about the shrimp with regards to the filter. just get about 10, if youre lucky they will breed.

 

[nightstalker2485]

At what time would it be recommended for shrimp to be added to the tank?

 

[moochy13]

id put them in once the first fish have been in for a week or so.

 

[nightstalker2485]

id put them in once the first fish have been in for a week or so.

Great stuff... Can't wait now... Just getting a tad nervous with using ammonia to cycle the tank next week... 8-S any ideas on what the growth is in the links I've listen anyone??? It's in the center of the.pic .... A wee white plant or something....

 

[moochy13]

the links dont work

 

[Nightstalker3188]

the links dont work

#41#### it... why cant I just drag n drop my pics.... hmpf!!
well here goes one link - i hope...
This is my tank... with no wee fishies yet...

http/i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa420/nightstalker2485/IMAG0224.jpg

 

[Nightstalker3188]

and the other two of the wierd growth which has moved into my tank...

http/i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa420/nightstalker2485/Fish%20Tank/IMAG0222.jpg

http/i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa420/nightstalker2485/Fish%20Tank/IMAG0222-1.jpg

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Hi, I would be a little careful adding Amano AND Cherry Red shrimp.. the Amano I have simply see them as £3 a go snacks, especially the large female one I have !

Terry.

 

[nightstalker2485]

Hi, I would be a little careful adding Amano AND Cherry Red shrimp.. the Amano I have simply see them as £3 a go snacks, especially the large female one I have !

Terry.
[/quote

Hi Terry,

Na it would be one or the other, I wouldn't be mixing them up, ideally is like 4 or 5 red crystal shrimp, as I like their colours, the amano are a bit bland for my likings, that said, I need to think more from the "which species will clean up my tank better and get on with my fish" perspective, so just hunting for info at the moment....
One thing I have noticed is that whilst my tank is fairly early on in the cycling stage, I seem to have inherited quite a few snails from the plants I put in.... At what stage do they become a nuisance.... Should I introduce them to an assassin snail to see how they get on???

 

[fluttermoth]

Snails shouldn't ever become a nuisance, unless you over feed the tank

 

[Nightstalker3188]

Snails shouldn't ever become a nuisance, unless you over feed the tank

Ive got about 10 in there now and have not even begun to cycle the tank properly yet... little blighters they are cute tho... kinda feel bad knowing that they will sooner or later fall pray to some fish/snail...

getting ammonia today and an ammonia test kit so ready to kick of the cycle process.... ;-)

 

[nightstalker2485]

Ran tests on my tap water... Bang on 0 ppm.
Checked tank and got .25ppm
Added a pipette of ammonia... 20 mins later I've got 2.0 ppm
Added further 4 drops of the good stuff... Now waiting for the result.... ;-)