Need Some Advice For In Fish Cycle

[mwood2]

ok so I started my tank yesterday with a fish inside. after seeing the fish so stressed i found the forumand got some advice. i will now go through with the in fish cycle since its already begun. what i need to know is the following;

-whats the best syphon for 5 gallong thank
- anything i can add to filter? i believe its a sponge filter with a bio wheel.
-i have a molly which is sensitive but its to late now, what fish can i use help cycle them
- any suggestions to help me?

info;

-using aqua-tech hex 5 tank (5 gallon)
-tank only sat for few hours
-tank has only been syphoned slightly, I plan to more asap
-current fish molly fish (female)
-do not have testing kit yet (will have to buy tomarrow)
-molly seems stressed but not as much as it was before.

 

[Corleone]

-whats the best syphon for 5 gallong thank

If you don't mind hauling buckets (a 50% water change on a 5 gallon would only need a small dollar store bucket anyway), get the smallest model of gravel vac the store has. If you plan to eventually have more tanks, bigger tanks, or simply don't want to haul buckets, investing in a Python might be an option, which will siphon directly to and fill directly from your sink with a single setup.

- anything i can add to filter? i believe its a sponge filter with a bio wheel.

A bit of biological media from the filter of a mature tank would do wonders. Exactly what you need varies by filter model, in general it's the portion of the media you never replace. Separate an amount form it (a mature tank can usually give up 1/4 to 1/3 of its media without problem) and replace it with new media, then cram it in your filter however it fits.

-i have a molly which is sensitive but its to late now, what fish can i use help cycle them

Don't get any more fish. Depending on breeding and water chemistry, mollies can be sensitive or tough as nails. Proceed with what you have. If the molly doesn't make it, I suggest switching to a fishless cycle to finish (if you start adding ammonia within 24-48 hours, there will be little or no setback).

- any suggestions to help me?

Most of what you need to know is covered here:
http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...eady-have-fish/
Feed a little bit every other day, test 1-2 times a day and do water changes as necessary.

-tank only sat for few hours

This isn't as big of a problem as the fish stores tell you - leaving it sit only lets any grit from the substrate settle or be filtered out, it doesn't alter water chemistry or aid in cycling.

-tank has only been syphoned slightly, I plan to more asap
-current fish molly fish (female)
-do not have testing kit yet (will have to buy tomarrow)
-molly seems stressed but not as much as it was before.

Do a 25% water change. It'll probably be necessary anyway once you have your test kit, and will only take a few minutes for the size of tank. Make sure to get a liquid test kit - the strips are unreliable and inaccurate (some of them are effectively useless - the ammonia strips I'm familiar with will never give a reading below about .25), and the bottles last longer than you'd think, making the liquid tests much cheaper after the initial investment.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, agree with all of Corleone's advice, very well said.

You might be surprised if you are very persistant and try hard to get the LFS to take the molly back. You can tell them you don't even need a refund and that you'll buy more fish later.. that sort of thing. If you manage to accomplish that it may save you a whole month of hard work!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[skimmy290]

you could also add some gravel from a mature aquarium. i know some pet store will give that stuff to you if you ask. if you're not going to do the molly i suggest doing lots of water changes. a simple gravel-vac will do. it will slow down the cycling, but it increases your chances on having your molly survive. if you do set up another tank and want to do a fish cycle, i suggest tetras.

 

[mwood2]

ok some new info. I bought myself the text kit and texted for Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia and Ph. Here are the results. Keep in mind that the tank was set up a day ago and has only has maybe 5-10% filtered once since then. I haven't had time for a 20% due to work and school yet.

Ph: 7.8
Ammonia: .25-.50 (I plan to do filter by end of tonight)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

I will test again in an hour or 2 to confirm all results are good. I got my heater working. Other details are below:

-Tank is around 75-80 degrees.
-Fish is not longer frantically moving around tank and is calmed down. lowly explores tank is just floats sometimes (I assume its sleeping)
-Introduced Cycle (bacteria starter) just in case.
-Heater seems to be working due to heat lvl in tank.
-Will Siphon 20% by end of night and introduce new conditioned water


for my next phase I would like to see what peoples opinion on the following are:

-Adding a Bottom Feeder to tank. While I would like a fish i heard Ghost Shrimp are a good option.
-Adding Charcoal to filter (need to know how its done if people find a good idea)
-Maybe another plant if so suggestions please. I have an Anubis something pant in there currently
-Can the Molly Fish eat said plant? I saw it sucking/maybe nibbling on it.
-Finding a mature bacteria culture seems out of luck for me at moment (I called the stores, they wont help me with any already cycles filter)


Besides that I would like any other possible advice. You have all been very helpful and I look for ward to more.

 

[Corleone]

ok some new info. I bought myself the text kit and texted for Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia and Ph. Here are the results. Keep in mind that the tank was set up a day ago and has only has maybe 5-10% filtered once since then. I haven't had time for a 20% due to work and school yet.

Ph: 7.8
Ammonia: .25-.50 (I plan to do filter by end of tonight)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

The ammonia is at the high end - .25 is the general limit for cycling, though depending on the fish's health, they can survive higher. If the fish is still stressing, .5 would be the reason - this really needs about a 20-50% water change, depending on where in that range it falls (should only take about 10 minutes at the outside with a 5 gallon tank).

-Tank is around 75-80 degrees.
-Fish is not longer frantically moving around tank and is calmed down. lowly explores tank is just floats sometimes (I assume its sleeping)
-Introduced Cycle (bacteria starter) just in case.
-Heater seems to be working due to heat lvl in tank.
-Will Siphon 20% by end of night and introduce new conditioned water

Cycle is pretty much junk. Some of the bottled bacteria products are unreliable, cycle's reputation is that it's not even unreliable, just junk. Might as well dump the lot of it in, as the ones that can work often work best with a heavy overdose.

for my next phase I would like to see what peoples opinion on the following are:

-Adding a Bottom Feeder to tank. While I would like a fish i heard Ghost Shrimp are a good option.

Since a molly is fairly big for a 5 gallon tank, your options for bottom feeders are limited. Ghost shrimp or other small shrimp (cherry shrimp if you can find them) are light enough bioload to fit into nearly any stocking plan.

-Adding Charcoal to filter (need to know how its done if people find a good idea)

Filter carbon is generally unneeded. It has some applications, it's good for removing used up medicines, some contaminants, and organic smells and discoloration, but it becomes saturated quickly, often within a few days of being used. Best to save it for the situations I mention.

-Maybe another plant if so suggestions please. I have an Anubis something pant in there currently
-Can the Molly Fish eat said plant? I saw it sucking/maybe nibbling on it.
-Finding a mature bacteria culture seems out of luck for me at moment (I called the stores, they wont help me with any already cycles filter)

Unfortunately, stores don't really part with mature media often. Some will give you gravel, which doesn't contain a meaningful amount of the necessary bacteria unless the tank has an undergravel filter, which is unusual in LFS setups.

For the plant, there's a lot of options. Bacopa is a nice growing stem plant that's pretty hardy. Valis is a long grasslike plant. In a small tank, you'll need to prune it occasionally or it'll choke the surface. Crypts can make a nice low cover plant. Java moss can also form a carpet over time. Mollies usually won't eat plants, but they do graze on just about everything. Most likely there was something on the plant that tasted like food, like a stray piece of uneaten food or a bit of algae. Mollies (and most livebearers) are bottomless pits, and will constantly scour the tank for anything they missed.

 

[thehugdemon]

ok some new info. I bought myself the text kit and texted for Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia and Ph. Here are the results. Keep in mind that the tank was set up a day ago and has only has maybe 5-10% filtered once since then. I haven't had time for a 20% due to work and school yet.

Ph: 7.8
Ammonia: .25-.50 (I plan to do filter by end of tonight)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

The ammonia is at the high end - .25 is the general limit for cycling, though depending on the fish's health, they can survive higher. If the fish is still stressing, .5 would be the reason - this really needs about a 20-50% water change, depending on where in that range it falls (should only take about 10 minutes at the outside with a 5 gallon tank).

-Tank is around 75-80 degrees.
-Fish is not longer frantically moving around tank and is calmed down. lowly explores tank is just floats sometimes (I assume its sleeping)
-Introduced Cycle (bacteria starter) just in case.
-Heater seems to be working due to heat lvl in tank.
-Will Siphon 20% by end of night and introduce new conditioned water

Cycle is pretty much junk. Some of the bottled bacteria products are unreliable, cycle's reputation is that it's not even unreliable, just junk. Might as well dump the lot of it in, as the ones that can work often work best with a heavy overdose.

for my next phase I would like to see what peoples opinion on the following are:

-Adding a Bottom Feeder to tank. While I would like a fish i heard Ghost Shrimp are a good option.

Since a molly is fairly big for a 5 gallon tank, your options for bottom feeders are limited. Ghost shrimp or other small shrimp (cherry shrimp if you can find them) are light enough bioload to fit into nearly any stocking plan.

-Adding Charcoal to filter (need to know how its done if people find a good idea)

Filter carbon is generally unneeded. It has some applications, it's good for removing used up medicines, some contaminants, and organic smells and discoloration, but it becomes saturated quickly, often within a few days of being used. Best to save it for the situations I mention.

-Maybe another plant if so suggestions please. I have an Anubis something pant in there currently
-Can the Molly Fish eat said plant? I saw it sucking/maybe nibbling on it.
-Finding a mature bacteria culture seems out of luck for me at moment (I called the stores, they wont help me with any already cycles filter)

Unfortunately, stores don't really part with mature media often. Some will give you gravel, which doesn't contain a meaningful amount of the necessary bacteria unless the tank has an undergravel filter, which is unusual in LFS setups.

For the plant, there's a lot of options. Bacopa is a nice growing stem plant that's pretty hardy. Valis is a long grasslike plant. In a small tank, you'll need to prune it occasionally or it'll choke the surface. Crypts can make a nice low cover plant. Java moss can also form a carpet over time. Mollies usually won't eat plants, but they do graze on just about everything. Most likely there was something on the plant that tasted like food, like a stray piece of uneaten food or a bit of algae. Mollies (and most livebearers) are bottomless pits, and will constantly scour the tank for anything they missed.

Thanks. We need all the help we can get.

 

[mwood2]

ok so from what I gather, I just need to do my filtering every day or so and keep an eye on my Ammonia and stuff. How many Ghost Shrimp would you suggest and how much on the Plants. I have a Rather Large on on the Center. Also would a play thing where it can hide be a good idea right now as well?

Lastly I just have questions on the shrimp.

Blood worms 1-2 times a week would be sufficient right? When I Introduce the Shrimp is do I just use the net to drop them in the bottom? and do they need to adjust first?

 

[Corleone]

I'd start light on the shrimp - wait a few weeks after the cycle and introduce 1-2. I have 15 of them in with a betta. Scaling for the bigger size of the molly, 3-5 shrimp would be the most I'd try. They're very ammonia sensitive, so monitor water quality while you're introducing them - any measurable amount may wipe them out in short order.

They don't need any more acclimation than you use for fish. If your water chemistry is similar enough to the LFS, you can just dump them in.

Feeding bloodworm is nice as a treat - many fish love the stuff. Shrimp love anything that reaches the bottom of the tank. Small shrimp pellets go over well with mine, as does plain flake. Bigger ones will try to carry an entire pellet off on their own, which makes for occasional comedy gold.

 

[mwood2]

and with that I think Im good for now. With the exception of this last question. What about snail/mollusk, do thy do any good too and if so would it be wise for me to have 1.

 

[Corleone]

A lot of people will say otherwise, but really, snails are great. They make a better cleanup crew than any fish, and depending on the species, can serve other useful purposes. The species I've had experience with:

Pond/tadpole snails will breed rapidly and can be hard to control. They only caused me problems in large numbers.
Ramshorn snails breed more reasonably. They eat dead or unhealthy leaves off of plants, and do general cleanup work in the tank.
Apple snails (often sold as mystery snail, but that name isn't appropriate) rarely breed unless you adjust the tank to let them (they lay their eggs above water). They get big enough to be interesting to watch on their own. Unlike most snails, they aren't hermaphrodites, so if you only have one, it can't breed. Even in pairs, the eggs are easy to see above water.
Nerite snails are small, and rarely breed successfully in freshwater. They make good algae eaters. Mine have gotten tough algae off of rocks that my bristlenose doesn't even touch. Come in some many interesting colors, including ones with long "horns."
Trumpet snails will live under the gravel. You might never see them, but they do scavenge food or dead plants laying on the gravel, and move the substrate around.

 

[mwood2]

and would a Snail+Molly+Ghost Shrimp all get along?