Not Enough Fish?

[nike12301]

I'm fish in cycling with two neon tetras in a 36 gallon tank. For about three weeks, my ammonia has been no higher than .25 ppm and I've seen no nitrites. I seem to be kinda of stalled.

So in this thread (http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355), I read this...

"Firstly you need to look at what fish you have in the tank, you actually need to have a reasonable amount of fish to get your cycle going, I recommend about a quarter of the total stocking for the tank. The recommended stocking level is 1" of fish per US gallon of water. So if you have a 20 gallon tank, you should eventually aim for 20" of fish (not 1 20" fish, but 20" total combined from many small fish).To cycle the tank you need a quarter of this so 5" of fish."

Could this be what's wrong? Do I not have enough fish to actually cycle for my tank size?

It makes sense. At times, I've wondered how two tiny little tetras are going to leave enough ammonia in the water to even get the cycle going.


So the question I ask is should I get more fish? If so, how many?

Ideally, I'd like to end up with a school of neons, some creamiscle mollies, some glofish danios and a couple dwarf gouramis.

Are any of those hardy enough to add at this point? And how many more inches would you suggest?

 

[Smoothy]

Now I'm only a newbie myself so forgive me if I'm wrong ... but I was under the impression that Neon Tetras were only to be introduced to a fully established tank ... say 6 months or more?

Thought fish in cycling was best with Danios etc?

 

[nike12301]

Now I'm only a newbie myself so forgive me if I'm wrong ... but I was under the impression that Neon Tetras were only to be introduced to a fully established tank ... say 6 months or more?

Thought fish in cycling was best with Danios etc?

Yes I know... but I didn't find that out until I found this forum. The girl at the fish store actually recommended them. Regardless, there's nothing I can do about that now. I just want to get cycled so that they are safe.

 

[Smoothy]

Now I'm only a newbie myself so forgive me if I'm wrong ... but I was under the impression that Neon Tetras were only to be introduced to a fully established tank ... say 6 months or more?

Thought fish in cycling was best with Danios etc?

Yes I know... but I didn't find that out until I found this forum. The girl at the fish store actually recommended them. Regardless, there's nothing I can do about that now. I just want to get cycled so that they are safe.

Fair enough ... the things they tell you at certain fish shops from when I used to keep tanks years ago I was doing everything wrong ... thank god for this forum I hope to do it all the right way

 

[Kizz]

Easiest way round this take the neons back to your LFS and swap them for 3/4 danio's . People do say only add neons to an established tank but i had 15 in my tank 1 week after i got it 7 months later i still have 14 lol

 

[Lazerus]

Ah this brings me back Nike12301!

....I was also told by my fish shop that Cardinal tetras would be good starter fish..... nothing could be further from the truth.

Isn't it just shameful the way some neglectful pet shops have no qualms of conscience, and they will just say with a twinkle in their eyes 'Yes, that's right, you take those really sensitive, delicate fish and put them in your tank...they'll be fine" as they fill their cash registers up.

Anyway! To answer your first question, two tetras would definitely start off your cycling process, but it would be a very small colony of bacteria to cater for just the two little fish.

Is there any chance you could re-home the two tetra temporarily in a friends established tank or even in a smaller tank at home where you can take care of them easier and then then cycle your big tank using the 'fishless cycling' method?

 

[Truck]

Ah this brings me back Nike12301!

....I was also told by my fish shop that Cardinal tetras would be good starter fish..... nothing could be further from the truth.

your quite right, same for neons and rummy nose tetras too!

 

[nike12301]

Ah this brings me back Nike12301!

....I was also told by my fish shop that Cardinal tetras would be good starter fish..... nothing could be further from the truth.

your quite right, same for neons and rummy nose tetras too!

I have a three-month old 10 gallon tank with a betta in it across the room. I don't think I could put the neons in there, though.

 

[rabbut]

Contarary to popular belief of LFS staff, the fewer the fish during the set-up stage the better The more fish, the more Ammonia and Nitrite, the more the risk of loosing or seriously damaging the health of your fish

If you have Ammonia present from the fish you have, there is enough load to cycle the tank. Don't add more untill Ammonia and Nitrite have read nil for a week before you add more

All the best
Rabbut

 

[nike12301]

Contarary to popular belief of LFS staff, the fewer the fish during the set-up stage the better The more fish, the more Ammonia and Nitrite, the more the risk of loosing or seriously damaging the health of your fish

If you have Ammonia present from the fish you have, there is enough load to cycle the tank. Don't add more untill Ammonia and Nitrite have read nil for a week before you add more

All the best
Rabbut

Ok then what's with the post saying you need 25% of your total stocking for your tank to cycle? Is that not true?

How about the fact that I've had .25 ppm for ammonia for about three weeks without any real increase?

It seems like there's a lot of schools of thought that contradict each other on this forum and it's tough to sort out sometimes.

 

[Truck]

It seems like there's a lot of schools of thought that contradict each other on this forum and it's tough to sort out sometimes.

there are no rules in fishkeeping (well maybe a few)

 

[matchstickman47]

Easiest way round this take the neons back to your LFS and swap them for 3/4 danio's . People do say only add neons to an established tank but i had 15 in my tank 1 week after i got it 7 months later i still have 14 lol

'sobbing'
you were a lucky one i did the exact same thing with 6 then two died
bought six more
then four got destroyed by an insane finrot outbreak on christmas day
'still sobbing'

but i dont feel to bad cause i juz bought 7 phantom tetras (black)

 

[nike12301]

It seems like there's a lot of schools of thought that contradict each other on this forum and it's tough to sort out sometimes.

there are no rules in fishkeeping (well maybe a few)

I guess maybe I should rephrase my question.

What would make my tank finish cycling faster? Leaving the two tetras as is and hoping I finally see some nitrites soon? Or getting a fish more fish in hope that it will kick start things?

By the way, I have filter media from an established tank in there for about a week and I've used Stress Zyme and I still haven't seen anything other than just .25 ppm of ammonia and absolutely no nitrites in three weeks.

 

[matchstickman47]

the reason i bought neons as a starter was because i was worried id just put others in it and wouldnt have any space for them 6 months later

i didnt so my decision only cost me wo of em in the long term now they are all fine and other fatalities have been due to unrelated things

 

[Truck]

It seems like there's a lot of schools of thought that contradict each other on this forum and it's tough to sort out sometimes.

there are no rules in fishkeeping (well maybe a few)

I guess maybe I should rephrase my question.

What would make my tank finish cycling faster? Leaving the two tetras as is and hoping I finally see some nitrites soon? Or getting a fish more fish in hope that it will kick start things?

By the way, I have filter media from an established tank in there for about a week and I've used Stress Zyme and I still haven't seen anything other than just .25 ppm of ammonia and absolutely no nitrites in three weeks.

you cant speed a cycle up. stock from about 12.5% and do a fish in cycle, then stock another 12.5% every two weeks once the cycle over