Questions regarding keeping a no-fish tank cycled

[Linda N]

Hello all - I recently started keeping fish again after a 40 year absence. I have been reading quite a bit on this website and have learned a bunch - I knew nothing about cycling as a teen when I first kept fish - guess I just got lucky I was able to keep them going in my ignorant bliss.

I have several albino cory catfish that have laid eggs a few times that so far have just gotten eaten by the occupants of the aquarium. I read a thread on this website about someone who hatched the eggs and the process that they used. Next time they lay eggs I would like to try and hatch them. I know this is a very small tank but if I have any success at all will get a larger one. I purchased a 3.5 gallon tank and am going to set it up as a hatchery tank in case the corys lay any more eggs. If they do I would remove them and place them in this tank. I have not yet set it up but have a few questions. I have read about how to cycle with ammonia - will that work in such a small tank? If so, once it is cycled if I put some snails in there and some live plants and put food in there for the snails, would they produce enough ammonia on their own to keep the cycle going? I am going to put sand in the bottom as a substrate - white so any fry are easy to see. I will be using floating plants and will move a couple of Marimo moss balls I already have into this tank. I am not planning on putting any fish in there so it will be fishless in the event I get some more eggs and move them into that tank to attempt hatching them. I have saved several articles on hatching and raising the fry. Any advice or input is appreciated.

 

[Mcsizzle]

I don’t know much, I’m still learning right now as well, but to start it I would get water from your already established fish tank

 

[Colin_T]

Don't waste your time getting a small 3.5g tank. Anything less than 10 gallons (2 foot long) is pointless and you may as well use a plastic Tupperware container, storage container, bucket or rubbish bin.

You don't want snails in a hatching tank because they eat fish eggs.

If you plan on breeding fish and want a filter for a rearing tank, put a couple of air operated sponge filters into the main aquarium and leave them there for a month. They will get beneficial filter bacteria growing on/ in the sponge and when you get eggs, you can simply move the sponge filter, some tank water, and the eggs into a new container or tank for hatching. The sponge will become established within about one month while living in the main tank, after which time it will be considered cycled.

After the eggs have hatched and the baby fish have been reared up, you can move the sponge filter back into the main tank until next time.

If you want to set up another tank and already have an established aquarium, you can take some of the filter media from the established tank and put it in the new filter in the new tank and you have a cycled aquarium. Then top up both filters with some new media.

If you are planning on getting another tank in the future, add some more sponges/ filter media to the current filter and leave them there for a month or more. They will develop beneficial filter bacteria and can be moved into the new filter when you get it and you won't have to cycle the new tank.

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The following link has some info about culturing food for baby fish. It's worth a read if you have time.
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/back-to-basics-when-breeding-fish.448304/

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I would also suggest a bare bottom tank for fry rearing... and add some java moss


The java moss will harbor some microfauna that allows the fry to feed, continuously.

This can certainly be supplemented with other foods, but you want to remove the uneaten food after an hour or so to keep the water pristine for the fry.


The bare bottom will make it easier to keep the tank perfectly clean.

 

[Linda N]

Okay no problem leaving the bottom bare and I won't put any snails in there. I have a sponge filter for the new tank because I read that the fry can't get sucked into them. In my established tank, there's not a lot of room on the bottom because I have wood, stones and plants throughout. Is it beneficial at all to just suspend the sponge in the tank to accumulate some of the beneficial bacteria that exist in the tank? There's no room in the existing HOB filter to put any extra media in there. I do a water change every week so no problem with using water from the established tank to put in the new one. I'll upgrade the size to 10 gallons. So far the catfish are not cooperating with new eggs - LOL - so I still have some time. They have laid eggs 3 times in the last few months. Once the tank is set up with water from the established aquarium and the sponge that I have left in the established aquarium for a month, what do I need to do to keep it cycled so the bacteria don't starve if there are no fish in that tank? Thank you for the information that you have provided.

 

[FishGuest5123]

If you have no room in the main tank for the new filter and can’t put the sponge in the main filter, then about all you can do is put the new sponge in the tank and allow some bacteria to start growing on it. Aquarium water carries very little beneficial bacteria in it so using tank water won’t really help. I would do as suggested above if you can find anyway to squeeze the new filter in. Allowing it to run in your existing tank will “ seed” the filter and in a month it may have enough bb to automatically cycle the new tank. You can also just use a portion of the original sponge in the new filter and also get an automatic cycle. No need to do this until a couple of days prior to adding the eggs. I breed goldfish, which are egg layers. I use a bare bottom tank and agree that it is easier to clean and not scoop up any fry in the process. If your eggs are laid on plants or driftwood, you can easily move them over to the new tank still attached to the plant/driftwood. Or use a breeding mop which I have never done. Add a little methylene blue to the water to prevent fungus from killing the eggs. Then sit back and watch Mither Nature do her thing. Most of all, have fun! Oh, I also use Hikari First Bites to feed fry. It is highly recommended and produces great results, Good luck!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The reason that the new sponge running in the tank would 'seed' it with bacteria is that the flow of water through the sponge would be higher... just having it sit in the tank would allow 'something' to be on it to start a cycle process, but not a ton.

I'd recommend a reading of Ian Fuller's take on raising cory fry... He's one of the world's leading experts on corydoras.
https://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8726

 

[Linda N]

So I put a sponge filter in this tank but it also came with a HOB filter. I was able to stuff the media from the HOB filter into the filter in my existing tank so the existing bacteria in the old tank can colonize the filter media. I'll let it stay in there for several weeks. I will get a sponge to slide over the intake once I move it into the new tank. No new eggs - which is good since the new tank is not ready for probably another month. That gives me time to learn more about the process. Thanks to everyone for your comments and recommendations - I appreciate it.