What Fish To Choose?

[aitchvee]

It's great when your tank finishes cycling. And it's quite good fun doing the tests. Makes you feel like a chemistry professor. Sort of!

 

[arvlyn]

Thank you for that post I do want to get some useful advice but it's so hard to post knowing that I may be doing things wrong. My fish are doing very well and I aren't overfeeding them so they seem to be happy enough. I am going to buy a test kit tonight and one thing I didn't mention earlier is that when I added my tap water before I got my fish I added a water conditioner to take out chlorine then also added something which you may have heard of called Stress Zyme which is a bacteria filtration solution that you add on the 1st, 7th and 14th day this seems to be having a posstive impact to the tank and I will post up later and let you know my results from the water test. Thank you again

A lot of people here do not like StressZyme so be prepared for that. I don't know if it's a UK vs. USA thing or what but I've used StressZyme successfully for *years* so I do recommend it.

It's great when your tank finishes cycling. And it's quite good fun doing the tests. Makes you feel like a chemistry professor. Sort of!

My husband calls me the "mad scientist" when I get all my test kits out!

 

[Cazangel]

Thanks for that info I am going to buy a full test kit tonight as the nearest store for me is 20 miles drive and at this rate I'll be spending more on fuel than water testing ! I am getting a full kit to test Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrites plus hardness and PH so I will post my chemistry findings later on, the turn around on how people have been since I posted earlier has made me feel much better as I do need your help and want to see this as something to enjoy not something to get me confused so thank you.

 

[Azaezl]

Hi,

Firstly I apologise if my post came across as negative at all that's not how I intended it and I'm sure others who posted did not intend theirs to be negative either just helpful.

I'd strongly advise you to take your tetras back if you can, that way they don't have to go through the strain of the cycling process, I'm sure if you just explained to your fish shop that your tank hasn't cycled yet that they'd be more then willing to keep hold of them for you. If you can't / don't want to and want to continue with the fish in then please be aware that it will be very stressful for them but they should make it(if you keep an eye on the water stats & act accordingly). I believe squid gave you the link to cycling with the fish in another post, so you know how to go about doing it with the fish in there.

I'm really glad to hear your getting yourself a test kit it's a necessity for the cycling process(as well as keeping fish in general) so it is worth investing in a good one.

Remember we are all here to help / advise you any way we can so please ask any questions no matter how trivial you may think they are and try to ignore any negative comments, like any online community there are always meanies around so just don't let it phase you.

Welcome to the forums and this highly addictive hobby

 

[Cazangel]

Thanks It was a number of comments to be honest that drove my feelings but like I said it's easy to tell anyone what they are doing wrong what I need to know is how to do things right and I seem to be getting that info now so thank you.

I am going to persevere with my Tetras mainly because I think they are doing well but I also feel that once I have my test kit I will be able to see what is happening and hopefully put right any problems I come across, plus one of my work colleagues has a tank and has offered my some filter media which will help my process along nicely.

I'll post later on tonight and tell you my test results and I'd be happy to know your thoughts on how they are looking

 

[Cazangel]

OK I have bought my test kit done the tests and here are the results I have had this tank set up for a week so if anyone can tell me how long the cycling takes too that would be useful I don;t want to buy anymore fish till I;m completely cycled now.
These test results are from the tank water

PH 7.6
AMMONIA 0.25
NITRITE 0
NITRATE 20

This is my first test with two fish in the tank so if anyone can suggest anything to help me from here please post up

Thanks

 

[DarkEntity]

Righty, your tank wasnt cycled, and its now starting.

Basically all you can do is water changes every day to keep the Ammonia and Nitrates at zero. (this will also keep your fish alive as Ammonia burns and well the rest is just harmfull aswell) Eventually you will get an Ammonia Spike, then later a Nitrite spike then lastly a Nitrate spike. Once all that has happened its cycled. Basically what is happening is that the fish waste is starting the Nitrogen cycle. You need to create bacteria to eat the harmful Ammonia and Nitrites (you will alway have a small Nitrate reading when cycled fully)

Cycles can take up to a month or more depending on tank size.

If you want to speed it up id suggest getting filter material from someone local and squeezing it into your filter this will help build a bacteria colony thus speeding up the cycle.

(if you havent already done so, have a read of the sticky)

Dont get down heartened most if not all fish shops experts know nothing about cycling a tank, its generally all about the sales.

 

[Cazangel]

Righty, your tank wasnt cycled, and its now starting.

Basically all you can do is water changes every day to keep the Ammonia and Nitrates at zero. (this will also keep your fish alive as Ammonia burns and well the rest is just harmfull aswell) Eventually you will get an Ammonia Spike, then later a Nitrite spike then lastly a Nitrate spike. Once all that has happened its cycled. Basically what is happening is that the fish waste is starting the Nitrogen cycle. You need to create bacteria to eat the harmful Ammonia and Nitrites (you will alway have a small Nitrate reading when cycled fully)

Cycles can take up to a month or more depending on tank size.

If you want to speed it up id suggest getting filter material from someone local and squeezing it into your filter this will help build a bacteria colony thus speeding up the cycle.

(if you havent already done so, have a read of the sticky)

Dont get down heartened most if not all fish shops experts know nothing about cycling a tank, its generally all about the sales.

Thanks for the advice, I have also taken samples from my tap water and they came out similar apart from the ammonia was zero obviously. I have done a water change tonight just a small amount but I will test again in two days and see what my results are, I was feeding the fish twice a day which I have cut back to once a day now so I can keep a close eye on the ammonia levels. I'll keep you updated on how this progresses.

From what you have said then when would it be safe to add more fish ? and can you recommend any hardy breeds for me to add next that will get on well with my Congo Tetras.

 

[DarkEntity]

Dont add any fish till the cycle is complete, it will make it much easier to monitor the water stats, than if you start adding to it.

Hardy fish....molly, guppy, platy (horrible fish all of them but hardy)

 

[arvlyn]

Hardy fish....molly, guppy, platy (horrible fish all of them but hardy)

Not horrible by any means in everyone's opinion!

 

[Cazangel]

Dont add any fish till the cycle is complete, it will make it much easier to monitor the water stats, than if you start adding to it.

Hardy fish....molly, guppy, platy (horrible fish all of them but hardy)

Once the Cycle is complete how many ifsh can I add I have read on a few threads that I will need to add gradually but once it is fully cycled as it is surely I can start adding more fish once I have had the spikes in Ammonia and Nitrite?

 

[Ian H]

Dont add any fish till the cycle is complete, it will make it much easier to monitor the water stats, than if you start adding to it.

Hardy fish....molly, guppy, platy (horrible fish all of them but hardy)

guppys are not hardy in the slightest! fart near the tank and they die!

i've never found mollies hardy either but i only had 2 from a shop i dont usually goto so dont go on my advice. Now platties are VERY hardy but if you add them now they are going to create way to much ammonia and it will take forever to cycle the tank.

My advice would be to take the fish back and do a fishless cycle. I'm using boots house hold ammonia as a source for the ammonia and all its going well this way no fish get hurt and by the end of it you cann add 70% of your full stocking rather than just 1 or 2 fish

 

[Cazangel]

Dont add any fish till the cycle is complete, it will make it much easier to monitor the water stats, than if you start adding to it.

Hardy fish....molly, guppy, platy (horrible fish all of them but hardy)

guppys are not hardy in the slightest! fart near the tank and they die!

i've never found mollies hardy either but i only had 2 from a shop i dont usually goto so dont go on my advice. Now platties are VERY hardy but if you add them now they are going to create way to much ammonia and it will take forever to cycle the tank.

My advice would be to take the fish back and do a fishless cycle. I'm using boots house hold ammonia as a source for the ammonia and all its going well this way no fish get hurt and by the end of it you cann add 70% of your full stocking rather than just 1 or 2 fish

I can't take my fishies back I want to keep them so I am stuck there but I want to get a few more once the cycle is complete and don;t want to get too many if it will not be a good idea, so once the cycle is complete how many can I get. I don;t fully understand why fishless cycling means I can add 70 % off fish once it's complete ?

 

[Ian H]

well if the only reason you can;t take them back is because you want some fish in there you are a very cruel person and obviously just want something pretty to look at rather than keeping them as a pet.

Anyways if your doing a fish in cycle (which you are) you can only add 1 or 2 a week iirc (i do fishless cycles so not 100% sure) but its because the bacteria takes a while to reproduce enough to keep up with the bio load. With a fishless cycle by the time you've finished it you have a hell of alot more bacteria in there to deal with it so you need to get alot of fish in there really to feed the bacteria

the best thing you can do if you want to do a fish in cycle is get some mature media from some one's filter or some bio-spira (think thats what its called, im in the uk so dont have it. We have a uk version but i've never tried it)

 

[Cazangel]

well if the only reason you can;t take them back is because you want some fish in there you are a very cruel person and obviously just want something pretty to look at rather than keeping them as a pet.

Anyways if your doing a fish in cycle (which you are) you can only add 1 or 2 a week iirc (i do fishless cycles so not 100% sure) but its because the bacteria takes a while to reproduce enough to keep up with the bio load. With a fishless cycle by the time you've finished it you have a hell of alot more bacteria in there to deal with it so you need to get alot of fish in there really to feed the bacteria

the best thing you can do if you want to do a fish in cycle is get some mature media from some one's filter or some bio-spira (think thats what its called, im in the uk so dont have it. We have a uk version but i've never tried it)

Right that is it I have taken so much patronising comments on this thread and now your calling me cruel I work for a charity to help with hearing dogs and I rescue animals you don;t know me, you have NO right to judge me and I am thoroughly upset by your comments. I will no longer be using this site and I have reported this awful abuse to the moderator NO ONE has the right to judge anyone for wanting to do anything there own way we can ask for advice and take it all on board but you have NO RIGHT AT ALL to call anyone cruel least of all me.

Thanks for nothing I will not use this site ever again and will go elsewhere for advice