36 Gallon Bowfront Cycling

[Bunchbro84]

Hello,
 
I got a nice tank as a Christmas surprise and it is a 36 gallon bow front. There are currently two mollies in there as hardy fish to start the cycle. The man at the lfs said that it is appropriate for 1 inch per 4 gallons when it is cycling. I am wondering how long it will take to cycle the tank because we would like to see more fish in it soon. Also, the substrate is gravel and how often should I do a water change (for a 10 and 36 gallon).The filter is rated for 50 gallons so I expect to not have to change the filter too often. Anything that will help cycle is good.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Please return the fish to the store for credit, tell the nice man at the lfs who must have no clue how to do a fishless cycle which means no fish will be harmed or die. Then read this article here on the site as to how to do a fishless cycle. When done, go back to the store and get fish to stock your tank fully all in one go.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first

 

[Alasse]

Do you have a test kit? Being new to fish keeping you will need one to do a fish in cycle

 

[ReMz]

Bunchbro -
 
Congrats on the new tank! You have decent information from the LFS. Ideally you would want to cycle the tank w/o ANY fish. Very easy and the preferred method. TwoTankAmin posted some very good info there.
 
Cycling the tank with 2 cories is not recommended at all.... you might lose them and will have to wait a LONG time with a tank that size to get a decent cycle going. Plus it does require a lot of know-how.... we can coach you through it if you want.

My first advise would be to get another filter in the tank, even a smaller one. Simply for the fact that you can clean one filter and have the other one fully cycled - alternating.
 
Before I get too into things, what sort of fish are you wanting to keep in there?

 

[Bunchbro84]

Hello, I was thinking of a community tank with 5 glo tetras, 5 neons and 2 more mollies and 2 otos. I am relying on the inch per gallon rule and that adds up to about 36 inches for a 36 gallon tank. I understand you can't put them all in at once and that you should do it gradually or when it is fully cycled. Tank readings right now are

Ammonia is at .25

Bunchbro -
 
Congrats on the new tank! You have decent information from the LFS. Ideally you would want to cycle the tank w/o ANY fish. Very easy and the preferred method. TwoTankAmin posted some very good info there.
 
Cycling the tank with 2 cories is not recommended at all.... you might lose them and will have to wait a LONG time with a tank that size to get a decent cycle going. Plus it does require a lot of know-how.... we can coach you through it if you want.
My first advise would be to get another filter in the tank, even a smaller one. Simply for the fact that you can clean one filter and have the other one fully cycled - alternating.
 
Before I get too into things, what sort of fish are you wanting to keep in there?

Fish are 2 mollies not corys. I was told they are hardy fish and can withstand the cycling

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

I would not follow the inch per gallon rule.
 
Both tetra species need to be in groups of 6+, the ottos are hard fish to keep, as they tend to not eat right away and many die off. You also have to have algae for them, because they dont eat commercial foods much. As well as they also need group of least 6+. And the best ratio for mollie is 2 females to 1 male, but they breed rapidly.

 

[Bunchbro84]

are there any other fish for algae control
 
also we will hopefully be getting 6 neons and 5 glofish
 
any fish that can be algae eaters that are small would really help
 
I don't know if we shold keep the mollies because I would like other fish in there instead.

I also have a kit and am monitoring the tank closely
I added some start zyme to see if it would speed up the process a tad.
 
I really don't want to see the 2 mollies go but if it is necessary I will do it.

 

[PlumbersMerchant]

Most corydoras would be cool but they prefer/need sand substrate or so I've been told

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

Corydoras need sand substrate, and groups of 6+
 
Bristlenose plecos get 4-6 inches, and dont need groups. As well as they have lots of color variations.

 

[ReMz]

Be patient and let the tank cycle.
 
You will not be seeing algae issues anytime soon if you set things up properly. If you get some algae, then come back to talk about algae eaters... Otos are still a great option, but not now.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Agreed, otocinclus are a great fish, but they can be slow to accept non-algae foods, so they are best added to a cycled tank and one that already has some algae growth for them to munch on immediately.  If not, they can actually starve.