i got fish!

[fish boi]

my lfs store suggested that i do a cycle with fish. i asked them about fishless cycle and they said they were getting dr tim's one and only in 2 weeks! so i got 3 goldfish in my tank right now to cycle it they are about 1-2 inches and there names are honey, salt and pepper. (fish store said they could take them back after the cycle is done)

 

[Demeter32]

I hope you plan to do frequent daily water changes. 3 goldfish, even though small, create a tremendous amount of ammonia in a short amount of time. You may not have any fish to return if you're not careful.

This is why a fishless cycled is better, or at least getting some established media to kick start the cycle.

 

[SeanTrollope]

well to be honest if you do get it right it will probably go quite quickly.

 

[fish boi]

I hope you plan to do frequent daily water changes. 3 goldfish, even though small, create a tremendous amount of ammonia in a short amount of time. You may not have any fish to return if you're not careful.

This is why a fishless cycled is better, or at least getting some established media to kick start the cycle.

how many times should i do water changes a week and how much water
i am cycling my tank so i don't want to do so many water changes if anyone has could help me that would be great

 

[Crispin]

A while back when I did an accidental fish in cycle I was having to do two large water changes a day with 6x juvenile Red Eye Tetra to keep Nitrite at bay. The Ammonia levels never really went above 0.5ppm, the Nitrite on the other hand would build up very quickly indeed. This was in a completely unsuitable tank mind you, the fish were given to me by someone who had to get rid of the fish in a hurry so they were housed in a 12g cube tank for a couple of weeks.

I would never intentionally go through that again, was hard on the fish stressing them out with Ammonia, Nitrite and water changes. They were very lethargic during the entire process but are much happier these days now that they're in a much bigger cycled tank.

 

[Byron]

I must respond to this thread. We have many new members, meaning new to the hobby as well as the forum, and reading this thread they could easily get the wrong idea so the record must be set straight.

Putting fish in a new tank with no method of seeding the nitrifying bacteria is cruel to the fish. Regardless of how many water changes you do, they will be impacted, and this is permanent.

Crispin mentioned a case where out of necessity this had to be done, and that is understandable. When we have such situations not of our own making, we do the best we can. But never forget that high ammonia and high nitrite, however sporadic it may be through multiple water changes, is still damaging the fish internally, and this is irreversible. The fish are permanently injured physiologically. They will be weakened and thus more susceptible to other health problems all their lives, directly caused by this initial poisoning. I can guarantee they will live shorter lifespans, again directly the result of this internal damage.

Fish can be added to a new tank only if you have some means of dealing with the ammonia, then the nitrite. Live plants that are fast growing (floating are best for this) can allow this to work without damage to fish, other things being equal. Daily substantial partial water changes using a conditioner that targets ammonia and nitrite (Prime, or Ultimate) helps too. And seeding the tank with live bacteria or a bacterial supplement.

This was absolutely terrible advice from the fish store. And what about the deliberate harm to the poor goldfish? Using any fish to "cycle" a tank is cruel. This store's advice is something you should never rely on again.

 

[fish boi]

I must respond to this thread. We have many new members, meaning new to the hobby as well as the forum, and reading this thread they could easily get the wrong idea so the record must be set straight.

Putting fish in a new tank with no method of seeding the nitrifying bacteria is cruel to the fish. Regardless of how many water changes you do, they will be impacted, and this is permanent.

Crispin mentioned a case where out of necessity this had to be done, and that is understandable. When we have such situations not of our own making, we do the best we can. But never forget that high ammonia and high nitrite, however sporadic it may be through multiple water changes, is still damaging the fish internally, and this is irreversible. The fish are permanently injured physiologically. They will be weakened and thus more susceptible to other health problems all their lives, directly caused by this initial poisoning. I can guarantee they will live shorter lifespans, again directly the result of this internal damage.

Fish can be added to a new tank only if you have some means of dealing with the ammonia, then the nitrite. Live plants that are fast growing (floating are best for this) can allow this to work without damage to fish, other things being equal. Daily substantial partial water changes using a conditioner that targets ammonia and nitrite (Prime, or Ultimate) helps too. And seeding the tank with live bacteria or a bacterial supplement.

This was absolutely terrible advice from the fish store. And what about the deliberate harm to the poor goldfish? Using any fish to "cycle" a tank is cruel. This store's advice is something you should never rely on again.

ok i put the a capful of prime with the goldfish at the start. when should i do a water change

 

[Byron]

If this were me, I would take the goldfish back now, tell them you do not want to be harming fish, and wait for the Dr. Tim's product, then follow directions.

Only buy fish you actually want to keep in the tank.

 

[Demeter32]

It's been a while since I've had to cycle a tank (years actually) because I have plenty of established media to start a new tank if I wanted. Can't say I'm up to date with the fishless cycling products so take the advice of others with more experience about what products to use.