25 Gal Setup

[leongreenway]

Hi,

Just want to double check setting up a new tank.

Last Thursday filled with water, added stress coat. Am buying some plants probably Thursday then introducing fish Saturday.

Want RT Black shark
either 2 Convict Ciclids or Calvus or firemouth
1 * medium algae eater.

all for 25 Gal

Firstly, have I cycled it correctly.
Secondly, how long do i leave it after plants have been introduced to put in fish, can i do it same day?
Thirdly, can anyone recomend and algae eater please.

Leon

 

[breezer40]

First thing you are going to need to do is add ammonia to the tank to start it cycling. Stress coat is declorinator and contains no ammonia. If you have a tank already set up elsewhere then you could sqeeze the filter sponges into the tank to give it a start. The time the tank will take to be ready depends on what if any bacteria you add and what source of ammonia but can take up to and sometimes more than a month.

You can although I just don't like this technique (Personal opinion and many will disagree) cycle with hardy fish such as danios. This puts the ammonia into the water (through the waste they make) which starts the cycle and with a bit of luck they might even live through it (but no guarantees). None of the fish on your list would live through the cycle. The other thing you will need to think about is what to do with the danios if they are lucky enough to live through the cycle.

 

[Matchu]

You can add danios, I added 5, and did a few water changed, and they appeared to be under no stress - but others will argue - but its true, you find yourself not really liking the danios, so Im trying to find them a new home - cant just dump em!

 

[Ferris]

Infortunately your tank won't be cycled yet, this can take a few weeks. The pinned article in the beginner section goes into all the details.

There are risks with your fish combination in that all your suggestions are aggressive. That doesn't mean it won't work, you just need to be aware of that. The best way to add those fish would be to buy them all as juveniles so they grow up together, this would help with the aggression.

With regard to an algae eater, 1 or 2 bristlenose plecs would be your best bet. I really reccommend you read the cycling article as adding fish already would put them at risk. The alternative is to add 1 or 2 fish to cycle the tank for you, again more info in the pinned articles.

Hope this helps

 

[Airli]

if you go with the fishless cycling, make sure you read as much as u can about it, because personally i found it very confusing. you will need to have kits to test your ammonia nitrate and nitrite levels.
i did a bit of a record of my fishless cycle only a couple of weeks ago. it might help u see how it goes
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...+fishless+cycle

i believe mine was pretty quick at 14 days. there is also plenty of info if you search for it in old posts.

good luck

 

[littlefishie]

Everyone else has covered cycling..

A RTBS will outgrow a 25g, I believe.

Try an established, monogamous pair of convicts, and two bristlenose plecs.

 

[Ferris]

A RTBS will outgrow a 25g, I believe.

I've had my RTBS in a 20gal (UK) for 3 years now, he's been fully grown for approx 2 years and he's fine. It can be done although i would certainly say this is the minimum tanks size for them.

 

[leongreenway]

Cheers

I have bee told that a RTBshark will be OK in a 20 Gal too.

Doing a cyle with fish...what does that involve, how do you do it please