A Little Confused?

[MarlinMan]

Hi everyone, I'd first like to say waht a great forum this is...

I recently bought a 60litre marina tank, dimensions similar to the pic in this link: http/www.seapets.co.uk/gallery/660231.jpg

At the time I hadn't found this forum and followed the shops advice. I set the tank up and left it to settle for a couple of weeks, adding the Nutrafin Cycle sample bottle that came with the tank and after that API Stress Zyme...I also added a little food each day as this was advised by the bloke in the shop.

I initially bought the API litmus paper test strips but now use the API liquid test kit.

During this two week period I also added some live plants as recomended by a friend (please note whilst he has two well established tanks of his own he doesn't read internet forums and doesn't seem too clued up regarding the Nitrogen cycle, etc)...he said they'd take ammonia, nitrite and nitrate out of the water. I have some Java Moss attached to a piece of wood, an Anubias attached to a rock and two bunches of Anacharis...I'm adding Love Fish plant feed at the recommended dosage and all seems fine (the plants have now been in for about 4 weeks).

After the initail two weeks I took some water to pets at home to be tested...he said that the water was fine and was ready for fish. He pointed out a few fish that he thought were suitable and in the end the Mrs decided on 6 Neon Tetras. When they first went in they seamed a little sheepish but eventually made themselves at home. This is when I started doing abit of digging and came across this forum. I realised I was in a fish in cycle and luckily from day one started to test the water and do daily water changes.

Initially I only tested for ammonia and the levels never exceeded 0.25ppm...but after three days I'd lost two tetras! Not a happy chappy and was starting to curse the bloke in the pet shop! However I kept doing the water changes and the reamining four fish have been fine ever since (when I first got them you could see that their fins had been nipped but they are now all fine)! After the first week I started testing Nitrite everyday and sporadically tested Nitrate...neither budged whilst I was doing the water changes.

My friend (the same guy who suggested the plants) then suggested that I shouldn't be changing the water so often because it would stress the fish and affect pH...Now I wasn't sure about this, but at the time after about two weeks of constant water changes I was still seeing no changes in nitrite or nitrate and the ammonia reading were reading the same as my tap water (undistiguishable between 0 & 0.25ppm)...

So I skipped a days water change still testing the water...all seemed fine so I skipped another day..still all read zero...

It's now been 8-9 days (I did a 50% water change two days ago just to be safe and due to abit of an influx in snails) and still the readings remain stable. My pH is stable at 7.4 - 7.6.

I'm not sure whats going on to be honest...Am I in a so called 'silent cyle' due to the plants? In which case if the plants are absorbing all the nasties will my filter still seed?

My Mrs has suggested adding a few more fish seeming as the results have been stable for a week...Should I? and if so what should I add? I've read that the neons like abit of company so would probably add a few more to increase the shoal...Don't want to overdo it however, maybe just 2 or 3 more?

I'm also condsidering replacing a couple of the plastic plants with a couple more live plants to maybe help with the increased ammonia from stocking new fish...Looking at another bunch on Anacharis and something with big broad leaves, that is hard to kill?!

I'd be interested to hear a few of your thoughts on this as I'm a little confused!

Also, when we first visited Pets at Home my fiancee said she really wanted a Siamese fighting fish and I must admitt I love the look of them too...this was part of the decision to go with Tetras as they are a favourite of mine and the guy in the shop said that they will co-exist quite happily...is this True? The Tetras do seem abit bossy towards each other...maybe they will calm down with a larger shoal? When would be the best time to add a fighting fish and should we go for male or female...

Also my mate suggested a Pleco to help keep the tank clean?

I know there's alot to answer there but I'm happily to go one step at a time...I look forward to your replies!

Regards

MarlinMan

 

[b0b95]

Definetly not a silent cycle. In order to silent cycle you would need much more fast growing stem plants, such as anarchris. It sounds like your tank is established if all the params are reading stable

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Have you never had a nitrite spike? You could add a few more tetras and a fighter, they will be fine together.

Keep testing the water afterwards as it will spike as you increase the bio load on the filter. It could be that there aren't enough fish to be able to get readings. Just a thought.

But by all means add a few more fish. Also your friend is wrong about water changes. If there is a reading of ammonia or nitrites it is far worse to leave it than changing the water.

Keep us posted on how things are going

 

[MarlinMan]

Definetly not a silent cycle. In order to silent cycle you would need much more fast growing stem plants, such as anarchris. It sounds like your tank is established if all the params are reading stable

Bob...I have two lots of Anacharis...14 or 15 stems in total and they are putting out new stems all the time.

Have you never had a nitrite spike? You could add a few more tetras and a fighter, they will be fine together.

Keep testing the water afterwards as it will spike as you increase the bio load on the filter. It could be that there aren't enough fish to be able to get readings. Just a thought.

But by all means add a few more fish. Also your friend is wrong about water changes. If there is a reading of ammonia or nitrites it is far worse to leave it than changing the water.

Keep us posted on how things are going

I had wondered whether I didn't have enough fish to produce readings! And no I've never had a Nitrite spike...could this have happened during the two weeks when I was just feeding food with no fish? I wasn't testing daily at the time.

RE: Bioload...would I be best adding a few more tetras initially and adding the fighter after or would that just result in two spikes? I'd also be interested to hear what other fish would co-exist with a fighting fish?

Thank you for your replies

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Any fish will co-habit the tank apart from other fighting fish, or fish with long tails, they think they are fighters. They aren't that clever lol. Also avoid fin nippers as well, Ie tiger barbs is the most popular fin nipper.

As to adding fish at different times, you will get 2 smaller spikes which is safer for the fish. I would suggest upping the tetras to 10 and then wait till the tank has settled then add the fighter.

I'm not very good at stocking levels so I'm not too sure how many other fish you could get in there. I know it's 1cm per 5 litres but as a newbie myself not sure how big certain species get.

I hope this is somewhat helpful. If I am missing anything anyone please let me know.

 

[MarlinMan]

Any fish will co-habit the tank apart from other fighting fish, or fish with long tails, they think they are fighters. They aren't that clever lol. Also avoid fin nippers as well, Ie tiger barbs is the most popular fin nipper.

As to adding fish at different times, you will get 2 smaller spikes which is safer for the fish. I would suggest upping the tetras to 10 and then wait till the tank has settled then add the fighter.

I'm not very good at stocking levels so I'm not too sure how many other fish you could get in there. I know it's 1cm per 5 litres but as a newbie myself not sure how big certain species get.

I hope this is somewhat helpful. If I am missing anything anyone please let me know.

Thanks agian for your reply...

I was planning on upping the tetras to 6 or 7 leaving me with abit of scope for variety although I do understand that the tetras would be better in larger numbers. I've read that 6 is the minimum. Just not sure what else to go for at the minute!

 

[The chilly dipper]

Have you never had a nitrite spike? You could add a few more tetras and a fighter, they will be fine together.

Keep testing the water afterwards as it will spike as you increase the bio load on the filter. It could be that there aren't enough fish to be able to get readings. Just a thought.

But by all means add a few more fish. Also your friend is wrong about water changes. If there is a reading of ammonia or nitrites it is far worse to leave it than changing the water.

Keep us posted on how things are going

carefull though some tetras can be keen fin nippers,if a fighter was introduced.

 

[MarlinMan]

Have you never had a nitrite spike? You could add a few more tetras and a fighter, they will be fine together.

Keep testing the water afterwards as it will spike as you increase the bio load on the filter. It could be that there aren't enough fish to be able to get readings. Just a thought.

But by all means add a few more fish. Also your friend is wrong about water changes. If there is a reading of ammonia or nitrites it is far worse to leave it than changing the water.

Keep us posted on how things are going

carefull though some tetras can be keen fin nippers,if a fighter was introduced.

Thanks chilly dipper, they are neons...heard that they were ok. Like I said above they do squabble abit but never show any signs of nipped fins themselves (unlike when they were introduced)...hoping a bigger shoal might calm them down abit!

 

[MarlinMan]

Sorry to keep posting lol, but I'm doing plenty of reading and keep coming up with different ideas.

I'm now considering adding a few more neons as mentioned, but before adding a fighter I'd maybe like to add a/some bottom feeders to help mop up any uneaten food etc. Love the look of Cories but I have a gravel substrate which I understand is not ideal? So any ideas?

My friend has a siamese flying fox which I love the look of and it seems to works its way around the whole tank, but I'm concerned that it might grow too big for my tank?

 

[MarlinMan]

Added 4 more Neon Tetras this afternoon...will test the water tonight and go from there!

 

[micko]

Well done on getting here and getting advice so early on. Like what was said before, add more neons, that would be my suggestion and keep testing the water. Corydoras need to be in groups of 6 at bare minimum. They can and do be kept alone or in pairs but its not suggested.

I would strongly advise you against getting a plec as the common ones grow huge, some near 2ft in length. Some max out at 6inches but again I wouldn't like to see a fish that size in a 60ltr.

Shrimp do a good job of eating algae and left over food and so do snails.

 

[MarlinMan]

Well done on getting here and getting advice so early on. Like what was said before, add more neons, that would be my suggestion and keep testing the water. Corydoras need to be in groups of 6 at bare minimum. They can and do be kept alone or in pairs but its not suggested.

I would strongly advise you against getting a plec as the common ones grow huge, some near 2ft in length. Some max out at 6inches but again I wouldn't like to see a fish that size in a 60ltr.

Shrimp do a good job of eating algae and left over food and so do snails.

I'm not a massive pleco fan tbh...Hence my query regarding the siamese flying fox...I've read that they grow to an average size of 11cm but whilst in the petshop today I read that they can grow to 20cm and can be aggressive towards smaller fish once they've grown!

Seen a few other fish that I like the look of today too...Glowlight Tetras (although the mrs wasn't so keen on these), Phantom Tetras and Columbian Redfin Tetras.

Considering another small shoal to add abit of variety and then the fighter once I'm happy that the tank has cycled...Not sure on the phantoms and redfins however as I read that the redfins can be fin nippers and the male phantoms can be territorial? The Mrs also said she liked Rummy nose tetras although haven't done any reading on these or the glowlights yet!

 

[MarlinMan]

The new fish have been in for over 24 hours now...I've tested the water twice...all the reading are fine...The fish have settled in well and seem very active and happy!

I'll keep testing but fingers crossed!

 

[MarlinMan]

48hrs and all tests still reading zero!

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Hmm. Sounds as if your tankwas cycled. Just keep testing for 7 days. And every time you add fish test for 7 days and be prepared to do water changes. But well done you got it easy haha!!