A Wierd Question...

[OpalineAqua]

My friend says she has some fish called "hardy fish" but I've never heard of them. I don't know if she was referring to her fish being hardy, like strong, but then I asked her what kind of fish she has, and she said "hardy fish" I know it's kind of a confusing question, but are "hardy fish" real?

 

[paulbr1]

My LFS uses the name Hardy to describe fish you dont mind sacrificing in a "fish in cycle" rather than a particular fish!!!

Paul.

 

[OpalineAqua]

But my friend has had these fish for 3 years, so they're not cycling fish.

 

[greenscooby]

Platies are a hardy fish, they can live in a fish-in cycle as long as you do a minimum of 2 50% water changes every day until your water stats read perfect.

 

[paulbr1]

Yep, if you are lucky the will survive, but now I know about fishless cycling - no more Hardy fish for me - poor things

Paul.

 

[greenscooby]

Totally agrre with paulbr1.

My firdt tank was fish in,
my 2nd and 3rd was fishless, much prefer fishless.

Less stress,

Less hassle,

BUT MORE PATIENCE

 

[paulbr1]

Tell me!! day22

 

[greenscooby]

Totally agrre with paulbr1.

My first tank was fish in,
my 2nd and 3rd was fishless, much prefer fishless.

Less stress,

Less hassle,

BUT MORE PATIENCE

 

[paulbr1]

De Ja Vou

 

[greenscooby]

SORRY, messed up the edit!!!!

 

[OpalineAqua]

SORRY, messed up the edit!!!!

I thought you were just repeating yourself for emphasis.

 

[greenscooby]

Nah! My fault, wasn't paying attention!!

 

[OpalineAqua]

Once I actually posted something 7 times because I was confused and staring off into space.

 

[paulbr1]

I know - you are just trying to get your posts up

Paul. he he

 

[Underwurlde]

'hardy fish' is not a specific fish, rather it is a generic term used to describe what could also be called easy to keep fish... Hardy fish can better tolerate higher levels of Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate in the tank, and can also accept wide pH ranges for the water and water hardness conditions. In other words they are not fussy fish.

Hardy fish are therefore recommended for the beginner, because any start-up tanks that they find themselves in will have to go through a cycling period. 'using' hardy fish in this manner is called 'cycling with fish' & is not recommeded as it is quite cruel to the fish themselves - it will harm them & can kill them. Basically to cycle a tank you need ammonia in the water - i.e. fish pee. You're therefore making the 'hardy fish' swim about in it's own sh1t for a couple of months so that your filter can get to a stage where it can then clean the water!

Latter day thinking is the next obvious thing to do: 'Fishless cycling' - i.e. get some pure ammonia from a shop and use that instead of using a fish to generate it!

Andy