Aquarium Newbie Looking For Advice

[Rynofasho]

Hello all,

This is my first foray into an aquarium, and I must say, the amount of information/misinformation out there is pretty daunting. I'm the kind of person who is methodical and researches everything to death prior to executing, however my wife is not, and let's just say she got me into Petsmart and blindsided me

Anyhow, to the details - we ended up getting a 36 Gallon Bowfront aquarium from Aqueon as part of a kit. It included a heater, lid, filter, etc, and we've got a lot of other stuff already in the tank.

We are cycling with 4 long finned Zebra Danios and Seachem Stability (read about fishless, however opted to cycle with fish). I have a few days left until that should run its course, however everything is going well for now.

So onto the questions. We're using smooth gravel for our substrate. I really, really want to get about 5 or 6 Corys, and now from what I've read, even smooth gravel isn't really a good choice of substrate for them. LFS and various internet sites advised at a 2" layer of gravel, and I'm probably at around 1.5" around the tank. The first question is IS gravel ok as a substrate? I know sand is optimal, however I'm a bit past that considering the tank is full and cycling and I'm pretty sure that good bacteria are also forming on our gravel as well as in the filter. The second question is if I'm using gravel, is 1.5" too much and will it cause an undo amount of food to be missed and spoil? Is it feasible to change substrate now even without having to siphon everything out into 7 buckets and change it that way or is there a better plan?

Lastly, what is a good other group of fish to stick with the Danios and Corys? As I'm a beginner, I figure I shouldn't overdo the 1" / gallon rule, and as it sits, that puts me at 23" of fish already once they are grown (4 x 2" for the Danios and 5 x 3" for the Corys)? It seems that most fish you should either get 1 or 5-6 of, and you can't mix a lot of the '1' fish like Rainbow sharks and Red Tails, so I feel like I am almost stuck with getting another 5 of something unless im ok with a fairly understocked tank. I want to stay away from Mollys / Platys as I have heard they get sick fairly easily.

Any good suggestions or advice? Oh and is it bad that I already want to get a 75 gallon tank?

 

[Uriel]

I'm a begginer also so all my advice needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Lots of people keep cory's on gravel it's not the optimum substrate for them but they normally do ok. Be aware that certain types of cory are more fragile than others, so it's worth researching the particular variety you would like to see if they will fit your water conditions/tank age and substrate. You can add sand over gravel or you could add a small island of sand in the tank but mixing substrate is a pain and you would have to insure the sand was very well washed. The main issue with gravel and cory's is if there are any sharp edge's they damage there feelers(not sure of proper name) and this can lead to either disease/infection or them going off eating.

 

[Katty]

If you have something other than an undergravel filter, like a hang on back or box type, you can use as much or as little gravel you want. If you're concerned about food spoiling in the gravel, just make sure when you do your weekly water change you use a gravel vacuum to get out all the bits of food and poo you can, that should take care of any problems. If you want to go with plants you might need more than 1.5 inches but I wouldn't worry about plants at this moment.

If you have a hang on or box type filter, most of the bacteria will be living in the filter, not in the gravel. So if you want to change the gravel out now, go ahead and do so. It'll just be harder later once you have more fish and everything else in there. It's still a ton of work though! I know a lot of people recommended sand for corydoras, they do seem to like sticking their faces in it a lot more, but I've found mine did fine and are healthy with both smooth gravel and rough gravel. I've actually read that "barbel erosion" might just be a myth, and keeping water quality up is much more important than the substrate type. If you want to play it safe and give them a treat, go with sand, but they won't self destruct or anything if you leave them with the smooth gravel.

As for fish, there are tons to choose from. What kinds/shapes/colors are you interested in? Some fish do like to be alone or in schools, but you can also have pairs and trios of some kinds of fish.

I'm assuming you've got ammonia and nitrite test kits already? Other than that, if you haven't read the resource center here yet, it's great: Link

 

[Rynofasho]

Thank you both for your help. That makes me feel a bit better about it all. I do have some live plants in the tank but I have a feeling they arent going to live too long so I'm sure Ill end up with all fake plants soon.

As for fish, I think it would be nice to have 2 more species, so I'd prefer to have fish that will be fine in groups of 2-3. Looking for tropical community fish that are good for a beginner. I was almost thinking one either Red Tail or Rainbow shark and then a group of 3 somethings. Just need to find that something.

I have a hang on filter, but if you think that they will do fine in gravel, I'm not going to waste my time and I suppose if they dont do great I will re-evaluate.

I do have kits to test, yes. My ammonia never spiked super high, maybe 1.5ppm, and it is actually coming down now, somewhere around 0.75ppm perhaps. I have some strips to test nitrite but they are tough to read. I do have a nitrate test too, so Ill be sure the tank is cycled and then do a 20% change before putting a new species in.

Lastly, if I am getting 5 Corys, should I get say 3 one week and then 2 a week later, or is 5 at once ok with fresh water in there and minimal load right now?

 

[Timmy_Bee]

a general rule is never double your stock in one day.
Once your filter is cycled, it should be able to double its colony of bacteria within 24h, so if you have got 4 fish at the mo, i would say get 3, wait a few days (checking your water stats / do water changes etc) then add the next 2.
On the subject of tests - are you using paper strip tests, or a liquid based one? Most people on here take the results of the stip tests with a pinch of salt (to say the least!) - i would recommend getting a liquid one, like API Master

As for the shark - it can be a gamble. I have got a red-tail and he is great, but some people do say they are agressive - so be warned! the main rule with these is don't have any other fish that look similar (body shape / colour) otherwise they will get nasty.

PS as for your shoal of 2-3, have you considered dwarf Gourami?

 

[Jenste]

a shark is definitely NOT recommended in such a small tank!

as for cories - - sand is a much better substrate because their "whiskers" - barbels - can be broken off in gravel as they hunt around for food.

the 1" per gallon rule is rubbish -- a nice catchy little rule made up by pet stores to make a profit.

think of it this way - - ten 1" neons are going to put out different waste than two 5" cichlids and MUCH different waste than one 10" oscar or goldfish.


for your tank, you can have a nice amount of shoaling small tetras with a nice "centerpiece fish" such as a opaline gourami or a dwarf cichlid.


also, since you are doing "fish in" cycling... up your numbers slowly.
with 4 fish already, add two.
after a week, add two more.
after another week you can add 3-4.

this gives the bacteria in your filter time to build up to the new waste output so that you do not have an ammonia spike and harm your fish.

 

[nathan1978]

help help help sorry if wrong place ive got 4 zebras 2 died of to much water taken out 2 male guppys 2 corys 6 glowlight tetras the thing is 1 of my glowlight tetra are nibbling my male guppys how do i stop this get more guppys so they dont attack and 1 of my zebras have no finn only a stump but swims fine ive no plants in but getting at weekend so the guppys can hide i herd u need 3 female guppys to 1 male is this right im getting 2 more zebras to cos they are skooling fish i been told that glowlight tetras get on with my other fish so why is my tetras attack my guppys thanks

 

[Skittle]

Tetras unfortunately can be quite nippy, especially when there's a long colourful tail of a guppy flapping in their face. However, this is not always the case and there are many exceptions. Adding more plants would definately give the fish some shelter, and may decrease the bullying from the glowlights. However if it continues, it may be that one or the other may have to go.
I wouldn't add any more fish until you've checked the water chemistry for nitrates, ammonia etc. Otherwise you may end up with another 2 dead fish.

Skittles

 

[Rynofasho]

Alright, sounds like patience is a virtue and I should just wait it out. I would have expected my ammonia to spike a bit higher than it did, but it never really got higher than 1.5ppm (I didnt measure it one day however I wouldnt think it would double or something to that affect in one day).

I have liquid tests for everything except nitrItes which I have been unable to find so far. Still have to keep checking back into PetSmart to see if they get it in.

I think I'll hang tight until I'm absolutely sure I'm cycled and then pick up a few peppered corys and see how they do. Thanks!

 

[Lolly123]

Hi,

Just had a browse over your post and if im right since ive skimmed the details you are a few weeks in to your fish-in cycle?

To be honest, 1.5ppm of ammonia is completely toxic being that you have fish in your tank. I believe that anything over about 0.25ppm can cause some very significant damage and even deaths. If it's anything over that you need to get it down to an 'acceptable' level. How often do you test your parameters? Because you said you'd be surprised if it doubles in one day, well, a cycling tank can fluctuate quite dramatically, i'd say testing twice a day is a good habit while your cycling, and be prepared to water change a lot, if you aren't already.

I dont mean to rain on your parade or anything as you seem quite excited about your new hobby and thats how it meant to feel But dont fall in to the temptation of many others and buy some more fish at this delicate stage. I've killed fish in my impatient newbie days and nothing makes you feel worse than that feeling in the pit of your stomach which screams guilt.

On a more positive note, once you have delved more in to the technicalities and have succesfully cycled and established your aquarium, you can enjoy the hobby and then look forward to buying fish, upgrading, gaining experience and realising just how much this hobby has to offer.

Good luck.

 

[Skins]

I agree with lolly123 you want to get those ammonia levels down urgently and the only way that can be achieved is with a large water change(75% min), followed by parameter checks and possibly another water change if ammonia reading is still over 0.25ppm.

Skins.

 

[Katty]

For the liquid nitrite test, if you have a Petco around, try there. They seem to have more fishy stuff than Petsmart, as far as chains go. Petsmart is pretty silly with the test kits they do stock, check with the manager because they may never have a liquid nitrite test for sale outside of the master kit.

Agree with the above on lowering the ammonia and taking a look into gouramis. Also, an important piece of advice always research a fish at home before you buy it and double check whatever the store clerk says. There are some fish out there that grow to be humongous or are really delicate that people accidentally end up with because they looked so cute and tiny as babies in the store.

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Rynofasho.

Let's go back to the beginning. Your fish-in cycle will not "run its course". You cannot simply "wait it out". It will take about 4 to 6 weeks for a filter to cycle while you maintain the fish in good health in your tank by doing frequent large water changes. There are simply no shortcuts to cycle a tank unless you can obtain a sample of media from a mature filter. In that case, you may be able to shorten the time it takes for your cycle to about a week. The bacteria in a bottle products that are sold will typically cause a cycle to take about 4 to 6 weeks total. I am well aware that the time frame is identical to the typical fish-in cycle time that I gave earlier. We have yet to see any of those products cause any benefit at all in terms of speeding a cycle. The only benefit I have seen them provide is a profit to the fish shop selling them.

Please read up on the fish-in cycling process that we have posted here on TFF. The essence of doing a fish-in cycle is simple to state. You do water changes to maintain both your ammonia and nitrite readings at less than 0.25 ppm at all times. The actual cycle takes care of itself with no real interference from us. When you find that maintaining the water quality no longer takes much effort, if any at all, your tank's filter has cycled.

 

[Timmy_Bee]

help help help sorry if wrong place ive got 4 zebras 2 died of to much water taken out 2 male guppys 2 corys 6 glowlight tetras the thing is 1 of my glowlight tetra are nibbling my male guppys how do i stop this get more guppys so they dont attack and 1 of my zebras have no finn only a stump but swims fine ive no plants in but getting at weekend so the guppys can hide i herd u need 3 female guppys to 1 male is this right im getting 2 more zebras to cos they are skooling fish i been told that glowlight tetras get on with my other fish so why is my tetras attack my guppys thanks

Some punctuation wouldn't go a miss. Sorry - I have no idea what you're trying to say.

 

[BigJim]

I am in the middle of a fish-in cycle and one thing that should be added here is to make sure you add a de-chlorinator to your tap water during water changes. I would recommend buying the following if you have not done so already. It will be money well spent and I have found all of them at Petsmart, Petco and my local fish stores.

-De-chlorinator (Sea Chem Prime or Tetra Aqua Safe): Less than $10USD and a little goes a long way
-Siphon for cleaning gravel: $20 to $30
-5 gallon bucket or two: $2 to $3 each at a hardware store
-API Master Test Kit: $30 to $35

Here is how my cycle is going. I am currently on day 12 with 5 danios in a 20 gallon tank. My ammonia levels have remained at .25ppm or less as long as I continue doing 50% daily water changes. I still have 0 nitrites and only trace amounts of nitrates, so I have a long way to go before the tank is cycled. I am used to the water changes now and it only takes about 10-15 minutes when I get home from work. Hopefully this helps. Don’t get discouraged, be patient (I’m dying to get more fish too) and good luck!