Beginner Fishkeeper

[Bungy]

Try if you can to stick to the very good advice given to you so far regarding the "Fishless Cycle"...I know from bitter experience that trying to rush things (without knowing about this forum and reading up first) and using hardy fish to cycle the tank I ended up with pretty much disaster - my fish ended up stressed as the cycle progressed through its Ammonia and Nitrite spikes and developed fin rot, Mould and White spot (ICH). The tank is relatively large (70G) and without a hospital tank (another very wise consideration for you to think about later) the medication for this volume of water wasnt cheap....I lost most of my fish and it took literally weeks of medications to eventually clear the diseases.

I have subsequently set up a 150L Cichlid tank and this time used household Ammonia (9.5%) to fishless cycle - It was fantastic and within 12 days I was cycling 50ppm of ammonia within 24 hours. I was therefore able to stock immediately with 9 fish and all have done fantastic with no signs of stress whatsoever.

Good luck to you whichever method you choose.

 

[onlinebug]

Thanks, I am going to visit my LFS and ask the guy in there for some mature media as he is experienced and knows what he is doing.

Also what does anyone think about this combo?

6 Tiger Barbs
2 bottom dwellers
4 tetras / white clouds

 

[rabbut]

Should be OK, but I'd knock one tiger barb off, and replace it with another tetra/WCMM, as they need the numbers. Niether of the other fish are overly suseptable to tigers, so should get away with a smaller group of tigers, infavor of larger groups of the others. Most bottom feeders are sholing fish, so again, may require a larder group than the one you have planned.

HTH
Rabbut

 

[onlinebug]

I will ask about the small pleco in there, as it may be a small pleco as there are a few plecos which dont grow over 4 inches.

 

[Bungy]

Be wary of Tigers, they CAN become fin nippers especially if kept in small numbers - Angels, Betta's and Guppies in particular seem to be targets. It may be an idea to miss off the Tigers at this stage until you are sure what other species you may want to put in there. Its fun to start off with Platys and perhaps Mollies and Guppies as these readily breed and its satisfying to rear your first lot of fry to adulthood. Your knowledge and experience will by then have grown and you will have a much better idea of what tank mates to add.

 

[rabbut]

There are only two plecos that spring to mind as being suitable. The common bristle nose and the clown/rubber lipped pleco. The latter would be best, as they are slightly smaller and produce less waste. You will need to wait a few weeks before adding them though, as they require a mature tank.

HTH
Rabbut

 

[onlinebug]

Be wary of Tigers, they CAN become fin nippers especially if kept in small numbers - Angels, Betta's and Guppies in particular seem to be targets. It may be an idea to miss off the Tigers at this stage until you are sure what other species you may want to put in there. Its fun to start off with Platys and perhaps Mollies and Guppies as these readily breed and its satisfying to rear your first lot of fry to adulthood. Your knowledge and experience will by then have grown and you will have a much better idea of what tank mates to add.

Read up i've changed it so the tiger barbs cant nip anyones fins