Cycled Tank Ready For Fish

[fish mom]

My 30 gal tank has been showing double 0 for over 2 weeks it currently has 2 platys and 1 algae eater what other fish can I add?

 

[creeker]

Congrats! Go to your LFS, have a look around. Write down the names of the fish you like, then list them here and we can advise. There are too many possible tankmates, and I would hate to limit you to something you may not like. List several species, as some may get shot down. BTW, that algae eater, if it is a Chinese, may not be a good tankmate for many fish. They grow big and can get aggressive.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Is that a Chinese Algae Eater? If so, be careful adding any slow moving fish, as the CAE is likely to rasp on the flanks of other fish.

 

[fish mom]

No he is a siamese algae eater they said he was a good tank mate for almost any fish. Have I been misinformed about him?

 

[creeker]

Siamese are the good ones. They don't get so big and are not usually aggressive to other species.

 

[mrp3]

But sometimes stores lie and say Chinese are Siamese so check the stripe if it is black and slightly blurred on the side it is siamese

 

[fish mom]

It is black and blurred so hopefully he will do good. Should I add fish slowly so as to not over load my filter and go back into a cycle

 

[the_lock_man]

It is black and blurred so hopefully he will do good. Should I add fish slowly so as to not over load my filter and go back into a cycle

Definitely add fish slowly, to allow the filter bacteria colonies time to grow to cope with the additional bioload.

It mightn't be a bad idea to post a photo of your algae eater, to get a definitive identification - just to be on the safe side. You wouldn't want to invest loads of £/$ (delete as appropriate), and then find them decimated by an aggressive fish.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Agreed on double checking for the ID.

Also, yes increase the stock numbers VERY slowly. Normally the recommendation would be no more than 50% of the current stock at any one time. Keeping the stock adjustment that small will help the biofilter adjust without a minicycle. Adding more than that and you are risking it. Also, underfeed for the next week after adding the new fish. Fish can be fasted and should be fasted regularly. More food = more poop = more ammonia. Feed less when you add the new fish and the biofilter will have an even easier time dealing with the new arrivals. Wait at least two weeks before adding more. Feeding slightly more in the second week than the first. Repeat the cycle as needed until you achieve your desired/recommended stocking levels.


(BTW, I would get at least a 1:2 M:F ratio for the platies - or go with all males. Going all females is a bit dangerous as some arrive pregnant or develop the gonopodium later and will "change" gender).