Finally Cycled! Now Who Can We Add...?

[sadguppy]

FINALLY my 65l is cycled. Unfortunately we lost (literally, no idea where they went) a few danios and stopped adding fish once we found out more about the new tank cycle, so it looks a bit bare. We currently have a few male guppies, a few male platies, four shrimp which hide constantly and six danios. What other fish would get along with them? The PH is about 7.8.

We are hoping to upgrade to a 180-200l very soon, and all going well space won't be an issue if we do. Just interested to know where we can go from here as the more I learn the more I realise a tank is wasted on guppies!

 

[CezzaXV]

I always find it a useful experience in these situations to go to your local LFS and see what you like the look of. There are so many fish I'd say "no way" to after seeing pics online but they're gorgeous in the flesh.

 

[KittyKat]

What are the dimensions of your existing tank? Do you plan to upgrade soon (1-3 months) or not? What will the dimensions of your new tank be? What species are the danios? What decor would you *like* to see in your new tank?

 

[BETTY BOO]

I always find it a useful experience in these situations to go to your local LFS and see what you like the look of. There are so many fish I'd say "no way" to after seeing pics online but they're gorgeous in the flesh.

congrats on your tank finishing its cycle
+1 go see what you like the look of and come home and research them.i love taking trips just to go look at the fish.does that make me weird

 

[sadguppy]

What are the dimensions of your existing tank? Do you plan to upgrade soon (1-3 months) or not? What will the dimensions of your new tank be? What species are the danios? What decor would you *like* to see in your new tank?

Currently its 2ft x 15inch depth, about the same high.

I hope so, we are looking ideally for a fluval roma 200 but waiting for a good 2nd hand one to come up and not having a lot of luck.

Danios are zebras, nice fish but a lite dull in comparison to the platies.

I like lots of live plants and bogwood and real or realistic rock or slate with gravel substrate.

 

[KittyKat]

Right now, your tank is basically fully stocked because the danios and platys do get quite large and there isn't really enough space for the danios as it is. You will be able to get more stock once you upgrade the tank, of course.

What are the plans for the danios? If you keep them, something like this would work:
* 10 zebra danios (not 100% compatible with guppies)
* male platys
* male guppies
* 1m 2f bristlenose plecos (or any other pleco under 5")
* 1m 3-5f honey gouramis (not 100% compatible with guppies)

Personally, I would take the danios back to the shop, as I think that while a 3 ft tank is a minimum for them, they do better in a larger tank with a strong current and go for something along the lines of:
* 15-25 hengeli rasboras
* a few pairs of small, peaceful gouramis (i.e. not the common ones)
* male platys
* male guppies
* 1m 3f plecos (I'd probably go or LDA031, but pitbull or bristlenose would go well)

 

[sadguppy]

Ok so, bit quicker than I thought....I now have my brand spanking new 3ft tank, oops! Won't be taking anyone back, they seem to get along fine atm. Will have a look at gouramis and plecs, thank you.

 

[KittyKat]

Congrats on the new tank, it might be a good idea to keep the old one as a quarantine tank.

Basically, the more danios, the less likely they are to bother anything else.

The only *common* alternative that I can recommend to honey gouramis are dwarf gouramis, but dwarfs are more likely to be problematic with guppies. I recommend you avoid the larger gouramis (three-sports - all colour morphs, lace gouramis, moonlight, etc) as I think they should have a 4+ ft tank.

If you change to sand, 10+ small-medium Corys would be an alternative to plecos…

 

[sadguppy]

We have now set up, as before but Roma 200 with a sand substrate. I assume using my old filter will help it cycle quickly? Everyone seems to be doing ok but they look very lonely!

 

[KittyKat]

It is best if you move all old media into the new filter for insta-cycle, and second best if you add the old filter to the new tank alongside the new filter. I would say media transfer in some form is a *must*, given how much harm any amount of ammonia can do to fish.

 

[sadguppy]

I have put some sponge from another tank in the new filter, but only a tiny bit as that's all I could spare, and have both that and and the other filter running and will do for as long as it is needed, say the next few weeks or so?

My old filter is an interpet pf3 the new one is a fluval u4

 

[KittyKat]

I have put some sponge from another tank in the new filter, but only a tiny bit as that's all I could spare, and have both that and and the other filter running and will do for as long as it is needed, say the next few weeks or so?

4 weeks is the absolute minimum or bacteria transfer, and I consider 6 weeks as a safe minimum

 

[sadguppy]

That's fine, 6 weeks it is then! I hope my friends who are coming to stay at the end of march can sleep through the sound of both and the edge.haha!