Finally My First Fish Are In

[Jamie24]

Fishless cycle complete after five long weeks, 90% water change done yesterday & dosed for the last time afterwards, readings this morning as follows

Ammonia - Zero
Nitrite - Zero
Nitrate - 1ppm
PH - 6.9
GH - 5
Temp - 26c or 78f

Travelled to Rare Aquatics in Crewe this morning to purchase three plants, two anubias nana & one anubias hygrophila then on to A-Z Aquatics to get my 8 sterbai cories & I'm happy as larry.

Will be looking to purchase more fish maybe next month if I don't have casualties, looking at a couple more plants also but I want those that attach to wood....

Will try & get a few pics up soon

Quick couple of questions if you will... Should I feed the fish straight away & is there anything else I can do/add to settle them in ??

 

[Xraymark]

Congrats.

I see no harm in feeding them a little on the first day. It's probably a good sign that their settled if they feed. Not too much though.

Usually myself would keep the lights off for an hour or two once acclimated.

 

[Jamie24]

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Well done Jamie, they're lovely little chaps. Have you decided on the next fish yet?

 

[Jamie24]

Not sure yet, still debating the shoal I want, would like something colourful which shoals well (would get 12-14) but also have to fit within the temp as my future Bolivian Rams need 25degrees, Ive got a few weeks to decided yet... any ideas ??

Thanks for all your help Prime

 

[cynic]

Looking great. The wife is a sucker for cory's of any type.

Be aware being so close to the window algae is going to be an issue. Getting an algae eater of some discription be it a BN plec or snails will help no end, esp in early before it takes hold.

Bear in mind you will need to move the wood every couple of weeks or the sand trapped under it will go nasty.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Very nice looking tank you have there. Cynic has alreday mentioned the algea issue you will eventualy have. How about some Otto's to help out with that? Great little fish & fun to watch, although the tank may be a bit "new" for them.

Love those Sterbai Corys, I have a small group myself, when they settle in their lower fins will be a bright yellow.


Tom

 

[Jamie24]

Don't fancy a BN plec, ugly looking things & the floor space of the tank is limited, I do however have plans for a small group of oto's in a few months time when the tank has matured a little.... My 90% water change has obviously got rid of the algae for now & the oto's are somewhat sensitive to new tanks.... I wasn't aware the wood would need moving in time to help the sand so thanks for that advice guys...

I have put a single sinking pellet in the tank that hasn't been touched one bit, the cories are however very lively in the sand so is this lack of eating just one of them thing for now ??

Also I've just read that SAE can be kept as a single fish is this true ??

 

[cynic]

Crumble the pellet in a small amount of tank water, once its broken down pour into the tank.

The cories will search the tiny bits out of the sand like they would in the wild.

 

[Xraymark]

I have a BN and he works the whole tank. Stuck to everything. Quick we think, blink then he's gone.
Fair enough if not your bag.