Help Needed With Fishless Cycle (Started It Without Test Kit!)

[eaglesaquarium]

Taking pictures helps with getting a better sense for minor changes in colors...

 

[daveyjay1]

Taking pictures helps with getting a better sense for minor changes in colors...

 
Great idea - thanks for the tip - I will do this tomorrow.

 

[daveyjay1]

27th Jan Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0, Nitrate 5.0 ,PH Level: 7.6
28th Jan Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite between 2.0pmm and 5.00ppm
29th Jan Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite between 2.0pmm and 5.00ppm
30th Jan Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite between 2.0pmm and 5.00ppm
31st Jan Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0 (it look bright pink), Nitrate 5.0 ,PH Level: bewteen 7.8 and 8.0
1st Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
2nd Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
3rd Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
4th Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
 
Todays Results
5th Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite:  2.0!! (For the first time ever so far - the Nitrite stayed blue when I put in in the test tube - and developed to 2.0 after 5 mins, so a definite reduction - this is very exciting!)

 

[Gvilleguy]

Ah ha! Excellent. See? We told you so. I can totally relate to that feeling of elation when nitrite finally starts to go down!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Congrats... Its still going to take some time, but at least you can see some progress!

 

[daveyjay1]

Too much, IMHO.
 
Suggestions
 
A shoal of 6 of Chill Rasbora, Lambchop Rasbora, Celestial Pearl Danio, or similar small
+
A pair of either Peacock Goby, or Scarlet Badis, or a 4-5 group of male Endlers.
 
OR
 
4/5 male Guppies

 
Thanks for this! I like the look of the Chilli Rasbora - I have also been looking at Sparkling Gouramis - could these work? Also the dwarf Cory catfish.....
 
Ideally I would like to have
4 dwarf corys (for bottom dwellers)
A shoal of small fish (e.g. Chilli Raspora or lampeyes)
&  one or two other fish - top dwellers would be good - would Peacock Gobys or Sparkling Gouramis be good for this? If so would one or two be best?
 
Or would this be too many fish for the 10g tank?
 
Thank God I have got timt to carefuly think about this while I am cycling my tank - glad I didn't just pick a few from the LFS without doing the research first.
 
Sorry for all my questions!
 
Many thanks

Dave

 

[the_lock_man]

In a 10gal, there ain't much difference between top and bottom.
 
If you want cories (and frankly, who can blame you), then you need 6, and that's your shoaling fish done, having another shoal of chillis would be OTT.
 
Peacock Gobies generally stay near the bottom, if you wanted to push stocking a little, then 2 pairs of these + the chillis would work, or you could sub the chillis for pygmy cories, which can often go midwater. The other dwarf cory species are much more exclusive to the bottom.

 

[daveyjay1]

In a 10gal, there ain't much difference between top and bottom.
 
If you want cories (and frankly, who can blame you), then you need 6, and that's your shoaling fish done, having another shoal of chillis would be OTT.
 
Peacock Gobies generally stay near the bottom, if you wanted to push stocking a little, then 2 pairs of these + the chillis would work, or you could sub the chillis for pygmy cories, which can often go midwater. The other dwarf cory species are much more exclusive to the bottom.

Thanks again for your advice. My tank is tall rather than wide (I know - not the best shape!) so that is why I thought I should get some bottom, middle and top dwellers.
 
Hmmm - this is difficult! So if I got some dwarf cories - that are more exclusive to the bottom, what fish would work well with these at the other levels of the tank?
 
Fish I have been reading about are Scarlet Badis, Sparkling Gouramis, Honey Gouramis and all sorts of tiny rasboras. I also love the look of lampeyes.

What mix of these (or others) could work? Also - after my tank has fully cycled - do I add all at once? I have read different things about this so I am not sure what would be best.
 
Thanks again!
 
Dave

 

[the_lock_man]

Tall tanks restrict your stocking further, because there is less surface area than a wide tank - and it's at the surface that oxygen enters the water. The greater the surface area, the better the oxygenation of the water.
 
I would have to say to go with whichever shoaling midwater species you want, and then either the peacocks or the scarlet badis (1 pair only of either). I definitely think that no gourami species is going to be suitable.
 
You can add them all at once after your cycle is established.

 

[daveyjay1]

Tall tanks restrict your stocking further, because there is less surface area than a wide tank - and it's at the surface that oxygen enters the water. The greater the surface area, the better the oxygenation of the water.
 
I would have to say to go with whichever shoaling midwater species you want, and then either the peacocks or the scarlet badis (1 pair only of either). I definitely think that no gourami species is going to be suitable.
 
You can add them all at once after your cycle is established.

 
Fantastic! Do you mean I can have the dwarf cories with the shoaling midwaters and peacocks/badis?

 

[the_lock_man]

No. EIther the cories + goby/badis, or the shaoling midwater + goby/badis, but would suggest the midwater rather than the cories.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If you really want some "bottom dwellers", I'd suggest you look into snails or shrimp.

 

[daveyjay1]

27th Jan Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0, Nitrate 5.0 ,PH Level: 7.6
28th Jan Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite between 2.0pmm and 5.00ppm
29th Jan Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite between 2.0pmm and 5.00ppm
30th Jan Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite between 2.0pmm and 5.00ppm
31st Jan Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0 (it look bright pink), Nitrate 5.0 ,PH Level: bewteen 7.8 and 8.0
1st Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
2nd Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
3rd Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
4th Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: between, 2.0 and 5.0
5th Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite:  2.0
 
Todays Results
6th Feb Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: 0pmm!!
 
I can't believe it - double zeros!! So I guess I need to start testing every 12 hours now?
 
This is so exciting!

 

[Gvilleguy]

Congrats!! Yes - you want to feed ammonia to the tank every 24 hours, and test every 12. You want to have ammonia and nitrites both hitting zero in 12 hours. You are getting close now. Keep an eye on your pH as well to make sure it does not crash into the low 6.x range.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Congrats... +1 Gville's recommendations!
 
 
Time to really start scouting the LFS also.  Check around the immediate area, as well as some that are a bit further away.  Look for cleanliness of the tanks, helpfulness of the staff, health of the stock, etc.  Different stores will have different options, etc.  Give it a long look before deciding which is the best...  Also, check out what fish you would like, and what's available.  Sometimes you want fish that aren't really available... so keep that in mind.