Hi

[daniel01]

Hi new to the forums and new to fish keeping. Got my tank last week so maybe be able to put some fish soon.

 

[lilfishie]

Hi and to the forum, be sure to cycle your tank before adding your first fishies

 

[daniel01]

hi lil fishie, i was told by my local aquarium that 1 week should be enough time for the tank to cylce. Would you say thats about right as i have no idea about how long they should cycle for.

 

[J4MES]

Yo hi,

A few weeks is normally long enough!

J4MES

 

[Rillan]

hey daniel. yeh 1 week should be enough. i was silly and put them in on the day i got my tank. but they are still alive

 

[Picoreefer4966]

One week is not enough time to cycle a tank. Your tank needs to build up a bio filter of nitrifying bacteria in order to sustain the fish you put into it and have them and the tank be healthy. During this cycle your tank will go through high spikes of toxic amonia and nitrite that can kill and will definately affect the health of your fish in the long run, if they do live through the cycle. Once you get your tank up and running, you'll need a master test kit to test for amonia, nitrite, and nitrates. You'll also want a ph test kit as you'll need to maintain you rph at a stable reading.
You can use fish food, pure amonia (with no detergents), or dark brown sugar to seed the tank. This is "fishless cycling" and is the most recomended method rather than subjecting fish to the toxin levels of a cycling tank. You add a bit each day and test the water every few days. (I wouldn't test for the first week since you'll probably get no readings at that point) The first thing you'll see is an amonia reading...this will range from low readings of .25 an may gradually get very high. Once you have amonia, you should do a 30% water change. I do more like 50% at this point....but that's just me. soon after you start seeing amonia, you'll also start getting readings of Nitrites. After the first water change I do water changes every couple days of about 30%. You'll soon start seeing Nitrates in your tank. Once your levels are 0 amonia, 0 nitrite, and you have nitrate readings along with those 0 readings, your tank is cycled. But, continue doing water changes till you nitrate levels are below 30 ppm. While nitrates are not as toic to fish as Nitrites and Amonia, they are still toxic to fish at high levels. Once you have lowered your Nitrates, you're ready to add fish. But then you want to add them slowly. Maybe two at a time. The bacteria need to adjust and multiply to the demand of the waste your fish produce.
The whole process can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 weeks. Seems like a long time to have no fish in your tank, but it's a good way to avoid all the problems that can arrise from not properly cycling a tank, like diseses such as ich.
You can also cycle with fish....but that exposes the fish to the high levels of amonia and nitrites your tank will go through and while the heartiest of fish my live through it, it can greatly affect their health an immunity to diseases in the long run.

 

[daniel01]

when i got the tank i was looking at the fish and i was thinking about some male guppys and xray tetras to start of with. Would you say that they are some good fish to start of with. My tank is 120 litres. Hope you don't mind asking the questions as i have no idea at the minute.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

to TFF!
1 week isn't enough to cycle your tank as picoreefer4966 said, WHILE cycling some good fish are danios, after you have cycled your tank, you could add guppies, but they will breed and need to be at a ratio of 2 females per male. If you don't want babies get all males as females store sperm and will become pregnant many times in a row without males around. I'm not sure but I believe X-ray tetras are delicate fish... Red up on the forums to learn more about the fish!

 

[daniel01]

thanks ill give it a few more weeks then untill i put some fish in. Ill buy some testing kits soon and thanks for your help.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

no problem, here are some more links to help you and good luck!
fish species:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=36
beginner links:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=88643

o yah, how big will your tank be?

 

[daniel01]

the tank is 120 litres and the measurements are length is 39 inch the width is12 inch and the depth is 15 inch.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

hello

 

[FishRfine]

I cycled my 275 for months...