How Long?

[eaglesaquarium]

Indeed.  Its all about how you explain it to them.  Kids are sponges at that age, they will learn if you will teach.  Kudos to you! 

 

[Sanjay]

Ive heard people say that but after losing fish thanks to my lfs saying my tank would be ok after 4 days, i dont want to got through the stress and upset of losing fish again - my lil one now knows how important what we are doing is.
I have looked at pics of the fish suggested and i think i prefer the microrasboras - i really want a nice colourful tank.
Can i add the shrimp at the same time as the fish??

 

[the_lock_man]

Yes you can.

 

[Sanjay]

Thank you very much.
Once all results are ok and tank is stocked i will post pics on.
Any more questions and i will not hesitate to ask.
Once again, thank you all!!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Ive heard people say that but after losing fish thanks to my lfs saying my tank would be ok after 4 days, i dont want to got through the stress and upset of losing fish again - my lil one now knows how important what we are doing is.
I have looked at pics of the fish suggested and i think i prefer the microrasboras - i really want a nice colourful tank.
Can i add the shrimp at the same time as the fish??

 
 
You can, but I'd wait until the tank is a bit more mature before adding the shrimp, personally.  Inverts are usually more sensitive than fish to ammonia, etc.  I'd wait until you are sure that the tank is fully cycled and maturing - about 3 months after getting the fish.

 

[Sanjay]

Have done a 45 litre water change this afternoon to try and bring the nitrites down to a readable level. Have also researched all the fish suggested and i like the idea of endlers - nice colourful fish. I assume male endlers were suggested so they dont breed?? If this is the case, then whatever fish i stock do i ensure that they are all male so as not to overstock or increase the bio load??

 

[eaglesaquarium]

No.  Livebearers are PROLIFIC breeders, not to mention that with guppies and endlers, males have far superior colors!
 
The other fish are egg layers, and generally, most of the eggs will be eaten before they hatch.

 

[CoryLover95]

Hi,
It usually takes the nitrite bacteria roughly twice as long to develop as the ammonia bacteria.  It will seem really frustrating like you're getting nowhere, but then one day you'll test it and out of the blue it will be 0.  It just takes time and patience .
And as for fish...hmm...for a 46 liter I'd recommend a small but showy fish, like platys or guppies.  You could have a school of about 6 in your tank, plus shrimp.  I wouldn't go for a really active fish like tetras, which need a lot of room to zoom around, and lots of kinds of catfish would be too big for that tank.  You could, however, turn it into a Cory tank - you could have a school of about 6 of the smaller species, like albino or panda corys.  However, this might not fulfill your desires for the tank.
Good luck!

 

[Sanjay]

Thanks corylover, thats given me another option!!
I cant wait for that nitrite reading to show 0 - that will really make my day!!

 

[Sanjay]

Hi all.
I am in day 33 of my fishless cycle and my results are as follows
(This is after dosing to 2ppm every 10/12 hours)
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm (Yeeeeaaaahhhhhhh)
Nitrate - 40ppm
High pH - 7.8

I am ecstatic that the nitrite is finally 0 (it was 5ppm yesterday).
I am going to keep testing everyday but am sure i am nearly there.
As long as the nitrites keep reading 0 in line with the ammonia reading for at least a week, is it safe to add the fish??
Also, is the pH level of 7.8 ok??

 

[daizeUK]

Yes - grats on a nice short cycle!  Keep testing until your ammonia and nitrites have both zeroed within 12 hours for a few consecutive days to check for spikes.
pH 7.8 is perfect for livebearers so male endlers would be a great choice.  It might be slightly too high for some species of rasbora or tetra so you'd best check pH tolerance if you opt for any of those species.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

As long as your tap water is also about 7.8, you're fine.
 
 
You got the week right.