New Member

[Doreen12]

Hello,
 
  Two weeks ago after having a 40 litre fish tank for 6 months I have got a larger tank (240litres). Needing all the help I can get.  Feel very responsible for what I am entering into, but really enjoying the experience.
 
Doing a fishless cycle with biomature, not sure if is going ok. Dosing 6mls daily. It has been a 7 days now.  Testing the water daily
 
Ph 7.6
Ammonia 0.25 ppm
Nitrite  2 ppm
Nitrate 40 ppm
Temp 26 c
 
 Few plants, obviously no fish but today I noticed tiny creatures looks like snails tiny perhaps 0.5mm size. Not sure of what to stock to have.  I like dwarf gouramis ,neon tetras open to suggestions. Would like something that would deal with the snails? Also seem to have a mild case of a bacterial bloom
 
Going to the LFS I get so confused and the assistants mean well but they seemed to be more interested in selling.  That is why I thought of joining TFF so I can get all the experience and knowledge from your members. 
 
In time looking forward to hep someone out with my advice, but at the moment it will me be posting the questions.
 
Great to hear from anyone

 

[TallTree01]

Hi Doreen,
I can't answer about the fishless cycle as I haven't got the knowledge to answer in good conscience. If you like dwarf gouramis and neon tetras you could have after the cycle :
3 dwarf gouramis ( males will fight so it is best to have 1 male 2 female )
12 neon tetras ( I love these. I have 9 myself! )
Then this is what I'd add after that ( just ideas ):
4 yoyo loaches ( these will take care of snails if they become a problem )
1 brisltenose Pleco ( it seems Im always reccomending these to people. Lol. It's because they rock! )
8 cories ( any type will do )

These are just ideas so you mess around with them to your pleasure.
Welcome to th fourms and I hope your tropical experience is rewarding.

 

[Baccus]

G'day and welcome

 to the Forum
Congratulations on advancing to a bigger tank, although I think you will find generally a larger tank will not only enable you to keep more variety of fish but also more water area means mistakes can be fixed before they go totally wrong.
 
If you still have your 40L tank then you can speed up your fishless cycle by taking some of the media from the old filter and seeding the new filter. Just remember to feed the filter bacteria, this can be done with ammonia or even just adding fish food to the tank. When ever I set up a new tank I often raid substrate (gravel and or sand) from one of my existing tanks and add it to my new tank, this too helps in "seeding" the new tank. Live plants too are a  huge bonus I feel in keeping a tank healthy, plants use fish waste while providing oxygen while the tank lights are on and giving cover/ protection to shy fish.
 
Loaches can be great snail control, but they never totally eradicate the snails, well they never have managed it in my tanks but they do get the snails under control. I happen to like loaches and have a few but they are not always the easiest fish to keep. With many being prone to white spot and delicate with common fish medications, also many of them are social and can get quite large. In all honesty I would only advise getting loaches if you in fact like them and can accommodate the good group especially when dealing with Pakastani (Yo-Yo) loaches and Dwarf Chain loaches. Clown loaches I would avoid because they just get too big and are extremely social. A lovely group of loaches that would work with Dwarf Gouramis are Khuli loaches, they may not be snail eaters but they are sweet peaceful fish that can move like torpedos when the mood takes them. Being in England you could look at getting a couple of Assassin snails for future pest snail control.
 
Neon tetras are pretty but they are prone to so many problems from being mass farmed its mind boggling. Personally I would look at stocking the tank with the Dwarf Gouramis (which can also have a list of problems due to ill health), but try and get 1 male two females. Most shops however only want to sell them in pairs so a trio can be hard to get. Also make sure you know how to sex them, NEVER rely on a pet shop to know how to accurately sex every one of their species kept. Just looking at colour doesn't work with gouramis because a less dominate male while being subdued by a dominate male in a shop tank will look more like a female to avoid the constant aggression.
 
You usually can't go wrong with the ever peaceful corydoras catfish, they are real sweeties and wont pick on anyone in a tank. A bristle nose catfish can also be a good addition but they do like a bit of protein in their diet and will need a natural log/ timber in the tank to rasp on. Khuli loaches are pretty much from the same region as dwarf gouramis. But a nice active dither fish that would also work well with gouramis are threadfin rainbows or any of the smaller breeds of rainbow and blue eye fish.
 
Good luck and keep us posted.
pictures are always welcome too

 

[cpwebsite]

 I like dwarf gouramis ,neon tetras open to suggestions. Would like something that would deal with the snails? Also seem to have a mild case of a bacterial bloom

 
Bacteria blooms are ok, just let them be. If you really want to deal with the snails, clown loaches would be what I recommend, however they can't fit properly in a 240L tank. I would recommend getting a few assassin snails.
 
For stock here is what I recommend:
12 Cardinal Tetras (Neon Tetras are too sensitive these days from being mass farmed)
1 Male Dwarf Gourami
3 Female Dwarf Gourami
8 Panda Corydoras
1 Bristlenose Pelcostomus
 
You can also have a few yoyo loaches, kuhli loaches, and assasin snails in the mix.