New Tank - First Fish?

[modamor]

Hiya!

I've set up my first tropical tank today and was hoping for a little advise! I worked at an aquarium centre for a short while in the summer and was told certain things to tell beginner shoppers setting up their new tank.

The first was to set everything up and leave the water to mature for two weeks before putting any fish in. Also before putting any fish in to have the water tested.

I was also told that certain fish couldnt go into a tank for 6 weeks or more and most of the fish I like seem to be the 'sensitive' ones! Once my tank has been set up right and water tested, exactly what fish are hardy enough to go in at that point?

I was told guppies, mollies, platys. . and I cant remember many others really. I was hoping someone could give me a list or some advise? Out of those I mentioned, Id only consider guppies in my tank.

Any advise would be much appreciated!

 

[emma12321]

Hi welcome to the forum,

Have a read of this pinned topic http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099 and if you have any more questions feel free to ask. If you really must cycle with fish danios are a good choice but you may still loose some.

Hope this helps

Emma

 

[ncjharris]

Sounds like you are talking about cycling the tank with fish. This is maturing the tank.
Essencially, leaving the tank for a couple of weeks to mature will do nothing. The bacteria that need to appear need to come from somewhere - you need to seed your tank.

Read the posts from Emmas link about fishless cycling, its easier, doesn't stress any fish and also means you wont loose any in the meantime!

Bear in mind, this can take a lot longer than a couple of weeks though.

GL.

 

[modamor]

Thanks for the link and the welcome!

I was told that amonia levels must be zero when testing the water so Im glad I got that part but I wasnt told much ( or anything really!) about cycling without fish. I had my pondering about conditioning the water in various ways before I even add hardy fish. From reading that thread its obvious my hunch was right!

Thanks again

 

[ncjharris]

Ammonia levels will have to be zero, but they need to have gone up and back down again (known as a spike) for you to be sure you have a culture of bacteria.

If you test your tank water straight off, chances are it will be 0, but when you add the live stock, it'll go up, causing the fish discomfort.

 

[modamor]

The Fishless Cycling article links in that thread arent working (atleast not for me!) but I'll have a look around for more information.

When I worked at the aquatics centre it always amazed me and my co-workers how little people cared about the fish they were buying! I remember just before I left, a customer sneakily trying to buy tropical fish and colwater fish, to keep togetherin a - wait for it - gold fish bowl! Id already explained everything I knew to them, they actually knew it was wrong!

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

If you use the search button in the top right corner of the page and look for "fishless cycle" you should get quite a few hits.

Emma

 

[modamor]

Thanks Emma, I'll try that.

 

[paulthegreat]

If you can get some water and filter sponge "squeezings" from your LFS and pour that in to your tank then you could add a few fish the next day. Tetra Bactozym will also help to establish the Benificial bacteria(if it is availble in your area). Fliter media/squeezings from an established tank is the fastest way and I have always had sucess doing it. Just be sure to add the fish slowly a few at a time and think about a 1 inch of mature fish for 1 gallon of water guideline for a final result. Try to find the fish you want to have and put in the ones that are hardiest first.

 

[dwarfgourami]

If you can get some water and filter sponge "squeezings" from your LFS and pour that in to your tank then you could add a few fish the next day. Tetra Bactozym will also help to establish the Benificial bacteria(if it is availble in your area). Fliter media/squeezings from an established tank is the fastest way and I have always had sucess doing it. Just be sure to add the fish slowly a few at a time and think about a 1 inch of mature fish for 1 gallon of water guideline for a final result. Try to find the fish you want to have and put in the ones that are hardiest first.

Note that Paul's advice is for cycling with fish. If you cycle fishless you do not add any fish until the cycling is finished and then you add roughly 2/3 of your full stock in one go.

 

[timmystood]

When you have eventually cycled your tank - simease fighting fish are fantastic (or so i've found!) - they look fantastic and are fairly hardy. However, it does limit you to the types of other fish you put in the tank.

 

[Clairel]

If you do cycle with fish DONT put guppies in, they dont do well in a cycle i cycled my first tank with 6 zebra danios, and i still have them 5 months later, and they are doing great, and have grown alot lol .

C x

 

[Pidgecbr600rr]

My 3 sunset wag platy's went in 3 days after i brought the tank, and are still doing fine, the 3 red tuxedo platy's i added 3 days later are all fine except one which it looks like i'm gonna lose, i have now had the tank 4 weeks and it seems to have cycled as nitrites and ammonia are down to zero

Hope this helps

Paul