New Tank Help

[TheBeginnerAquarist]

Hi! We got a tank about 2 1/2 weeks ago. At that point, we were loosing at least 1 fish every other day. I did some testing and found out that this was happening in the same part of the the nitrogen cycle. It has been 10 days now since we have had a fish die (knock on wood). I currently have in a 23 gallon tank 5 zebra danios, 7 platys, and 1 female sword. We are now wanting to get more fish. We are thinking about getting some neons and an algae eater (we have a lot of algae in the tank). What reasonably sized algae eater would you recommend, and how many neon tetras should we get so that we don't overcrowd the tank. Also, because our tank is so new, how often should we change the water/filter? Any other suggestions? Thank you!

 

[attibones]

You guys are still cycling, so I suggest adding no fish and rehoming the zebra danios who, I believe, need a four foot tank due to their activity level. You'll need to have a read on fish-in cycling, in our cycling section, pick up a liquid testing kit, and follow the fish-in cycle guides to the letter. In a few months, you might consider a BN pleco, but cleaning the tank is your job, not the fish's.

To reduce algae, reduce the lighting period. I keep mine on for eight hours a day. Six to eight is the general time for planted tanks. How long do you leave them on now?

 

[TheBeginnerAquarist]

From my daily testing, I have found that both the NH3 and NO2 remain consistently at 0 ppm with NO3 under 20 ppm. According to the research I've done, this indicates that the cycling process is complete or at least at the point where I can safely introduce new fish. I've already done extensive research to this effect and have concluded that it would be safe to add smaller, more fragile fish like neon tetras, and in about a month get an algae eater.

Thank you for your input about the zebras, and although I have read conflicting reports about the issue, many people believe that they should be fine in our tank (slightly less than three feet).

Our lights are LED, so from my understanding don't contribute to the algal growth; the biggest contributing factor is the loss of our curtains in that room. However, the LEDs are on for about the same time.

I will see if my LFS carries BN Plecos. Thank you for your input!

 

[Ninjouzata]

I'd hold off on stocking til you know your tank is stable for at least a month, I think.
 
I agree on the zebra danios being re-homed. They also are best in cooler water than the other fish require.
 
If/when you add fish, only add a few at a time. In the end you'd want at least 6 neons as they are schooling fish. What gender are your platies?
 
I'd change at least 25% of the water a week (be sure to vacuum the substrate as well), and you do not want to change the filter as it holds majority of your bacteria. You can rinse it in tank water though.
How often you want to do this depends on how fast it gets clogged, I think. Some do it weekly, others monthly, and am sure it varies a lot from that too.
 
You can indeed get algae from LED lights. I have them on all of my tanks and I certainly have algae.

How long are you leaving them on?
 
As atti said cleaning the tank is your job..but if you want a plec because they're cute then bristlenose plecs are a good choice. You'll want to have driftwood in the tank for it to gnaw on.

 

[b3cca]

Something must have been going wrong somewhere to have any fish die at all.  What are using to test the water ?
 
I agree with the above and certainly wouldn't dream of adding anything else after only 2-3 weeks of starting an aquarium unless you want more problems/deaths.
 
Ottos would probably be good alage eaters for that size tank provided you have the correct conditions (PH/softness/plants) for them and they should not be added for a good few months as they need a very stable established environment

 

[TheBeginnerAquarist]

Thank you guys! I have 3 male and 4 female platys, and my sword is a female. I'm leaving the lights on for abt 6-8 hrs per day, although they are not able to be set on a timer so it is not exact. I am using the testing strips to test the water.

 

[attibones]

I would get the liquid kit. It is very unlikely that your ammonia and nitrite are reading zero at this point. It seems you have only had the tank for, what, almost thirty days? Strips are very unreliable. They can give false zeros among other things.

Re read your post and it has not been thirty days. A fish-in cycle typically takes longer than six weeks.