Newly Cycled 28L Tank - Fish Suggestions?

[flix_cw]

Hello there!

I've been digging about in this forum for over a week now, am loving it!

My girlfriend gave me a 28L tank for my birthday, the cycle started on the 13th december '09 complete with undergravel filter, heater, decorations and 5 plant species being Cabomba caroliniana, cryptocoryne wendtii and willisii, floating (but contained) riccia fluitans and java moss tied down to a rock. I chucked in a few malaysian trumpet snails early on to give me something to look at!

After 3 weeks of testing, the nitrites spiked and then went to trace level, at which point i bought 6 danios last weekend - 3 zebras 3 kyathit and they're all shoaling nicely and eating well. I bought these since i've read a lot of sources saying they're perfect for cycling and very hardy. Seems so! (Although one of the kyathits went missing occasionally for the first few days, found it trying to burrow into the gravel under a rock. I assumed this was stress induced and it's now stopped doing it).

Today i bought 3 red cherry shrimp and a zebra snail just to brighten things up, all seems good although the danios are chasing the shrimp a bit, hopefully that'll settle down.

In my LFS today i was a bit like a kid in a sweetshop - i wanted everything. Obviously a 28L tank is pretty limiting, and an undergravel filter means i have smooth round gravel (~3mm) instead of sand substrate.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what other fish would be suitable for my tank? I've done so much research but am in a bit of a pickle what with the bioload amd so much choice.

I'm aiming for maybe a dwarf gourami and 3 guppies, would i be able to house a little otocinclus too? The substrate looks a bit unoccupied. Not sure if the danios will get on the gourami's nerves...

Temperature's at 25 degrees C and the current is gentle.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[aly_starh]

Hello there!
Welcome to the forum!!

I've been digging about in this forum for over a week now, am loving it!
good Stuff!

My girlfriend gave me a 28L tank for my birthday, the cycle started on the 13th december '09 complete with undergravel filter, heater, decorations and 5 plant species being Cabomba caroliniana, cryptocoryne wendtii and willisii, floating (but contained) riccia fluitans and java moss tied down to a rock. I chucked in a few malaysian trumpet snails early on to give me something to look at!
Hmmmm.. Ok

After 3 weeks of testing, the nitrites spiked and then went to trace level, at which point i bought 6 danios last weekend - 3 zebras 3 kyathit and they're all shoaling nicely and eating well.(BAD MOVE!)
I bought these since i've read a lot of sources saying they're perfect for cycling and very hardy. Seems so! (Although one of the kyathits went missing occasionally for the first few days, found it trying to burrow into the gravel under a rock. I assumed this was stress induced and it's now stopped doing it).
although some people use them for cycling, this does not been they *should* be used. 6 danios anyways is way to mush for a 28L tank. You are now experiencing a Fish_In Cycle

Today i bought 3 red cherry shrimp and a zebra snail just to brighten things up, all seems good although the danios are chasing the shrimp a bit, hopefully that'll settle down.
Bad move again, shrimps should be in matured cycled tank of atleast 6 months

In my LFS today i was a bit like a kid in a sweetshop - i wanted everything. Obviously a 28L tank is pretty limiting, and an undergravel filter means i have smooth round gravel (~3mm) instead of sand substrate.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what other fish would be suitable for my tank? I've done so much research but am in a bit of a pickle what with the bioload amd so much choice.
Nope... what with the 6 Danios, thats your tank full.
Other wise there are possible stockings:
idea 1: a few male guppies
idea 2: a male betta and Pygmy cories
idea 3: shrimp and snails

I'm aiming for maybe a dwarf gourami and 3 guppies, would i be able to house a little otocinclus too? The substrate looks a bit unoccupied. Not sure if the danios will get on the gourami's nerves...
As above

Temperature's at 25 degrees C and the current is gentle.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Did you have an ammonia spike at all? what did you cycle the tank with just snails? it will be good to read the pinned threads at the this section of the forum.

Hope that helped. (and sorry if its sounded blunt)



Anymore questions, just ask!

 

[ian]

to be honest and sorry, the tank is way to small for Zebras and Orange fins, some people do say a min of 5g, but after owning 4 in my 60ltr for just over a week, it wasn't enpugh for them. They all grow to about 2". You appear to be quite overstocked already. As for the Dwarf Gourami, thats a big no no for a tank that size.

 

[flix_cw]

Hello there!
Welcome to the forum!!

I've been digging about in this forum for over a week now, am loving it!
good Stuff!

My girlfriend gave me a 28L tank for my birthday, the cycle started on the 13th december '09 complete with undergravel filter, heater, decorations and 5 plant species being Cabomba caroliniana, cryptocoryne wendtii and willisii, floating (but contained) riccia fluitans and java moss tied down to a rock. I chucked in a few malaysian trumpet snails early on to give me something to look at!
Hmmmm.. Ok

After 3 weeks of testing, the nitrites spiked and then went to trace level, at which point i bought 6 danios last weekend - 3 zebras 3 kyathit and they're all shoaling nicely and eating well.(BAD MOVE!)
I bought these since i've read a lot of sources saying they're perfect for cycling and very hardy. Seems so! (Although one of the kyathits went missing occasionally for the first few days, found it trying to burrow into the gravel under a rock. I assumed this was stress induced and it's now stopped doing it).
although some people use them for cycling, this does not been they *should* be used. 6 danios anyways is way to mush for a 28L tank. You are now experiencing a Fish_In Cycle

Today i bought 3 red cherry shrimp and a zebra snail just to brighten things up, all seems good although the danios are chasing the shrimp a bit, hopefully that'll settle down.
Bad move again, shrimps should be in matured cycled tank of atleast 6 months

In my LFS today i was a bit like a kid in a sweetshop - i wanted everything. Obviously a 28L tank is pretty limiting, and an undergravel filter means i have smooth round gravel (~3mm) instead of sand substrate.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what other fish would be suitable for my tank? I've done so much research but am in a bit of a pickle what with the bioload amd so much choice.
Nope... what with the 6 Danios, thats your tank full.
Other wise there are possible stockings:
idea 1: a few male guppies
idea 2: a male betta and Pygmy cories
idea 3: shrimp and snails

I'm aiming for maybe a dwarf gourami and 3 guppies, would i be able to house a little otocinclus too? The substrate looks a bit unoccupied. Not sure if the danios will get on the gourami's nerves...
As above

Temperature's at 25 degrees C and the current is gentle.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Did you have an ammonia spike at all? what did you cycle the tank with just snails? it will be good to read the pinned threads at the this section of the forum.

Hope that helped. (and sorry if its sounded blunt)



Anymore questions, just ask!

Oh man. Really?

I've done so much research and everywhere has said those 6 danios will be fine in a 28L. I asked the store and they said they'd be perfect.

Yes there was a nitrate spike, it was up over 0.5ppm and is now back down to trace.

I guess we'll just have to see how the shrimp get on for the time being.

By the way, those 3 guppies you mentioned, was that in addition to, or instead of the danios?

Thanks.

 

[aly_starh]

Oh man. Really?

I've done so much research and everywhere has said those 6 danios will be fine in a 28L. I asked the store and they said they'd be perfect.

Yes there was a nitrate spike, it was up over 0.5ppm and is now back down to trace.

I guess we'll just have to see how the shrimp get on for the time being.

By the way, those 3 guppies you mentioned, was that in addition to, or instead of the danios?

Thanks.

Yep, the LFS *advice* is best to be taken with a pinch of salt. Think of it this way, they just made a whole load of money there...

Oh, the 3 guppies, are if the tank was empty, then you could put 3 guppies in, maybe a few more.

IDK, if you have read this thread or not, but it will help you with your cycle: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355

 

[flix_cw]

Oh man. Really?

I've done so much research and everywhere has said those 6 danios will be fine in a 28L. I asked the store and they said they'd be perfect.

Yes there was a nitrate spike, it was up over 0.5ppm and is now back down to trace.

I guess we'll just have to see how the shrimp get on for the time being.

By the way, those 3 guppies you mentioned, was that in addition to, or instead of the danios?

Thanks.

Yep, the LFS *advice* is best to be taken with a pinch of salt. Think of it this way, they just made a whole load of money there...

Oh, the 3 guppies, are if the tank was empty, then you could put 3 guppies in, maybe a few more.

IDK, if you have read this thread or not, but it will help you with your cycle: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355

Understood. About to read...

Many thanks for your help!

Felix

 

[OldMan47]

Please come back and talk to us after you read through that thread. There is probably a lot we can do to help some of your fish make it through a fish-in cycle. A fish-in cycle is not all gloom and doom, it is just a lot of work to do right.

 

[flix_cw]

Thanks for all your help.

If my tank hasn't already cycled, is there any reason why there hasn't been a nitrite spike all week? I've done a water test every day since i put the danios in.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Assaye]

I'll say if you are testing for ammonia and nitrites every day and not getting anything showing up, you're probably cycled . . .

However, I'll agree with the others. Danios are way too big and active for that tank. My colleages always recommend them "cos there small coldwater fish innit and what else r u going 2 put in a small tank theyll be fine" and it winds me up no end!

If you return the danios you could have:

1) a betta and snails
2) a betta and pygmy corys
3) 3-5 endlers
4) 3-5 guppies
5) a dwarf puffer
6) 5 or 6 micro rasboras
7) 5 or 6 green neon tetra (not neon tetra)

There are other species you could have, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

 

[flix_cw]

I'll say if you are testing for ammonia and nitrites every day and not getting anything showing up, you're probably cycled . . .

However, I'll agree with the others. Danios are way too big and active for that tank. My colleages always recommend them "cos there small coldwater fish innit and what else r u going 2 put in a small tank theyll be fine" and it winds me up no end!

I did forget to mention that when doing my "fishless cycle" i did put in a pinch of fish food in once a week to provide a source of decomposition material. The plants and snails would also provide a *small* amount of waste, but considering the size of tank it would be enough to help a small bacterial colony to develop. Plus i put in a measure of StressZyme once a week to top up the colony, although as some of these threads seem to say, its pretty useless? Anyway, the nitrites were low - then peaked - then dropped to trace again so that was quite reassuring.

Just to promise you it wasn't completely gung-ho! I did a good amount of research and I don't think i'm a *complete* idiot, my degree was in biomedicine!

The danio issue i must admit was probably gullability and impatience on my part, taking the shop's advice and desperately wanting some fish!

I'll keep you posted, thanks so much for all the advice!