Quarintine Tank And Maintaining Cycle

[thisguyek]

Just wondering what best option is if i dont have the resources for a tank to keep new fish in. i know that it is highly recommended to keep new fish in a separate tank for a couple weeks before they go into the display tank, but i cant swing it right now.

I was also wondering if i need to keep a certain amount of fish to keep my tank 'cycled'. Currently I have 6 2" guppies a 2.5" platy and a 7" pleco in a 55 gal tank. Will my cycle get thrown off if there are not enough fish?

Just thought of this, so i wanted to throw it in... any suggestions on keeping mystery snails alive for a long time? never seem to have luck with them...

thanks for your time!

 

[fluttermoth]

Plenty of people don't have a quarantine tank; you just have to be aware of the risk of new fish bringing in diseases.

You don't have to have a particular number of fish, as long as you have some, to keep a filter cycled. All that happens is that the amount of bacteria growing in there adjust to the amount of fish. Few fish means few bacteria, so when you add more do it gradually (no more than 50% what the tank already holds) so more bactria can grow and test frequently for the first few days in case of ammonia spikes while the bacteria are multiplying.

Sorry, can't help you with your snail problem really; are they getting enough food? How hard is your water and have you tested it for copper, or ever used any copper meds in your tank, as that would kill them.

 

[thisguyek]

My water is hard. not sure about copper... never tested. I have been treating recently for parasites using the jungle brand fizzing tablets, but i dont believe that type has copper in it... could be wrong. but even before this, i never had luck. always put 1-2 sinking algae tablets in every 2-3 days...