Ready To Add Fish?

[celaeno]

i am looking to start my first planted tank, a 20g long. i got some mature media from a forum member and it has been running in the filter and some floating in the tank since saturday. i am adding enough ammonia to bring it to 2 ppm every time it drops to 1 ppm. it takes about 12 hrs to process 1 ppm. nitrites are 0. do you think i'll be ready to add fish (6 adult panda corys and 4 juvie female bettas) by friday (when my plants are due to arrive), or should i wait longer?

 

[Jenste]

I would add the cories first, then wait a week to add the female bettas - and personally I would up the number to atleast 5 (the larger the sorority the better!) but I def wouldn't add 10 fish at once....adding the 6 cories is pushing it IMO

 

[OldMan47]

You do not have a mature filter on that tank Celaeno. You are at the beginning of a fishless cycle and should allow it to finish. It will not hurt the plants to live in a tank without fish for a few weeks while you finish the cycle. You have yet to even see a nitrite response so are not close to being done.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with OM47. The cycle has not really had a significant start yet. 2ppm ammonia is really a little on the low side for optimal cycling. It might be a good idea to review the RDD article in the Beginners Resource Center. WD