Was Wondering?

[fish12]

2 weeks ago my fish died in my 4ft tank so i cleaned it out and filter(canister 1500lph) becuase there was scales and fish flesh everywhere (dont ask me how he died or what he died from). today i tested my water everything is fine P.h:7.2-7.6 temp 25C ammonia0 nitrie0 nitrate0 but this weekend im going to get about 10 fish for my 4ft tank im just wondering am i going to see any bad effects from by adding this many fish at the same time??? there not very big fish all around 4-5cm personal i dont think so but i havent been in the fish business too long .

i still have couple days left so has anyone got any ideas to make sure nothing bad happens? any steps i could take to ensure my $50 wroth doesnt die.

btw im setting up a community tank with rams and angels and many more.

thank you everyone

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

If you have not been feeding the bacteria in your filter some food (ammonia) for two weeks, there will be very little of the colony left. Adding ten fish will not be safe, you will be exposing them to a "fish in cycle", far better to "fishless cycle" and then know for sure your tank is ready for new fish.

Your readings would have zero ammonia and nitrite now if you had any bacteria before, they have had two weeks to use up what was in there. But without food and a flow of oxygenated water passing them they die off.

 

[fish12]

thanks for the quick reply i quickly add some goldfish a threw a bunch of fish flakes in there so hopefully this will start it off do you reckon the cycle will be done by saturday?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Getting your tank cycled again takes as long as it takes, who knows how long, but I would not bank on a quick fix for Saturday.

However, choosing a "fish in cycle" is going to take longer if you have any sense of responsibility for the goldfish, as you should be changing a good sized portion of the water whenever ammonia or nitrite exceed 0.25mg/l, whereas in a "fishless cycle" you would be dosing ammonia daily to 4mg/l.

 

[fish12]

i just rang the pet shop he says im doing everything right, he says adding a couple fish now will get the tank perpared for the fish to come.And snice its a 4ft tank and your introducing 4-5cm fish you should be right as the fish be so little they wouldnt produce as much waste as a full grown oscar and want effect the tank as much. By adding the goldfish will ensure your colony is ready to tackle the more waste thrown at it.

Now i am getting confused becuase everyone is telling me to do different things.

 

[soybean]

Have a bit of patience. No your tank won't be ready by saturday, it'll be in the middle of a fish in cycle. Why do you think it's ok to put goldfish through that, but none of your planned stock? They're as sensitive to ammonia and nitrite as any other fish. What are you going to do with them afterwards when the damage is done, put them in a pond or take them back to the shop?

The guy in the shop has told you some pretty vague, useless advice, I suggest you stop listening to the person who wants to sell you some fish sooner rather than later.

You should be testing daily with a liquid testing kit and doing large water changes whenever you have a reading of ammonia or nitrite - and with a goldfish in there, you will have - and keep doing this until you have had the ammonia spike up and then back to zero, then the same with the nitrite, and finally are getting am 0, nitrite 0, and a constant reading of nitrate, for about a week. THEN your tank is cycled and you can add one or two small fish, as your filter will have been cycled to cope with the bioload of one small goldfish and you can only really double the bioload else the filter won't keep up with the processing of the ammonia the fish produce.

By adding the goldfish you've committed yourself to either letting it suffer by swimming in its own waste OR doing large water changes daily. If you don't want to do either of these I suggest you rehome it and buy a bottle of ammonia instead.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

i just rang the pet shop he says im doing everything right, he says adding a couple fish now will get the tank perpared for the fish to come.And snice its a 4ft tank and your introducing 4-5cm fish you should be right as the fish be so little they wouldnt produce as much waste as a full grown oscar and want effect the tank as much. By adding the goldfish will ensure your colony is ready to tackle the more waste thrown at it.

Now i am getting confused becuase everyone is telling me to do different things.

You will find that the vast majority of hobbyists on this forum will always recommend a 'fishless' cycle to get your tank ready for your fish. You could, as the pet shop advised, slowly start adding your fish, but the downside to this is that they will constantly be living in their own waste (ammonia) and as your filter does not have the beneficial bacteria inside it to dispose of the waste, then their lives and health will, ultimately, be shortened.You will also be expected to carry out daily (if not twice daily) water changes, depending on what your water test results are. I see you mentioned 'pet shop' and not 'aquatic shop', i would highly recommend you do a little searching around your area and find a store that concentrates on your particular needs, in this case being tropical fish.
So, do you simply put your fish into your tank (nice to look at, i presume) and possibly get weighed down with daily water changes, or do a 'fishless' cycle and get your bacteria colony fully upto speed, ready for whatever fish you choose to introduce? Yes, this can take weeks and weeks to complete, but if you know of someone who already has a healthy, mature tropical tank, you can politely ask them to 'donate' some filter media to you, whether thast be floss, ceraminc balls/noodles or sponges, this can (and most probably will) speed up your 'cycling' process.
Best of luck with whatever you choose, but please remember to visit the beginners section on this forum and research all you need to know BEFORE you put your first fish into your tank.

Terry.

 

[fish12]

im not trying to be a dick, im just sick and tired of trying to get my fish tank perfect i have already spent 100$ on it i will take out the goldfish a put it in its original home sorry for acting "curel". you need to dumb it down for me.


1. two weeks pasted nothing spiked yet means?
2. adding fish to your cycle will not speed up your cycle?
3 im sorry guys

 

[soybean]

The link in my signature is for the beginners forum, with info on fishless and fish in cycling. It will explain everything in more detail there. I don't know how else to write it to explain it better.

No need to be sorry, just do some research instead

 

[The Taffy Apple]

im not trying to be a dick, im just sick and tired of trying to get my fish tank perfect i have already spent 100$ on it i will take out the goldfish a put it in its original home sorry for acting "curel". you need to dumb it down for me.


1. two weeks pasted nothing spiked yet means?
2. adding fish to your cycle will not speed up your cycle?
3 im sorry guys

1.It means there has been nothing in your tank to 'feed' your filter bacteria, therefore it has probably died.
2.Nope, the only think that can speed up your cycle is a mature media donation from someone.
3.Don't be sorry, the only stupid question you can ask is the one that you didn't !!!

Follow soybean's advice and spend a little time researching what you need to know, but if you DO decide to remove your goldfish from your tank today, continue to add some flaked fish food to your tank (i know that sounds silly if there is nothing in there), this will give you a little bit of a head-start when you decide what, when and how you are going to cycle your tank.

Terry.