What Else do I need to know?

[Overflow4487]

Good afternoon! I am a brand-new aquarium owner and already am falling in love with this hobby (currently on day 3 of ownership). I was unaware of the Nitrogen cycle when Petsmart told me I only needed to run the tank for 24 hours before putting fish in, so I unfortunately got fish on Sunday without knowing the details. Since then I am doing tons of research to keep my fish alive.

My set-up: I have a 65 gallon tank (4 foot long tank) and I have 6 Giant Danios currently in the tank.

I am on well water but still added conditioner to the water just in case. After doing research, I went back to petsmart and had them cut a piece of used filter and I squeezed that into the tank and left it in the filter for 24 hours. I also used a instant bottle of bacteria to try and start the growth of the good bacteria in my aquarium.

I’m taking a water reading each day and itis a little hard to truly make out the shades...but I believe my ammonia is 0.25 and my nitrite and nitrate appear to be 0. My water ph appears to be between 6.5 and 7.0.

If/when my ammonia reads at 0.5 I am going to begin using seachem prime to render the ammonia harmless to my fish (applying each 24 hours and will double the dose if it goes above 1.0...and will do a 50% water change if it gets to 2.0. That is at least until the nitrite’s begin producing, and then I will be dosing for those as well.

Is this a good strategy for now? I want to make sureI’m doing everything I can for these fish.

mad a secondary question...once my tank does cycle...what would be a good mix of other fish to begin adding to the tank. I was looking at adding 6 neon tetras, 3 Corydoras, 2 Bolivian ram cichlids, and 1 angelfish...but don’t know.

Thanks for anyone’s help!!

 

[Byron]

Welcxome to TFF, and the hobby.

If/when my ammonia reads at 0.5 I am going to begin using seachem prime to render the ammonia harmless to my fish (applying each 24 hours and will double the dose if it goes above 1.0...and will do a 50% water change if it gets to 2.0. That is at least until the nitrite’s begin producing, and then I will be dosing for those as well.

Is this a good strategy for now? I want to make sureI’m doing everything I can for these fish.

This is not quite right, so I will explain. First, Prime is a water conditioner and should only be used when making a partial water change. It does detoxify ammonia, nitrite and nitrate by somehow binindg these, but this is temporary (Seachem suggests 24-36 hours) and if any of these remain in the water they will then revert back to the toxic form. Also, most aquarium test kits will still read the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate whether it is the toxic or non-toxic state. But Prime has chemicals that get into the fish and should be used sparingly. It is intended for use as a dechlorinator where the source water may contain minimal amounts of one of these (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), giving the bacteria/plants in the tank time to catch up, so to speak. Also, do not double doses, use only what is needed for the fresh water added at a water change. This product like most any additive is not "safe" for fish in the sense most people take the word as meaning. Long-term effects can cause issues for fish.

Given that you have "seeded" the bacteria with the filter media and the bacterial supplement, you should not have any issues. Not the best way, but it can work. You also have more water volume with very few fish, which is better than if one were doing this in a much smaller tank with more fish mass to water volume. Test for ammonia and nitrite, but be prepared to not see nitrite at all (hopefully). Nitrate will likely appear, unless you have live plants.

mad a secondary question...once my tank does cycle...what would be a good mix of other fish to begin adding to the tank. I was looking at adding 6 neon tetras, 3 Corydoras, 2 Bolivian ram cichlids, and 1 angelfish...but don’t know.

Given that you have six Giant Danio fish (species Devario aequipinnatus), you have some restrictions now on other fish. This fish attains 4 inches, with some giving 5-6 inches possible. It is a shoaling fish that must be kept in a group due to its high level of interaction; 8 is considered the minimum number, so first off you would be well advised to get two or three more, ASAP. Their activeness makes them unsuited to any slow or sedate fish, and they are best with medium/larger danio, peaceful barbs, and loaches. Several sources mention their boisterous aggressiveness including fin nipping, and this will more likely be curtailed and confined to "play" if a group of 8 or more are kept in a 4+ foot tank with suitable tankmates. These fish are jumpers, so a tight cover is a must.

Angelfish and Bolivian Rams are sedate fish, so that is not going to work with the danios. Neon tetras will be too small to fit in and they too are not active so that will likely lead to trouble. Cories should be OK, but in a much larger group. This too is a shoaling fish, and while five or six are considered absolute minimum, when space is available as here they will fare much better (= healthier) with more of them. I would say 12-15 up to 20. Same species, or a combination, whichever; if combining species it is best to get a few of each species, say 5, if you can.

That deals with the mentioned fish, but before moving to other species, could you post your water parameters, primarily the GH (geeneral hardness); you said the pH was between 6.5 and 7 so that is sounding good, provided this is natural. The GH you might be able to find on the website of your municipal water authority. GH is the more important parameter as it does affect fish; some fish need softer water, some need harder, some manage mid-way.

A final general comment...never rely on any advice from staff in fish stores, unless you know the knowledge level of the individual. Chain stores very rarely have qualified staff when it comes to knowing about fish. Always research, either on this forum or a reliable information source.

 

[Essjay]

As you are on well water rather than mains water, do you have your water tested? if you do, do the test results include hardness (aka GH)?
If they don't, you can take some of your tap water to a fish store and ask them to test it for GH and KH (carbonate hardness). make sure they give you numbers and the unit of measurement ratehr than some vague words.

 

[Colin_T]

Don't bother adding things to neutralise the ammonia. Your tank is big enough for 6 giant danios and they can go through the cycling process.

Just feed the fish 2-3 times a week and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding. That will keep the ammonia and nitrite levels low while the tank cycles.

Try to aerate well water for at least 30 minutes before adding it to the tank. Well water is regularly stagnant and can have no oxygen in it. Aerating the water for at least 30 minutes before use will help get the dissolved gasses in the water back to where they should be.

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There is no need to add a dechlorinator to well water unless you have heavy metals in the well water.

You should have the well water tested a couple of times a year by a professional water testing company to ensure it is safe for you and the fish.

You can test the well water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, GH and KH yourself with normal aquarium test kits. This can give you an idea of the water quality. If it has ammonia or nitrates or a really low pH, it can be contaminated with something that might be harmful to you and the fish.

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Before we make suggestions on what fish to add to the tank, we need some information.

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
If you don't have test kits you can take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is will determine what fish you should keep. Tetras, barbs, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm).

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies) occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH.

 

[Byron]

As you are on well water rather than mains water, do you have your water tested? if you do, do the test results include hardness (aka GH)?
If they don't, you can take some of your tap water to a fish store and ask them to test it for GH and KH (carbonate hardness). make sure they give you numbers and the unit of measurement ratehr than some vague words.

Thanks essjay, I missed the well bit previously.

 

[Overflow4487]

This attached picture is a self-test I just did of the aquarium. I have an untrained eye, but it looks like the GH is between 0 and 30. The only thing I ever added was the conditioner to the water on Sunday...but I guess I could test my well water as well. I just moved into this house a month ago, so I have not had it officially tested yet (on my long list of to-dos).

I also am extremely open to tank mate suggestions. The guy in the store said that the giant Danios were very hardy so that is why I went with them as my first fish. I love their crazy personalities already, so I want to pick other fish that work well with them so all are happy.

 

[Byron]

This attached picture is a self-test I just did of the aquarium. I have an untrained eye, but it looks like the GH is between 0 and 30. The only thing I ever added was the conditioner to the water on Sunday...but I guess I could test my well water as well. I just moved into this house a month ago, so I have not had it officially tested yet (on my long list of to-dos).

I also am extremely open to tank mate suggestions. The guy in the store said that the giant Danios were very hardy so that is why I went with them as my first fish. I love their crazy personalities already, so I want to pick other fish that work well with them so all are happy.

One more question...does the water from your well pass through any softeners or filters? Or is it just pumped in to the house "as is"?

 

[Neon1977]

This attached picture is a self-test I just did of the aquarium. I have an untrained eye, but it looks like the GH is between 0 and 30. The only thing I ever added was the conditioner to the water on Sunday...but I guess I could test my well water as well. I just moved into this house a month ago, so I have not had it officially tested yet (on my long list of to-dos).

I also am extremely open to tank mate suggestions. The guy in the store said that the giant Danios were very hardy so that is why I went with them as my first fish. I love their crazy personalities already, so I want to pick other fish that work well with them so all are happy.

Im really new also to this hobbie, this forum is the best place to be where advice is concerned! They have told me more in a few days than I learned at a LFS in 3 weeks! And I don’t know who would agree with me on this but strip tests are completely inaccurate and way off to the point I don’t think they should be sold!! Get yourself a liquid testing kit ASAP! They aren’t cheap but trust me they are worth it! Welcome to the hobbie

 

[Overflow4487]

My tank is 4 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2 feet tall.

I don’t know too much about the well set-up for the house. Before buying this home I have lived on city water my entire life...so still need some more inspection to know more particulars. However, to my knowledgeI don’t know of any filters or softeners. We have had a TON of rain here this last month, so that could have possible affected the softness of the water since it has been so wet.

 

[seangee]

And I don’t know who would agree with me on this but strip tests are completely inaccurate and way off to ...

To be fair they are good enough that your pic confirms your water is suitable for soft water fish. Since hardness is unlikely to change over time (but keep an eye iro your comments on rain). The combination of GH, KH and pH readings do indicate soft water - the exact reading is not really important. Good news for your danios

 

[Neon1977]

To be fair they are good enough that your pic confirms your water is suitable for soft water fish. Since hardness is unlikely to change over time (but keep an eye iro your comments on rain). The combination of GH, KH and pH readings do indicate soft water - the exact reading is not really important. Good news for your danios

I just found the strip tests way off and completely unreliable when it came to ammo, nitrate and nitrite testing so im definitely sticking to liquid! Even the PH was off. I agree though that the strip tests are quite accurate for GH and KH

 

[Byron]

We'll go on the premise you have soft water, very soft according to the test photo. That is good, as you have more options for fish. Before that, I will just suggest that if you do discover that a softener is involved, that will need to be looked into as softeners are usually detrimental to fish. But we can leave that, for now and hopefully for good.

To fish. As I mentioned earlier, another 2-3 giant danio are highly advisable. The cories are fine in the increased numbers; if you do not want cories it could have one of the peaceful loaches. But not both; cories should never be housed with loaches.

That leaves other upper water fish, and staying with the cyprinids means medium-large danios, or some of the barbs. The reason these groups will work is because they are active swimming species, and such fish always (or usually) get along. There are some barbs that would be nice here. Pethia nigrofasciata (Black Ruby Barb), Dawkinsia filamentosus (Filament Barb), Pethia conchonius (Rosy Barb), Pethia padamya (Odessa Barb), Puntius semifasciolatus (Golden Barb or Half Banded Barb). All of these are obviously shoaling fish (all barbs and danios are) so groups around 7, 8 or 9 depending upon species. Not all together as there is not space, but two or maybe three (along with the Giant Danios increased) would work. Depends which you get, some are larger than others.

 

[Overflow4487]

Thanks for your help! I will go pick up 2 more giant Danios tomorrow and get them added to the tank. Then to wait for the cycle to finish before considering adding more fish, but I love your suggestions. Some of the fish you recommended are breathtaking!

 

[Colin_T]

When you are at the pet shop, make a list of fish and plant you like and post it here. We can make suggestions on that.

 

[Overflow4487]

I added the two new giant Danios and they took them in with no problem. So now I have 8 of them in the tank. So now the waiting game (weeks?) until the water fully cycles and I can add in some new fish. I didn’t look at any other fish today, kind of popped in and popped out.