What If?

[wilkesy88]

im not saying that i want this to happen but...

seeing as i took a LFS's advice and only left the tank a week before putting fish in, should the worst happen and they all what would people suggest i do?

 

[OldMan47]

If you end up there, and it is possible, start a fishless cycle. Any fish that do not survive the fish in cycle should not be replaced until the cycle finishes and then replace them gradually.

 

[wilkesy88]

am i right in thinking that once the cycle finishes, you can put most fish in?

i feel a bit guilty now for putting the little guys in.

B*****d fish shops.

 

[helterskelter]

Go find a shop that gives good advise and spend your money there.

what size tank have you got and what fish have u added?

 

[wilkesy88]

Go find a shop that gives good advise and spend your money there.

what size tank have you got and what fish have u added?

there arent many in bristol

ive got a 35 ltr with stingray filter

2 x cherry barbs (1 male 1 female was 2 but one died last night)
2 x rosy tetras
2 x head light? tetras.

i started it a week ago.

 

[helterskelter]

Firstly check your local club out they will know the best places

www.bristoltropicalfishclub.org.uk

None of them are rearly hardy enough to stand a new tank. To be honest you will be lucky to get them past the next couple of weeks.
With a new tank you get a lot of ammonia produces which is highly toxic to fish the bacteria the grows naturally, will take around 4 weeks to settle down.
Doing 2-3 water changes a week will help though, but once the tank has cycled then you can relax a lot more.

When adding fish only add 4-5 small fish at a time and then allow 7-10 days to all these good bacteria the grow again to the new load in the tank.

 

[wilkesy88]

None of them are rearly hardy enough to stand a new tank. To be honest you will be lucky to get them past the next couple of weeks.

what should i have got then?

 

[helterskelter]

To be honest nothing...

But a couple of danio's would be the hardiest thing, but they will still suffer from the ammonia, which is why i say nothing.
If the shop supplyed you with some mature media from their filters you can do whats called "Seading" this is where u introduce bacteria to the tank, and this will help even now. This still only half's the time and fish should still not be added untill you have tested the water and got a resualt of 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites

I know it sounds like hard work at first but you resualt in much better looking and healthier fish which will not keep dieing.

 

[wilkesy88]

so how long does it normally take?

 

[helterskelter]

4 Weeks if you set it up with no fish, seading will allow you to add fish safly at around 2-3 weeks

Using loads of old filter material can have it working in 10 days

 

[wilkesy88]

4 Weeks if you set it up with no fish, seading will allow you to add fish safly at around 2-3 weeks

Using loads of old filter material can have it working in 10 days

what do you mean buy using loads?

 

[helterskelter]

using lot's of filter material not just little bits

 

[wilkesy88]

using lot's of filter material not just little bits

by letting it float? or cramming the filter?

 

[helterskelter]

Both.

Dont cram the filter though as u want as much water flow through as possible to encourage the bacteria to grow, in the good flow of water.

 

[Honeythorn]

If you can fill up your filter completely with used/mature filter media , sponges or ceramics ect, then you can add a couple of fish almost straightaway as the media will already be full of bacteria and effectively be mature.

Then after a week or two of the filter bacteria getting used to the waste produced by a couple of fish, you can add 1-2 more.

To be honest your tank isn't really suitable for the fish you have. Barbs do better in groups of 6 or more, as do tetras who like groups of about 8 or more , and you don't have enough space for groups of all the fish you have . You'd be better off taking the fish back to the shop and getting ( or actually demanding if you have the reciept ) a refund, or rehoming them with someone who has room for them . A tank your size is better for 3-4 guppies or endlers, or a betta.

And since your tank basically isn't cycled at the moment , if you take the fish back you can do a proper cycle without harming any fish in the process.