what to add after fishless cycling

[dwarfgourami]

I'm beginning to feel that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, that one day my tanks will be cycled. Question is, what do I then add? Am thinking from advice given elsewhere that it might be a good idea to sort of half-fill the tank on the first trip (well, you know what I mean, half bio-load) and then add some more after week or so. But I'm also aware that some species are more sensitive and may not be happy in such a new tank, even if it is fully cycled. The guppies and platties we had thought of, I'd expect to be OK, certainly the platties. But what of the following:

corydoras

dwarf gouramis

harlequin rasboras

I'm not saying I'll be getting them all, just want an idea of what the possibilities are. I know corys and rasboras are schoolers so would want to allow for that. Also, I have smooth rounded gravel, is that a big no-no with corys?

 

[WILDER]

Harlequins and cory are senstitive to water quality so i would let the tank mature abit, just in case when you add the fish it goes back into a mini cycle.

 

[rdd1952]

If you did a good fishless cycle: raising your ammonia to around 4 to 6 and then letting it drop back down and then adding to raise to around 1 and keeping it there while the nitrite spike proceeds and then finally drops, your tank should be ready for your entire fish load. By adding the fish slowly, you end up letting the bacteria colony die back off. For example, if the tank is cycled for 40 inches of fish and you only add 20 inches, they will not create enough waste to keep the entire bacteria colony alive. The rest will die off and then when you add more fish, you will start a mini cycle again, just as if you were cycling with fish from the start. That is pretty much the whole point of a fishless cycle is so you can stock all your fish at once and not have to put them through the cycling part.

 

[houndour]

I'm still trying to get my head round this fishless cycling thing.

40 inches of fish and you only add 20 inches

but surely your 40 inches of fish will be fully grown stock. So even if you put all your stock the fish wouldn't be fully grown, so wouldn't be 40 inches.

 

[nc_nutcase]

But since fish grow slowly (compared to dumping in more fish) the impact increases at a slow enough rate for the bacteria colony to grow at a relative ratio.

Also the idea of adding liquid ammonia to increase the bacteria prior to adding fish to reduce the likelihood of a mini cycle is faulty. The adding of the ammonia will in and of itself create the same mini cycle you are trying to avoid by adding it.

Scientifically we can understand that there is a rate at which you can add ammonia to build up the bacteria ultra slowly so that no mini cycle takes place, but personally I wouldn't risk the trial and error process of finding it. I know I would cause more harm than good.

If you do a 'by the book' (who has that book anyway) fishless cycle then you should be ready to add your full stock (most likely at juvenals) immediately and let them grow up together. After initial stocking adding one small to medium fish per 2 weeks will keep the 'mini cycle's spikes low enough so that no harm will come to your fish.

 

[Slyspy]

You should continue to feed ammonia to the bacteria even when the cycle is complete up until the day before you add the fish. Then next day instead of adding ammonia add fish! Bingo. For peace of mind you may want to change the water before adding the fish to remove any excess nitrAtes depending on your readings. With a fully cycled tank to can add your entire stock at once, which is one of the joys of fishless cycling.