So my 29g planted aquarium is all set up. It is just about to finish it's cycling with high nitrates and no ammonia or nitrites so it is close to time to add fish after a large water change. There are 3 species I'm adding to the tank but I am needing to order them online in one big order as they are not available where I live. I have gone to multiple lfs and none of them have the species and are not interesting in getting them right now. So my question is can I add them all in at once after the tank is completely cycled, or do I need to still add them slowly (the latter being difficult as all fish will come in one order). And if they do need to be added slowly does anyone have suggestions on how to do it with all the fish being delivered at once. Thanks.
Adding fish after cycling
- Thread starter Afarmer
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goatnad
Aquarium Advice FINatic
how many fish and what species are we talking? Its always better to slowly add them as it won't overload the bb. If you do have to add them all at once then keeping testing your water and do water changes to keep your ammonia down to a safe level until the bb have time to catch up.
It's odessa barbs (7), honey gouramis (2), and 11-15 green neon tetras. And I may have to do small daily water changes to make sure it doesn't overwhelm them. I'm trying to dose my ammonia high now to make sure the bacteria can keep up when the fish get added and increase the bio load but it still concerns me bc I wasn't planning on doing it this way. I just keep delaying getting fish bc I don't want to fail and have them suffer.
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Adding Fish
Hello A...
You're taking a risk adding so many fish to such a small tank. Are you schooled on how to acclimate the fish? Are there some plants in this tank? Because, plants help steady the tank water chemistry. Are these new fish all compatible? Do you have a reliable water testing kit handy? You'll need to test the water daily to make sure there are no sudden traces of ammonia and nitrite. You'll need to test frequently to make sure the bacteria colony is working to remove the ammonia and nitrite. All these questions need to be considered before you introduce the fish.
B
Hello A...
You're taking a risk adding so many fish to such a small tank. Are you schooled on how to acclimate the fish? Are there some plants in this tank? Because, plants help steady the tank water chemistry. Are these new fish all compatible? Do you have a reliable water testing kit handy? You'll need to test the water daily to make sure there are no sudden traces of ammonia and nitrite. You'll need to test frequently to make sure the bacteria colony is working to remove the ammonia and nitrite. All these questions need to be considered before you introduce the fish.
B
To answer your questions I've done lots of research on how to acclimate fish but until I do it I don't know if I'm capable or not. (Fingers crossed I am haha). It is a planted aquarium with 4 species of plants, multiple plants of each species. All fish are compatible as researched through multiple sources. And I have an api master kit and use it frequently to make sure my tank is cycled and getting rid of ammonia (that I artificially add) and nitrites in a timely manner. I figured I'd have to check often when adding fish bc I'm paranoid. I knew slower is better for adding fish but will have to add them faster than I wanted and just wanted to make sure I do everything I can for a safe transition.
King Fisher
Aquarium Advice Addict
Plan on daily to every other day PWC's. Best way to keep up on water quality in your situation until the tank catches up.
Good news, I found a lfs (after searching a ton) that will special order the fish I want since no one carries it. So I can add them slowly! Now main question is those fish I listed above, any concerns with being in a 29g? That's 7 Odessa barbs, 11 tetras, and 2 honey gouramis. It's planted with plenty of hiding places and open swimming areas.
King Fisher
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sounds good to me. You could probably add a few more odessa and 4-5 more neon tetras
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