can i add fish now?

HI all. I was wondering when i will be able to add more fish in.

Here are my test result:

nitrate: 20

nitrite: 0

pH: 8.4 (my water is hard here)


I've had it set up for 4 weeks now. I wanted to know if I could get my new fish next week. I wanted to get my 4 platies next. What do ya'll think?


My new filter seems to be working wonderfully!!! The Whsiper 30-60 gal. double canister HOB filter works great!!

TIA

[Zagz]

I am assuming your ammonia is 0 as well? If so you can add fish right away. If not wait until it is 0.

[jcarlilesiu]

Keep in mind that when a cycle is complete, and you remove what ever was producing ammonia in the tank, or stop adding ammonia, not getting fish in there will cause the bacteria you just built to die off. Either keep dosing until you get fish or get fish right away.

Usually when I cycle a tank, Ill leave the raw shrimp in the tank until the day before I go to get fish. Right before I go to the store to get fish, I do a water change and Im good to go.

[TomK2]

Reading between the lines (and your signature), I am going to guess you started with a few fish to cycle the 29 gal tank, and now that things are zero, you want to add more? Remember to add stock slowly, so as not to get ahead of your still developing bio-filter. But if you started with 3 zebra danios in a 29 gal, and things are stable and no ammonia or nitrite, then I think 4 platies is OK. I would wait one to two weeks after the platies before adding more, again to let your bio-filter continue to grow. Your choice of zebras and Platy are good for new tanks, both species are hardy enough to tolerate unsuspected rough spots in a cycle. Then I would add the the remaining danios (to free up your QT), the cories, and the gourami last. All spaced one to two weeks apart.

thank you Tom. I did cycle with the 2 zebras. I was planning on transfering the 4 zebras in my Q tank into my main tank(the Q tank was set up at the same time as 29). I then was getting the platies to Q them(my LFS also Q's them). Then adding the fish slowly to the Q tank then the 29. TIA!

Is this an alright procedure? thanks!

[TomK2]

Sure. you could put the zebras in the 29, then the platies in the QT. This way your QT says full as you stock the 29. It makes a lot of sense to do it that way.

thanks! i'm planning to get the platies next week!