Large hardy tetra for cycling

[scotty1301]

Are there any large tetra sutible for cycling my tank

 

[threnjen]

Why not just fishless cycle? Much less work

 

[scotty1301]

How long does that take

 

[threnjen]

A month maybe. It's much less work. With fish-in cycling you'll probably be doing a 50% water change every day.

 

[scotty1301]

Thank very helpful I have always done a fish cycle but in my new tank I will do a fish less one

 

[twiddlemuffin]

Not super big but what about gold barbs ? Or giant danios ?

 

[Stewy]

There is an article on the forum called fish in cycling: step into the g
Dark side that has a lot of info that could help you. I was very impressed and thought it well put together. If you still want to fish in cycle or hear about your other options it is worth the dive minutes to read it.

 

[Andy Sager]

A month maybe. It's much less work. With fish-in cycling you'll probably be doing a 50% water change every day.

When done properly and with the right fish, fish-in cycling does not require daily 50% water changes. I've cycled hundreds of tanks, all fish-in style, and only change water once a week. It's worked that way since I got started with fish, back in 1964

 

[Delapool]

When done properly and with the right fish, fish-in cycling does not require daily 50% water changes. I've cycled hundreds of tanks, all fish-in style, and only change water once a week. It's worked that way since I got started with fish, back in 1964

Hi, have you used tetras? I'd love to know of one that you would consider more hardy than most. Or my neighbor would - he loves them but success rate hasn't been good I gather.

 

[Andy Sager]

Hi, have you used tetras? I'd love to know of one that you would consider more hardy than most. Or my neighbor would - he loves them but success rate hasn't been good I gather.

Tetras, as a group, are not the best fish to use for cycling as most are too fragile. HOWEVER, B.A. (Buenos Aires) Tetras are about the only ones I can think of that I would even chance cycling with. The problem then becomes that they are a more aggressive fish so once the tank has finished cycling, you would be best to either remove them or keep them as a species only tank.
The big secret to fish-in cycling is PH. You see, at a PH value lower than 7.0 ( I prefer 6.5 or lower) toxic Ammonia becomes Ammonium which is not toxic to the fish. It's only the nitrite level you would need to keep under control and that can be done with water changes. (you would really need to have a lot of fish in the tank to need to do a 50% water change daily due to nitrites BTW) So when doing fish-in cycles, it's best to use hardier fish, fewer fish, and add more fish slowly once the tank has finished cycling. Never overload a tank too quickly. (This is where a fish-less cycling can help. Just pour in a lot of ammonia and wait and wait and wait until the tank cycles, however long that takes. To me, that's boring. )

As for your friend's success rate with Tetras, how to properly take care of them will depend on where they are coming from. Wild Tetras from S. America live in very acidic water and do best when kept that way in an aquarium. Tank raised ones, however, may be being kept in a higher PH water so you need to match what they are being kept in for greater success. Again, Tetras are a more fragile group as a whole with certain ones being hardier and easier to keep ( Serpaes, Black Skirt, GTOs, B.A.s for example). All Tetras will do better in a clean, well filtered tank as long as the other fish in the tank don't bother or hassle them. Most of the time, my customer's problems with them stemmed from poor tank maintainance. This led to higher nitrate levels which was most likely the problem.
Hope this helps

 

[BBradbury]

Fish In Tank Cycling

Are there any large tetra sutible for cycling my tank

Hello scotty...

Tetras aren't the hardiest of aquarium fish. If you want fish in your tank right away, I'd suggest Rasboras, White Clouds, female Guppies, and Platys. Any of these will easily survive less than perfect water conditions during the cycling process.

You will need to test the tank water daily and change out roughly 30 percent if you have a positive reading for ammonia or nitrite. Add just a few fish, say 5 or so depending on the size of the tank.

Monitor the water closely and put in some floating plants like Anacharis and your fish will be fine. The process takes about a month.

B

 

[mrvincent]

Betta is great for cycling