Setting up new 60 gallon

[mikemac]

hey guys I just have a couple questions about how i set up my new 60 gallon fresh water tank

I couldn't run my old 30 gallon at the same time and wait for my 60 to cycle so I had to add fish immediately. I used the majority of the gravel from the old tank and put it in the new one. I am also running the old filter at the same time as the new filter for all the bacteria and to help get the tank cycling. The new filter is a top fin 75 and the old filter is a top fin 30. I also put in 2 decorations from the old tank straight into the new tank to also help with the cycling. 30% of the new tank is filled with the old tanks water and then i added new water for the rest. I also used quicck start to get the cycling going faster.

After a couple hours of running it, I had to add my fish. I have 2 parrot fish, 1 silver dollar, 1 bala shark, and angelicus plecostomus. I have had these fish for close to 5 or 6 years and want to make sure i dont lose them.


I started this all sunday. I added prime to bring the ammonia down on monday. Tuesday, i did a 15 percent water change, and today i added the prime again.


Is there anything else i need to do to keep my fish safe? how often should i do water changes while cycling?

 

[Rivercats]

You are doing everything right and the best thing is to monitor your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate daily to see where you are in your cycling. With you using the old substrate and filter material you should have a good start on the cycling. Anyway I'd do a 50% WC weekly but while monitoring if your ammonia or nitrite go above .25 then you need to do a WC to bring the levels back down regardless of what your weekly WC schedule is.

 

[mikemac]

ok, i didnt feed them for 2 days and just fed them todayy....might wait a couple days until i feed them again.....any advice on what kind of fish to add once im done cycling?

 

[Rivercats]

I'm not into the kind of fish you keep but I can tell you that the silver dollar would be better in a school and I think having an actual school of say 6 would make the tank look pretty nice. I did keep a school of silver dollars in the 80's and they make quite a sight seeing a school in a tank.