Almost ready for fish! More questions!

[woofwoofgrrl]

My cycling is progressing - so now I'm planning the fish moving and acquisition phases! YAY!

First question - do I need to acclimate my existing two fish or can I just move them from my 10 gal into my new 30?

Second question: my two existing fish are a white skirt tetra and a zebra danio. I plan on my first acquisitions being friends for for them, can I get 5 of each (10 total fish) as the first batch of new fish.... What should the timing be? Can I move my existing fish and put in the new fish all at once or should I space it out?

Thanks!

 

[HN1]

Yes, anytime fish are moved between tanks it's a good idea to acclimate unless you know all important values (incl. TDS, gh/kh) are close to exact.

I'd suggest adding one school of 5 at a time. Wait a week or two while testing and then look to add the 2nd group. Gradual stocking is really key to minimizing issues while maximizing stocking capacity IMO.

 

[woofwoofgrrl]

Thanks for your reply!
Should I add each fish with it's respective school or will they bond fine if my existing fish are moved first and then I add each school in turn? Should I quarantine? Which bring up my next question....

What's the story with quarantine tanks? I understand the objective - isolate the new fish from the resident fish and observe them for a while. I'm confused about the logistics, the affect it has on the fish, and it's real necessity. From my understanding one uses a smaller tank for quarantine purposes, but wouldn't a small tank, that's not size appropriate, be more stressful for the new fish? For example, if I used my existing 10 gallon as a quarantine tank, wouldn't it be too small (not necessarily from a filter perspective, but from a room to zip around perspective), and therefore stressful, for 5 zebra danios? If I decide to use a quarantine tank, how long should the fish be kept in it?
Thanks again!
Thanks!

 

[fishguy1]

Second question: my two existing fish are a white skirt tetra and a zebra danio. I plan on my first acquisitions being friends for for them, can I get 5 of each (10 total fish) as the first batch of new fish.... What should the timing be? Can I move my existing fish and put in the new fish all at once or should I space it out?

Thanks!

How are you cycling the tank?

How many fish you can add at once is dependent on the size and strength of the bacteria colony. Lets use the 10 as an example. The 10 gallon supports the bioload of the 2 fish. If you added 2 more fish, you would be doubling the bioload. This would create an excess of ammonia and nitrite. HOWEVER, the bacteria colony can double in size in a day, so the exposure to the ammonia and nitrite would be minimal. If you added 4 fish instead of 2, then you would be left with an excess of ammonia and nitrite for longer because you'd be increasing the bioload by 200%.

So, you many fish you can add at once to the new tank is dependent on how much ammonia it can process in a day.

One thing you can do to prepare a tank for new fish (once there are already fish in the tank) is to adjust feedings. The more fish eat, the more waste is created and the stronger the bacteria colony. You can up your feedings for the week prior, as a way of building up the bacteria. Then once you add the fish, feed minimally for a few days and then gradually move back to a normal feeding schedule.


Quarantine tanks are SOOOO important. It's really a good idea to have one, whether it's a 10 gallon tank or a rubbermaid container with a sponge filter in it. As you get more tanks, you need to get additional quarantine tanks too. I have 5 QTs - two 20s, two 10s and a 5.

QTs should be kept in a low traffic, low light area. While the size may not be ideal for a particular fish, for the 2 weeks to a month it'll be in there, it'll be fine. What makes a quarantine tank is having a cycled filter. You can use a sponge filters - cheap option. Have one running in the main tank, and just have the pump in the QT. When you need it, remove the sponge from the show tank and put t on the quarantine tank pump. Replace the sponge in the show tank with a new one. That way, you don't need to have the tank running all the time. You can also use a HOB, following the same principle.

 

[HN1]

If it were me.... I would add one of the groups of 5 to the existing 2 into the 30 when it is ready. Then I'd QT the 2nd batch of 5 and all subsequent fish.

Too small a tank could definitely be worse than no QT for the fish, but you'd be surprised just how many fish can be QT'd in a 10G. A simple QT tank is easy to maintain. We use an empty 10G with a HOB and heater. It's left in the closet unless we need it for an add to one of our display tanks. We ALWAYS have extra biomedia running in various tanks so that we can quickly establish the QT (or a new tank). The object of a QT is to protect your current, established fish. Losing a tank full of fish that you have a lot of time into is never fun.

As far as how long to QT.... we usually start with 28 days. If nothing makes an appearance by then, the fish will usually be ok. If they do present with something, they need to be treated at the clock started from 0 at the end of their treatment.


Just my ramblings....

 

[woofwoofgrrl]

Your ramblings are VERY helpful! Thanks! You actually answered a question that I was wondering about but hadn't asked yet!

I'm fishless cycling my 30 gal, trying to keep the ammonia at 4ppm. So how's this for a plan - I get both schools of 5 at the same time - I put one in the new tank with my existing fish, put the second in my 10 gallon for quarantine. Prior to this, I will up the feeding in my 10 gallon to make the bio-filter bigger to support 5 fish instead of 2. Sound okay?

One last question - later, after I've put a Betta in my 10 gallon, and I resort to a rubbermaid container and a "hanging out in my show tank" sponge filter for QT, how far ahead of time should I set up the QT? I'm assuming I should feed it ammonia during this 'set up' time?

Thanks so much!

 

[fishguy1]

A quarantine tank shouldn't take much longer to set up than it does to fill it with water, and I wouldn't set it up until you need it. I set mine up before I go to the LFS. No need to feed it anything, because when you put the fish in there they will do that.

I would put one school in one tank and the other in the other, and put each of the 2 fish you have in the tank with their species.

Yes, I would keep the 2 in the 10 gallon and up their feeding to prepare for the new fish.

 

[HN1]

Your ramblings are VERY helpful! Thanks! You actually answered a question that I was wondering about but hadn't asked yet!

I'm fishless cycling my 30 gal, trying to keep the ammonia at 4ppm. So how's this for a plan - I get both schools of 5 at the same time - I put one in the new tank with my existing fish, put the second in my 10 gallon for quarantine. Prior to this, I will up the feeding in my 10 gallon to make the bio-filter bigger to support 5 fish instead of 2. Sound okay?

One last question - later, after I've put a Betta in my 10 gallon, and I resort to a rubbermaid container and a "hanging out in my show tank" sponge filter for QT, how far ahead of time should I set up the QT? I'm assuming I should feed it ammonia during this 'set up' time?

Thanks so much!

A quarantine tank shouldn't take much longer to set up than it does to fill it with water, and I wouldn't set it up until you need it. I set mine up before I go to the LFS. No need to feed it anything, because when you put the fish in there they will do that.

I would put one school in one tank and the other in the other, and put each of the 2 fish you have in the tank with their species.

Yes, I would keep the 2 in the 10 gallon and up their feeding to prepare for the new fish.