Cycling questions. Safe start.

[Crazyhermitcrab]

Hello I'm new to the forum, and I joined specifically to ask a question about my new tank. And safe start.

I will hopefully be getting the aqueon 36 gallon bowfront kit for Christmas. That's a big step up from my 10 gallon. It is intended for peaceful tropical fish.
I have been doing lots of research on the topic of cycling. I know all about the ammonia nitrite and nitrates.

My original plan was to let it cycle for a month by adding food to the tank as my ammonia source. And pure ammonia isn't an option for me sorry. Then I realized the food would turn to fungus, so I thought I should get a few ghost shrimp to cycle the tank. Since they have a very very very low bioload they do not count as a fish cycle. With the shrimp I would still be getting ammonia but no fungus. Am I making sense so far?
It would be about $10 to get 30 or so ghost shrimp, so it's very afrorable.

But that would take at least a month. I am very impatient and I want stuff NOW. So I thought that i should as some bacteria to speed up the cycle. So I immediately added sponges to my filters in my tanks. This way when I get the 36 bow, I will have a ton of filter media to add to it to speed up the cycle.

I was reading about tetra safe start. I'm confused. I know that it's bacteria and all, but I have some questions...
What do I need to do In addition to safe start?
Do I still need to add an ammonia source?
How do I use it?
How long does it take safe start to work?
How long before I can add fish?
If I use safe start and my filter media would it take a week?

Thanks for all the help.

Also it will have the filter it come with plus my homemade filter that uses a powerhead designed for 50 gallon tanks. The substate will be 30-45 lbs of floramax, the tank will also be aquascaped.


I love the smilies n

 

[mistersprinkles]

Careful with plant substrates. A lot of them release ammonia for several months after installation and will un-cycle your tank (release too much ammonia for the biofilter to keep up with).

I suggest you go with Seachem Fluorite as your substrate. It is great for plants and won't release ammonia.

If you seed the filters with biomedia from your old tanks, you can start right away with a few fish.

The process would be something like this:

Set up aquarium, fill with water, dechlorinate, wait 24 hours, then add cycled filter media from other tanks (as much as possible), then immediately add a small volume of fish. Don't fully stock the tank right away. Start with a few small fish and gradually over the next month or two, finish stocking your tank.

Products like Safe start, Seachem stability, Stress Zyme, etc, do help to establish a biological filter faster. Follow the directions on the bottle and add your safe start to the tank for approximately a month after settting up.



What fish are you getting?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I recommended giving this a read.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html

 

[mistersprinkles]

I recommended giving this a read.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html

From that article, on media transfers:

Filter squeezings/media transfer
This is where it's at. A good filter squeezing/media transfer from a well established tank into your cycling tank can cut down your cycling time days rather than weeks. The best method is to actually get some well worn filter media, like a handful of biomedia or a substantial piece of filter padding. This is done by opening up a well established filter and removing some of it's contents and then placing it into the filter of the tank you are trying to cycle.
You can also transfer some gravel or decor from a well established tank, but it is not nearly as effective as the filter media is.

Remember, when you transfer bacteria in this manner you are also transfering whatever was in that tank with it, so make sure the tank is a healthy one so you don't have a disease lingering in your new setup.

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

I will have 4 female bettas, 5 guppies, 5-7 neon tetras/ rummy nose, dwarf gouromi, and 1 Otto. I would like some bottom feeders to help clean the tank, but no plecos or corydoras.
Really I can just add the fish in?
And how does floramax releases ammonia? My neighbor uses tk and it's fine.
Also thanks, k did to know you use safe start a month after. Very helpful thanks.

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

I don't have any bad stuff in my tank.

 

[mistersprinkles]

I will have 4 female bettas, 5 guppies, 5-7 neon tetras/ rummy nose, dwarf gouromi, and 1 Otto. I would like some bottom feeders to help clean the tank, but no plecos or corydoras.

You can go with something like dwarf chain loaches instead of plecos or corys.

Remember, bottom feeders aren't really a clean up crew. That's a misconception. They will clean up some scraps, but they require their own quality food.
I don't think you should keep a dwarf gourami with the female bettas. There could be fighting. Why not swap the dwarf gourami for a nice angelfish?

Really I can just add the fish in?

Yup. Not all at once. Start with just a couple of small fish, then gradually build up.

And how does floramax releases ammonia? My neighbor uses tk and it's fine.
Also thanks, k did to know you use safe start a month after. Very helpful thanks.

I don't know about floramax specifically but I know ADA soil and Netlea soil release ammonia. Somebody else will have to chime in. I'd just use Seachem Fluorite though. It's decent stuff. With any of these substrates, they do cloud the water, so when you pour the water in over the substrate, put a plastic bag on top of the substrate so the water doesn't disturb it.

 

[Coyne]

The Floramax will be fine. It's the organic soils that tend to cause an ammonia spike.

 

[mistersprinkles]

The Floramax will be fine. It's the organic soils that tend to cause an ammonia spike.

Oh. Cool!

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

Yah I dint want a clean up crew, just something that will clean up scraps. And where can I find a "nice angelfish" I thought angels were meanies. How do I decide which one is nice.

 

[mistersprinkles]

Occasionally, an angelfish will be mean, but they aren't Kracken or anything horrible like that.

I've had an angel alone in a 38 gal with tetras, corys, amano shrimp, and a pair with tetras and corys in a 55 gal. If you put them with shrimp or fish tiny enough to fit in their mouths, like baby neons or baby guppies, those fish may very well get eaten. Otherwise, angels are a pretty safe pick. You have 36 gallons. That's enough space for an angel and some other smaller fish. Maybe an angel and a pair of bolivian rams? That'd work too.

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

Maybe an angel and a pair of bolivian rams? That'd work too.

I already have 4 female bettas, so anything that can get along with them is fine. They are about 2-3".
So how does this sound.
1 angel
2 rams (PetSmart® Electric Blue Ram Cichlid - Fish - Live Pet - PetSmart) can I do those rams?
4 female bettas

Or
1 angel
4 bettas
7 neon tetras

Well the fish I like are guppies, bettas, angels, dwarf gourami's, and tetras. Could you come up with a list I could keep.

 

[mistersprinkles]

I already have 4 female bettas, so anything that can get along with them is fine. They are about 2-3".
So how does this sound.
1 angel
2 rams (PetSmart® Electric Blue Ram Cichlid - Fish - Live Pet - PetSmart) can I do those rams?
4 female bettas

Or
1 angel
4 bettas
7 neon tetras

Well the fish I like are guppies, bettas, angels, dwarf gourami's, and tetras. Could you come up with a list I could keep.

You shouldn't mix dwarf gouramis with bettas. Mixing female bettas with angels may possibly be problematic. I forgot you were putting bettas in there.
You can try an angel with the bettas. If you buy the angel young and he grows up with them around he may tolerate them. If he becomes a bully just remove him.

The safest bet would be something like 4 bettas, 7 neons, pair of rams. Nobody's interfering with anybody else that way.

I suggest you go with Bolivian Rams instead of German Blue Rams. Bolivians are much easier to care for. If you can't find bolivian rams you could switch to a pair of keyhole cichlids. If you can't find keyhole cichlids you could try a pair of kribensis.

 

[Brookster123]

Electric blues are pretty tricky fish, water parameters have to constantly be in check and seeing as they're cichlids they can get aggressive

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

Great news, instead of the 36 gallon I will either be getting a 40 or 55 gallon so yeah, more fish.