What to put in my new tank

[minx]

Hi,

I'm preparing to get a 120l (26g) tank & could do with some advice on how many and what sort of fish to populate it with.

For starters there will be 4 bronze corys from my existing 10g tank. I'm a huge fan of corys, so would happily have a few more

I'd also like a pleco, but a I guess they'd be a bit big for me ... is there anything out there which is pleco like in looks but much smaller?!

The big challenge is some sort of 'top fish'. Something really small and shoaling would be ideal, perhaps tetra although my water is fairly alkaline ... I hear they're not too keen.

Any opinions would be gratefully welcomed!

 

[loganj]

fish

A smaller version of the pleco is the peckoltia. There are several different species of these. I think most of them average about 4" fully grown. They look very much like a pleco and are good algae eaters. The corys are great...I like them very much too. You could keep a shoal of the smaller danios although they are not very colorful. What I have in my 55, which is also alkaline, is a mixture of tiger barbs, green barbs, and rainbows. The barbs come from soft acidic waters, but seem to do well in the alkaline water with proper acclimation. The rainbows, especially the boesemani, are very colorful and will do well in the alkaline water. Just some thoughts....
Logan J

 

[nikki]

population

The ancistus look like plecos and are even better algae eaters, they're smaller, too, about 10/12 cms (should be about 4/5 inches). The danios or the rasboras are nice little fish, you can get different sorts of rasboras, those which are red or blue are very nice and very active fish, you should buy them by 5.

 

[redwing]

IMHO the only rainbow that would do well in your tank would be Melanotaenia praecox ( dwarf neon ). I'd suggest getting a school of 5-6. Since you like cories I'd also add a couple more.

 

[Vicshaw]

octopi

i'd add an octopus if i was you.

 

[minx]

Erm, perhaps not!

Anyone have any suggestions for fish for cycling the tank? I know the general suggestion seems to be zebra danio but I'm not sure I really like them that much.

I haven't tested the water yet (only put it in last night!) but if it's similar to my existing tank the water will be on the hard side (pH 7.5 - 8 ).

 

[mantis]

Well.........on the cycling I'd suggest not using tetras. All mine died. Everyone is suggesting the zebra danios which I'll probably buy today to keep the cycle going. I also have high alkaline ph 8. My tank has been setup for a week. Waiting is the hardest part. Is there a test to check oxygen in the water? I was just getting amonia buildup in the tank but it had not peaked yet. Everything else checked out fine but slowly they started dying after 3 days. I thought I saw some white stuff around the mouth of one. Is this something I should treat for? Mantis

 

[Bearfan]

Yes there is an oxygen test kit. Tetra Test makes one that sells for about $11 or so.

 

[minx]

Waiting is the hardest part.

Tell me about it! I wanted to get some fish next weekend but I'm probably going to have to spend a few days away in the week. Don't really want to dump fish in a new tank and disappear!

 

[robertmarda]

Since you already have a 10 gallon tank you can put 1 or 2 gallons into your new tank from there. This will speed up the cycling process as it will transfer good bacteria colonies from the existing tank to the new one. I have done this a few times when setting up new tanks and it works very well.

Here is something I have not tried but might work. We'll see if others respond with comments. After using water from your existing tank you could put one or two cories in the 26g tank and then watch the ammonia level. When the level starts rising you could move them back to the 10 gallon tank and wait until the Ammonia level and subsequent Nitrite spike drop and then put them back in there again. For those with more experience on cycling than I would that work to cycle his tank?

 

[minx]

Thanks - that sounds like a really good idea.

I'd love to test it out, but I'm treating my Corys for fungus at the mo, hence the reason I daren't transfer anything between tanks in case of cross contamination.

Would be interesting to see if anyone else has had a go though

 

[robertmarda]

I've also read on this site about cycling a tank without fish. I think you can purchase ammonia and put some in the tank. I know you can buy something called Stress Zyme which claims to have 1 million live bacteria per teaspoonful that can be added to the tank to give the bacteria colony a boost.

 

[loganj]

new tank

I've never used the Stress Zyme, but it couldn't hurt anything I think to try it. You can use straight ammonia to start the cycle, but you have to be very careful about how much you add. I'd use the "dead shrimp" method. Chunk a dead shrimp in there and let it rot. It'll supply the ammonia and get the cycle going. You can also, as Robert suggested, use water from the 10 gal. You could add some substrate from the 10. I don't know what kind of filters you use, but you might change the filter cartridge in the 10 and stick the old one in the filter for the new tank...that'll start if faster than anything I know of. Just be sure there is a source of ammonia (fish, dead shrimp, ect...) in the tank so the bacteria have food. If the filter cartridge won't fit, take a new cart for the new tank and submerse it in the 10 for a week or so...that will also speed up the cycle. Just go slowly and everything will be fine. The saying that nothing good happens fast in a reef tank applies to FW tanks as well. Hope your Corys are OK...I love Corys...neatest little fish!
Logan J

 

[minx]

They seem fine .... not too impressed with the disruption of the new tank being set up, also look a bit scruffy with their slightly ragged fins but other than that they seem pretty happy!

I swear I caught them gazing longingly at the new tank the other night

 

[Thaiboxer]

I used some StressZyme during my cycle, but I don't think it really made a difference. It still took a month for my ammonia and nitrites to retreat to 0, so I doubt I'll use it next time. I do use StressCoat, seems to be a decent product but I honestly can't tell if there's a big difference.

There's an LFS near me that sells live bacteria harvested from their tanks for 15-20 dollars - they guarantee that it will speed your cycling to about a week. I haven't tried it, but they seemed to feel pretty good about it.

 

[Guest]

Bacteria transfer

Well, next tank i try I will try fishless cycling w dead shrimp.

However, what I've done for years is take some mature substrate, a dirty filter pad and a gallon or so of old tank water.

In a bucket (a dedicated fish bucket) i swoosh everything around REALLY HARD for 5 minutes or so. Then I dump the old water in the new tank and some in new filter. I figure it's gotta loosen up a ton of good bacteria, which is now in the new tank. I think it gives a good jump start to the cycle. Just my own theory though.

 

[Bearfan]

I usually do the same thing, I take 25lbs or so of "aged" gravel and mix it in a bucket with a gallon or so of "aged" aquarium water (which is at least 1 week from it's last water change) and agitate it. Then I add the new washes gravel to the aquarium, 10 gallons of "aged" aquarium water (I need to do water changes anyway), then add the 25 lbs of "aged" gravel. I then add the new water to the aquarium without a dish or anything so the water messes up the "aged" gravel and the new gravel. This seems to work fairly well for me so far. I let the water sit and run through the filter (using 1 old filter cartridge) for about a week or so. After doing the normal battery of tests, I go ahead and add a few danios and let them habitate alone for about 2 weeks. After a couple weeks I add a couple more fish (as long as the battery of tests are normal) and let them habitate for two more weeks before I add anything else. I have found the tanks to be fairly cycled after this process. I don't think this is an exact science, as I have seen people add all new stuff, a couple danios and have the danios live.

 

[minx]

I did that with my first tank ... fresh water left a week after which I added 2 Corys, 3 danios and 3 glowlights (not a great combination in hindsight ... ). One danio died pretty much straight away, the rest were fine ... beginners luck?!

Anyhow, thanks for all the tips - it's all really useful and much appreciated.

 

[Thaiboxer]

I did my cycle with all new stuff - gravel, filter, water, etc. - added 7 danios and a male betta in a 55 gallon and they all lived for over a month. I think I added too many more fish at once when my cycle was done, and lost some of them and a danio, but for cycling it seemed to go fine with all new.

I will, however, use the processes described above for my next FW tank and would have for this one if I'd had old stuff available.

 

[minx]

Well, I went to my LFS yesterday to get some fish for my new tank intending on getting some danios and came home with 4 very appealing Tiger Barbs.

I wasn't too keen on the danios so I asked the guy for some advice & the Tiger Barbs caught my eye.

Anyhow, I know they're considered fairly easy to keep so I thought I'd give them a go. I lost one overnight ... he'd had loads less colour than the other three as soon as I got him home. The other three seem fine, a little timid but pretty active.

Anybody else have any experience of cycling with Tiger Barbs? I'm worried I may have been a little bit impulsive ...