Hi everyone.....pls help

[Rizzo750]

I have been reading threads on this site for quite some time now and found it to be a great help with my community tank.
I'm really hoping some of you can pass on your wisdom on a problem that's got me I'm finding so much conflicting info and to be honest the important thing for me here is the health of my three little creatures in the tank.

I have a great community tank that runs fine. I had a 27 litre hospital tank for my betta...he had pop eye. He is fine and back in the bigger tank. I decided to buy 1 more garra ruffa and 2 adf to go into the community tank.
On getting them home I realised they are way to small to join their breeds in the community tank. I'd forgotten how much the others have grown. I think the bigger adf in the tank might eat the little ones.

I decided the solution was to bring them on until they are big enough. They are in the 27 litre tank and they look tiny. My problem is that I keep getting an ammonia reading in the tank. A typical example is...If it's 0 now...the fish were fed earlier, there's nothing left to rot on the tank floor, I water changed......tomorrow I will have a show of ammonia and sometimes it's as much as 1.0.

I have read that the tanks too small to cycle. Is this true? if so how do I care for the creatures in an ammonia free tank.
Long term this tank is not needed. Once the creatures join the big tank the 27 litre will simply be a hospital tank.
Do I need this tank to cycle?

I read so many conflicting items on this I thought I'd pick the site that I used most setting up the successful tank.

Really hope someone here can help. I'm feeling a little useless on this one.

Thanks peeps for reading.
Riz

 

[Chantal]

Amquel makes ammonia not toxic for fish. You'll still get a reading but it won't harm them.

As for the rest, I wouldn't want to say.

 

[jetajockey]

The ammonia will increase whether or not there is visible waste in the tank, fish release ammonia directly into the water.

No tank is too small to cycle, although small tanks are very hard to keep stable.

One of the best things you can do is keep the ammonia level down through water changes and add some established filter media from your main tank to this tank's filter.

 

[Chantal]

No tank is too small to cycle, although small tanks are very hard to keep stable.

I didn't think it was impossible to cycle - thanks. This is what I remember being told. With a small number of fish - wouldn't it be just as easy to keep stable as a large aquarium?

ie. single betta in a 5gal.

 

[jetajockey]

yes, it's not impossible by any means, I like nano tanks.

There's just more room for error in a larger tank, like overfeeding, temperature fluctuation, etc.

 

[Rizzo750]

Amquel makes ammonia not toxic for fish. You'll still get a reading but it won't harm them.

As for the rest, I wouldn't want to say.

Thanks Chantal, I have put toxic in but I will check amquel out as I have never heard of that one.

 

[Rizzo750]

yes, it's not impossible by any means, I like nano tanks.

There's just more room for error in a larger tank, like overfeeding, temperature fluctuation, etc.

Thanks jetajockey, I've read so many times that a small tank won't cycle. I should have asked first because I would have gone for a fishless cycle. I will get onto moving some media over and hopefully I can get cycled without damage to the creatures.

 

[redsea]

Welcome! Thanks for joining AA!