Already have a bunch of fish - help with cycling

[prestoconfuoco]

Hi all,

I am brand new to the hobby and just learning about cycling. I got a bunch of fish earlier today and they were put into a brand new 29G with a few fish purchased about a week ago by some family members.

Inside: 5x black skirt tetra,
2x platy,
4x guppy,
2x peppered cory,
1x bristlenose,
2x african dwarf frog

I tried to do all of my research beforehand and made sure to only buy species that were compatible which I think I succeeded at. however I knew nothing about cycling and am now quite worried.

Thankfully I did put old gravel and decor into the tank with the new gravel and decor. I also have some old filter pads, and I put one into my new filter (just sitting in there) with a small handful of old gravel as well at the recommendation of this article. Some of the gravel and decor had been in a tank for a few months, but was then washed before being put back in about a week ago. The old filter pad is somewhere between a month and a week old, but I'm guessing it's probably more recent.

I have a filter pad that's quite old and crusty from a few months back, but I know this was in a tank with a dead fish for a while (and one that was still alive). (lots of neglect and one of the fish died; when cleaning tank out turned out the other was alive, hence the total cleaning of the 10G.) Not sure if I should put this filter in so I left it out for now.

I kind of took over and today spent a bunch to try to get a bunch of new fish and a big tank/decor because I want to make sure everyone is happy and healthy and I'm the animal lover in the house.

What I have read is that if I'm ok doing pretty large water changes regularly my fish should be ok. I see I need to get something like seachem and a water testing kit but am not exactly sure what I should be doing. I will see if I can get a testing kit tomorrow or asap, as well as seachem.

But what should I do to keep them safe? Say I test for ammonia or nitrites above .25 ppm (quoting that article here) so I should do a 50% water change. Do I then treat the remaining water, with the fish in it, with the seachem? Or do I treat the new water?

Thanks so so much for help. i wish I had read up more and learned of this, but I'm absolutely dedicated to doing what I can to keep these fish happy and healthy even if that means frequent large water changes or buying more treatment stuff. I'll also get a tap-to-tank changer.

 

[SaraB]

Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

This might help answer some of your questions

 

[BBradbury]

Hello pre...

Fish in cycling is efficient and leaves you with a tank that has a steady water chemistry. Once the fish are in, you simply change a third of the tank water a couple of times a week for two to three weeks. Feed the fish a little every day or two. Most aquarium fish don't need much food. After the two to three weeks, you begin removing and replacing half the tank water weekly for as long as you keep the fish. If you decide you want to add a few, small fish later, then simply increase the amount of water you change.

The process doesn't get any simpler than this.

B

 

[fearlessfisch]

Hi, there,


You are on the right track with changing water. Follow your test kit and the goal of getting the right levels rather than following a schedule. If you have to change water again immediately to reach your levels, do it. You have a pretty heavy load there, so you will need to test frequently and watch closely to see how often you need to change water, and how much to change.



Make sure to match temperature when changing water. Remove 50 percent of the water from the tank, add enough Prime for the entire tank directly into the tank, and then refill. If you haven't bought one yet, a water changing system like a Python makes the whole process much easier and faster and is highly recommended. It's also easier on the fish than pouring in water, since the water goes in and rises gently.



Most 29/30 gallon tanks are pretty deep. The only time I had dwarf frogs, I accidentally drowned them by putting them in too deep a tank. They were unable to reach the surface for air. I felt terrible about it and never had frogs again. I always caution people to watch and make sure their frogs are able to reach the surface easily. Also make sure they don't get buffeted about during water changes.



Good luck.