Need Advice on new stocking

[deven]

Hello All,

I'm currently fishless cycling a 20 gallon tall tank for my first time. The cycle is coming along nicely. The Ammonia has started to drop, but the Nitrites haven't shown up yet.

I have a couple of questions in anticipation of being done in a few weeks...

1) My PH seems pretty high: between 8.0 and 8.2. I've read that a stable PH is more important than a lower PH. Would you recommend I try to lower it and if so to what level? Is there a product you would recommend?

2) My stocking plan is: 1 dwarf gourami, 5 black skirt tetras, 4 corydora catfish, 1 bolivian ram cichlid, 5 neon tetras. I've put this into AquaAdvisor and it comes out clean. I have two filters, a Marineland Penguin 100 and a Tetra PF10 both being used in the cycle. The question is how should I go about stocking the tank. Should I get all the fish at once and put them in, since the tank is fully cycled, or should I get them in stages, say the black skirts in the main tank and the gourami in the quarantine tank (I have a 5.5 gallon I can use as a quarantine tank with the PF10 filter), then after two weeks, transfer the Gourami and get the catfish for two weeks in the QT and so on? What is the recommended practice. I may get the fish from different stores and certainly from different tanks.

Also, any concern with the stocking plan above? Anything you would tweak?

Thanks for any advice you can give. This is my first go-round and I'd like it to be successful!!

 

[Scottyhorse]

Hi and welcome to AA!

1. You are correct, stable PH is better than a 'preferred' PH but needing to change it with chemicals. You can lower it with driftwood, peat moss, and indian almond leaves. These will create a black water effect though.

2. Your stock seems great to me! After the tank is cycled, wait a couple days to make sure it is stable, and then add the black skirt tetras, and possibly cory cats depending on how high you are dosing your ammonia to. Wait a week, then add the neon tetras. Wait another week and add the dwarf gourami. Now, you need to wait a couple months, then you can add your bolivian ram.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

 

[deven]

Thanks a lot!! I'd still like to get some specific advice:

1) do you recommend I try to lower the ph or keep it at the 8.0 to 8.2 range it is naturally at?

2) should I quarantine for only 1 week? I've read 2 weeks to a month in other articles.

Thanks!!!

 

[Fishperson]

I don't think you should drop the ph or quarantine at all.
Just acclimate the fish first.