Stocking Scheme for Glo Tank (75 gal)?

[Counter_Draw]

I was hoping for some guidance on a stocking scheme for a 75 gallon glo tank.


The tank was setup on Wednesday with the suggested amount of bacteria starter added then. I was told to come in over the weekend and pick out the starter fish, but I'm terrified of adding fish to the tank too early.



I'm fairly new to aquariums and just want to do this correctly. I suppose I'm looking for guidance on a timeline and types of fish to add.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Before thinking about stocking you need to decide how you plan on cycling the tank. Simply setting up the tank, putting in bottled bacteria and leaving it for a few days wont establish a safe environment for fish. At best the bottled bacteria will shorten the time taken for a cycle to establish, at worst it wont do anything.

Do you understand the nitrigen cycle? Beneficial bacteria need to establish to consume fish waste (ammonia) and convert to less harmful end product (nitrate). Without this beneficial bacteria ammonia builds up, which is poisonous to fish.

Broadly speaking there are 2 methods of cycling a tank.

Fish in cycle. Lightly stock and keep your water parameters in the safe zone through regular water changes until the cycle is sufficiently established to support those fish and then increase the stocking a little with more water changes to maintain safe water parameters until the cycle is further established. Rinse and repeat until fully stocked.

Fishless cycle. Establish the cycle before you introduce fish by dosing ammonia to replicate the fish waste until you have sufficient beneficial bacteria to support fish.

 

[Counter_Draw]

Thank you for the thoughtful reply.


I suppose I had in mind the "fish in" cycle. But I am reading conflicting reports on how hearty glo fish actually are. So another question would be if there is a better type of fish to cycle the tank that would also vibe with the eventual glo fish.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Glo fishes are notoriously not hardy fish. If you do a fish in cycle properly though the risk would be minimal.

You could opt to start your stocking with something more hardy and then when the cycle is sufficiently started add in the glofish slowly.

Maybe platys. Start with 7 or 8 in your 75g tank. Platys come in some very bright colours so will look good alongside your glofish. They also are algae eaters which may be something you are looking for. If you go down this route make sure you get all male or all female or you will have a tank full of platys before you know whats happening.

 

[charliebankston]

Glo fishes are notoriously not hardy fish. If you do a fish in cycle properly though the risk would be minimal.

You could opt to start your stocking with something more hardy and then when the cycle is sufficiently started add in the glofish slowly.

Maybe platys. Start with 7 or 8 in your 75g tank. Platys come in some very bright colours so will look good alongside your glofish. They also are algae eaters which may be something you are looking for. If you go down this route make sure you get all male or all female or you will have a tank full of platys before you know whats happening.

Don't they make danio glow fish? Danios are normally pretty hardy, I don't know if that applies to the glowing ones tho