New to the Forum

[Sevencharlie]

Hello everyone, I am new to the site and the aquarium hobby in general. I have just this past Sunday set up a 25 gal aquarium



I'm using a Fluval C3 h.o.b. power filter.

My questions are as follows

-How long should I expect this tank to cycle and be ready to have fish added? I'm using household ammonia and Fluval Biological enhancer. Its been going for a week with the ammonia level staying at 2.0 ppm and 0 nitrites or nitrates

-How many Blue Gourami's and Tiger Barbs can I safely put in this tank?

-What other fish can I include with these two types?

-Which fish should be added to the tank first?

-How long should i wait before adding the others?

Thank you all in advance for your help.

[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi Sevencharlie,

Welcome to the hobby and AA. Please make yourself at home and explore some of the sub-forums. You should find the General Discussion and Getting Started sections in the Freshwater & Brackish to be of particular help.

I have a Fluval C2, so I can say right off the bat that you made a fine choice with the C3.

I'm not familiar with the Fluval Bacterial supplement, however. I do know some BB (beneficial bacteria) in a bottle are more effective than others. I have used Tetra SafeStart (TSS) before as I know it has the correct stains of nitrifying bio-spira BB to get you cycled fairly quickly (so long as there's an ammonia source). If you have access to an established aquarium, you can always "seed" your filter with established media to get the BB colonies going without the extra cost. But without access to an established tank, TSS is a good alternative.

Just keep monitoring your ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. You'll get there soon enough. Just exercise patience. There are other threads on the topic that can help. Or you can always start one in the Getting Started area so others can lend a helping hand.

I wish I can help you more in the stocking department. I just know both gouramis and tiger barbs are semi-aggressive so there's limited compatibility with other species, especially with docile fish like tetras. So it might be wise to just stick with those and perhaps some algae eating fish or snails. Again, research and exploring the other sub-forums will help you decide.

Anyways, welcome to AA!

[Sevencharlie]

Thanks a lot