Didgeridoo
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 4
Hello there! I'm very, very new to fishkeeping, and can use all the advice I can get, so I have a couple of questions that i would love to hear some feedback on. I tried asking the employees at my local fish store, but their answers left me a bit worried. When I asked them about fishless cycling, the employee told me not to do it because he didn't like it, and that I should just use a goldfish (even though I told him i was starting a tropical tank). To use his words, "Why look at an empty tank for a month? Goldfish are really dirty, so the cycle will finish really fast. It'll probably die, but you know, it's a goldfish." So I thought I'd take my questions to some people who actually liked fish.
First of all, let me give you the specs on my tank; it is a 20 gallon high tank, with an Aquaclear filter rated for 30 gallons. I have fine sand as a substrate, low lighting, and some anacharis and anubias plants. It is also in the middle of a fishless cycle! It can currently convert about 4 ppm of ammonia to .50 ppm in 12 hours. Nitrites are about 1 ppm, and nitrates are showing about 10 ppm.
Now for some questions! This is my current stocking plan for when it finishes cycling:
1 Dwarf Gourami
6 neon tetras OR cherry barbs (haven't decided yet)
6 panda cories
Does that look about right? Is it overstocked? Understocked? If overstocked, which fish would you recommend removing or reducing numbers on. If understocked, could I maybe add a few otos, or up the number of tetras/barbs?
Second question, I keep hearing about something called a 'Python' gravel cleaner. Should I get one? Those of you who have owned one, do you recommend it?
Thirdly, do I need to get an airstone/bubbler for my size tank, or is that uneccessary?
And last for now, when my tank is cycled and based on the list above, how many fish should i bring home each week and in what order to make sure the bateria can adjust to their bioload? I want to make sure my new fishy friends will be as comfortable as possible.
Sorry for the mega-post, but I'm really excited about my tank, and i want to do it right! Thanks for reading, and i would really appreciate any advice.
First of all, let me give you the specs on my tank; it is a 20 gallon high tank, with an Aquaclear filter rated for 30 gallons. I have fine sand as a substrate, low lighting, and some anacharis and anubias plants. It is also in the middle of a fishless cycle! It can currently convert about 4 ppm of ammonia to .50 ppm in 12 hours. Nitrites are about 1 ppm, and nitrates are showing about 10 ppm.
Now for some questions! This is my current stocking plan for when it finishes cycling:
1 Dwarf Gourami
6 neon tetras OR cherry barbs (haven't decided yet)
6 panda cories
Does that look about right? Is it overstocked? Understocked? If overstocked, which fish would you recommend removing or reducing numbers on. If understocked, could I maybe add a few otos, or up the number of tetras/barbs?
Second question, I keep hearing about something called a 'Python' gravel cleaner. Should I get one? Those of you who have owned one, do you recommend it?
Thirdly, do I need to get an airstone/bubbler for my size tank, or is that uneccessary?
And last for now, when my tank is cycled and based on the list above, how many fish should i bring home each week and in what order to make sure the bateria can adjust to their bioload? I want to make sure my new fishy friends will be as comfortable as possible.
Sorry for the mega-post, but I'm really excited about my tank, and i want to do it right! Thanks for reading, and i would really appreciate any advice.