Cycling question

[CharlieKlein]

So I finally bought my tank! 37 gallon and black stand its the marineland biowheel kit
So I plan on doin zebra danios. Is there a specific number I should do? I was thinking 6 bout j could do 10 if its speedier. So then if trade them in after the cycle for some store credit tetras and Finnish with this stock in this order

8or12 neon tetras
2 pearl gouramis(1m1f)
4 panda Cory cats
3or5 fancy guppies
1 apistogramma
6or8 rumynose tetras
1 German blue ram
Possibablly a angel

 

[blert]

If you are just going to trade the fish after the tank has "cycled" to that little bit of bio-load why don't you just do fish-less? It's cleaner, faster and safer for the fish.

 

[CharlieKlein]

It's faster? How so?

 

[smallfry53]

You can keep ammonia at 3-4ppm if you do fishless, much higher then fish-in cycling, which I think makes it go faster. Up to you, but I think blert has a point. If you don't want the fish and are just going to trade them in, I'd just do fishless. Also if you cycle at 3-4ppm you will be prepared for a much larger bio-load then just using 8-10 zebra danios. jmo.

 

[blert]

I forgot to mention the, arguably, best thing... Less work for you. With fish-in, you will potentially be doing one OR MORE large water A DAY.

 

[BBradbury]

Fish In Cycling

So I finally bought my tank! 37 gallon and black stand its the marineland biowheel kit
So I plan on doin zebra danios. Is there a specific number I should do? I was thinking 6 bout j could do 10 if its speedier. So then if trade them in after the cycle for some store credit tetras and Finnish with this stock in this order

8or12 neon tetras
2 pearl gouramis(1m1f)
4 panda Cory cats
3or5 fancy guppies
1 apistogramma
6or8 rumynose tetras
1 German blue ram
Possibablly a angel

Hello Chas...

You can easily cycle your tank with Guppies. They're as hardy as Danios. I used them to cycle my first tank and the fish easily survived my "learning curve". So, I'd use them instead, so you don't have to waste money on fish you don't want.

You're wise to start with a bit larger tank. There's a lot of water to make up for errors in tank management. Anyway, a half dozen or 8 will be enough. Don't get males, just females. The females will be pregnant and give you all the males you'll want later.

So, set up the tank and get some good floating plants, like Anacharis and Pennywort to help with filtration. Put in your fish, their waste will start the cycling process. Have your test kit handy and test the water every day for ammonia and nitrite. When a test shows even a trace of either of these toxins, then remove at least 25 percent of the tank water and replace it with pure, treated tap water.

When several tests show "0" for the two toxins, then add some more Guppies and continue testing and changing out the water. You do this until the tank is stocked. Then, research the other fish you want to make sure they'll get along with one another and there will be room for all of them and you're done.

B

 

[librarygirl]

YOu might want to read this; it explains cycling and the pros and cons of each method: Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

I don't know that one is faster than the other, but fish-in is definitely more work and takes a lot of dedication to get the fish through the cycle, potentially 3-8 weeks of daily water changes.

Your stock, once the tank is cycled, I think is too much. Gouramis can often be territorial and aggressive particularly when they breed as well. I wouldn't do the angel and perhaps replace the two pearl gourami with a single dwarf gourami or one pearl.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Well maybe now I'll do a fish less! So when I have no fish, could I still have a snail? (Zebra nerite). Anyways, I don't really wanna risk the guppies. So as for stock, I can do no angel and was thinking 2 gouramis cuz both lfs said that they'd be happier in pairs

 

[Rivercats]

Thats not true about gourami's being happier in pairs. It can make them more aggressive, especially the males. And other fish will often suffer because of the aggression. One DG or one Pearl is a better choice.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Mabye I'll do 1 then. What would you suggust for the rest of my stock?

 

[Rivercats]

Were it me I'd drop either the Rummynose or Neons and do an angel and 5 male guppies for a more diverse different body shape in your fish, which adds more interest to a tank IMO.