Noob Here

[phd0480]

Hi All,

Just getting into this hobby and started with a 29 gallon tank, fish-in cycle on the recommendation of local aquarium expert.

29 Gallon tank, started 2.5 weeks ago
3 Longfin Leopard Danios
Adding Enzyme daily
Checking ammonia every other day (0.25 ppm, peaked at 0.5 ppm)
Checking nitrite every other day (was 0 until yesterday, now 0.25 ppm)
Checking nitrate weekly (was 5ppm a couple days ago)

Seems like cycle is on its way...? Going to give it another couple weeks before adding more fish.

Would welcome any suggestions, especially about next fish to get! Want to go slow, was thinking maybe 2 more.

Thanks for having me!

 

[Aiken Drum]

I would get 3 or 4 more danios before adding anything different.

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.

 

[Colin_T]

A belated Hi and welcome to the forum

Assuming the water chemistry is suitable for them, more danios as suggested by Aiken. They need to be kept in groups of 10 or more to keep them occupied and happy. As for other fish, that depends on what the GH and pH of your water supply and aquarium is.

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.

Angelfish, discus, most tetras, most barbs, Bettas, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm) and a pH below 7.0.

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids, or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

-------------------

Don't bother testing for nitrates until the ammonia and nitrite have both gone up and come back sown to 0ppm. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading if there is nitrite in the water.