think I'm nearly ready for fish

[Ap0ll0]

Hi,

So I was on another forum when I started out but it wasn't very active so I thought I'd come here. I have been fishless cycling my fluval 200 with an ex1200 filter with a load of donor media and managed to cycle it in just over a week, the nitrites were gone this morning. This is my first time keeping fish fyi

I changed about 60% of the water today, partly to make it easier to put the sand in. I did a whip round of nearly all my LFS' to check out their fish and picked up a couple of ornaments for the tank, and see where I could get some plants from. Tomorrow I'm going to put the lights on then go get plants and the rest of the decorations and a backdrop (I'm thinking just blue/grey crepe paper hung on the back initially)

There are a couple of questions I'd like to ask but first I'll just mention I do have a few more things so I think I have everything covered - I'm keeping the internal filter that came with it running, for its built in air bubbler, and also so I can use it in a hospital/quarantine tank as need, same for the heater but I also have got a hydor inline. I have test kit(s), prime, a couple of basic meds, basically all the bits and bobs you'd expect. So.

1. quarantine/hospital tank - I will get one prior to or at the same time as getting fish, but I'm assuming if I'm adding my first set then the main tank is effectively the quarantine tank, as I need to add them all at once to keep it fully cycled?

2. stocking plan: I intend most likely next weekend to add the following -

platys/swordtails
corys
boesmani rainbows

My water is quite hard and somewhat alkaline although I will need to retest once the aquarium is fully planted and decorated, and I've read that Sterbai Corys are the most suited (of the corys) to that sort of water. I'm also not sure if the boesmanis will be a little too big, might be pushing it but they will be the 'centrepiece fish'. My housemate showed me a maidenhead aquatics today where they had both Sterbai Corys and Boesmanis, neither of which I've seen elsewhere yet so I figured I'd get the platys/swordtails from there also.

I then would want to add loaches (probably kuhli) and a gourami (pearl), and a betta (not sure if suitable?)and then I think I'd probably be approaching a sensible stock size?

3. Assuming the above is sensible, I'm not keen on having fish breed in my tank, but I'm also not keen on the idea of spawn being constantly eaten - is it feasible to stick to one sex per species or should I just get over it and let nature take its course, and if I get a few extra platys then so be it, and if I managed to breed boesmanis without trying then I should count myself lucky?

any advice or even just a comment and your time reading is appreciated

 

[librarygirl]

How did you cycle the tank? Were you adding ammonia?

Yes, the main tank will effectively be the quarantine tank for the first fish you add. When you add fish after that, quarantining them first would be a good idea.

Your stock sounds ok with the exception of the boesmani's; they're pretty active and at least a 4 foot tank is recommended for them. You could see if they have a smaller type of rainbow fish, like threadfins or spotted blue eye.

The betta will be hit and miss; some do ok in community tanks, some don't. I'd add it last if you're set on trying it but have a backup plan in case it doesn't work out.

 

[Fishperson]

What size tank? I don't think you should worry about breeding, if you get a few extra fish you can give them to a friend, keep them, or at least give them to a store (I don't know why they wouldn't take them!). Can you give more details about your filter, tank size, heater, etc.?
to aquarium advice!

 

[Ap0ll0]

Thanks for the responses, to answer the questions:

- The tank is nearly cycled (only started cycling it on 7th march, using household ammonia and lots of donor media from a massive tank from a friend) of a friend, gets through ammonia quickly but nitrItes to nitrAtes isn't happen fast enough yet (pretty close)

- Would you say I *shouldn't* get boesmanis due to tank size or that I should at least spend time researching smaller rainbows to see if there's others I like nearly as much. I often see people pushing the 'guidelines' and in my case this is the only fish I'd do it for as I think they look amazing, but if a few people advise against it then I'll probably take that advice

- Tank is a fluval roma 200, filter is ex1200 and fluval 200 standard internal (maining this for the air bubbler and for instant filter for QT/HT, same with the internal heater that came with it, I have a hydor external 300w that I'm going to set up this week, so internal and external filtration and heating, with the internals going to the HT/QT as needed.

Today I got a bunch of plants from my local MA, along with weekly dose ferts and daily dose liquid co2 (I basically asked the guy at the counter to help me out, he asked about my tank and what sort of fish I was planning on, and then sold me a bunch of plants and the co2/ferts - seemed like a decent chap)

I also picked up a final couple of ornaments, now the only thing left in terms of decoration is the backdrop, and initially I'm planning to just use some crepe paper and hang it off the back, that way I have a simple to change, textured and coloured backdrop

 

[Fishperson]

IDK what a fluval roma is, but if it is 200 liters, than I think you can get boesamanis, but I don't know how much. Do you have a specific number in mind for any of the fish?

 

[Ap0ll0]

I'm not really fussed tbh just going with whatever the recommended number is, so 5/6 minimum and not too much more depending on the size

I've been trying to work out a good 200l community tank for somewhat alkaline, fairly hard water, unfortunately this rules out most small schooling fish, but then that might give me the chance to have fish that would otherwise eat the smaller fish

I think I might be putting too much stock in the precise water quality details? If anyone has any suggestions for stocking I'd definitely listen, aside from the boesmani's that I think are stunning (possibly because I'm quite red/green colourblind I see the blue/yellow of them better than I do most other freshwater tropicals) I tend to be more interested in the behaviour and want to ensure all levels of the tank have something going on. For some reason I also find angelfish dull, as they just drift around, and cichlid tanks are too open for my liking (but some are spectacular).

hence the sterbai corys, and kuhli loaches for the bottom, rainbows for middle/top and platys/swordtails for everywhere i guess, I'm not really fussed about the platys/swordtails they just seem like a solid choice to fill things out...maybe a guppy or two but I'm unclear on whether they need a larger group. also maybe another small school of small rainbowfish

 

[Ap0ll0]

so i looked around on the net a bit more and it does seem like the general consensus leans towards boesemanis being just a bit too big and too active for a 200 litre. unfortunately this fact is guaranteed to inflict Multiple Tank Syndrome upon me, and unfortunately for my lodger, likely guarantee that I'm going to want my ground floor spare room back and turned into a gym with at least one tank by the end of the year...just not sure if I should wait til I'm certain I'm into this hobby and get something else for now or get them now with the plan to move them within a year to a substantially larger tank...

 

[Fishperson]

I recommend against platys and swordtails because they have high bioloads for a small fish. Get some bloodfin tetras if you want a fish that goes all over the tank, or rummynose tetras that swim in the middle.

 

[Fishperson]

Oh! and swordtails are too aggressive.

 

[Ap0ll0]

I recommend against platys and swordtails because they have high bioloads for a small fish. Get some bloodfin tetras if you want a fish that goes all over the tank, or rummynose tetras that swim in the middle.

well I was going for those because they are apparently more suited to my water conditions than tetra - I would love a school of tetra - but my water is pretty hard (get lots of limescale) and definitely alkaline. I think maybe blind cave tetra would work and they are pretty cool in a weird way

also theoretically I could actually do with having fairly high bioload fish initially to keep the filters fully cycled, as I'm dosing a capful of ammonia twice a day at the moment, and I have both the internal filter and the ex1200 external so plenty of filtration for a 200l, but don't plan on fully stocking the tank straight away

maybe i'll get the blind cave fish instead of the boesemanis, definitely seen some in at least one LFS and get a smaller rainbow fish type also

Oh! and swordtails are too aggressive.

oh - my understanding was one male only with them but I hadn't read they were particularly aggressive otherwise?

 

[Fishperson]

Oh, your right, just make sure you have the 1:3 male:female ratio

 

[Ap0ll0]

hmm, my ammonia appears to be going back up a bit - it was cycling a capful every 12 hours or so but this morning the ammonia is still about 2ppm - no nitrites and the nitrates have gotten redder so pretty sure it is still cycling it just seems a bit slower - I dosed a more ammonia so I can check it is going down again, it is probably close to 8ppm now so I'll give that til tomorrow evening/friday morning hours to see if the ammonia and nitrite go back to zero and then if so put it back up to 2ppm and hopefully that will be cleared within 12 hours in time for the weekend

could adding any of the following have affected my cycle, as I added at the weekend:

Sand substrate (3 types of pettex roman gravel sand, only the speckled sand caused cloudy water (was rinsing it for ages and just got bored, the black sand barely needed a rinse and the light coloured sand was pretty quick to clean) and that was completely gone the next day

Ornaments (all from LFS aquarium ornaments, rinsed them with hot water before putting in.

Mopani wood - boiled for an hour or so in water before adding

Bogwood with plant growing on it - from LFS, went straight in out the bag

Plants - all went straight in out of the bag (well I left them in their pots in the water for a couple of hours as I had something to do then came back and planted them right away)

Easy Life Profito fertiliser - I gave it a bit under the recommended weekly dose

Easy Life Easycarbo - liquid carbo - I'm dosing a bit under the recommended daily

oh and when I did my water change I finished up my nutrifin aqua plus and used prime instead (just emptied the remains of the aqua plus in also)