Suggestions for fish for a fish tank? - Updated! Got fish, now a fish question

[LGA]

Originally Posted by troutman

My cichlids are peaceful - mostly Malawi peacocks etc. The guy at Gold's can recommend a good non-agressive mix. If you don't mind frequent water changes, larger schools also make them more comfortable.

Yea mine were more or less peaceful, you just need the right mix. It was a super colourful tank, lots of stuff going on, it also helps if you have enough cover for the fish and if you have a higher mix of females than males (or just males).

In terms of oxygenation, it's true that a higher surface area will help, but it's really good to just keep the water surface moving, it ensures that there's enough oxygen. I'm just super paranoid about this because my father accidentally killed off a generation of Electric Blue cichlids (babies) when he turned off the air pump, the fish all ended up suffocating.

How I used to control my temperature was I'd heat up a certain amount of water on the stove and dump it into the clean water, I'd do this until the temperature was stable and around the same temperature. Just make sure you remember to treat the water before hand.

Not sure how others did it their methods may be easier.

[Bagor]

So, I set up our tank on Xmas day.

Added the water stabiliser/conditioner and this product to kick start the bacteria colonization process (just intend to use it for startup only).

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCata...Type=0&offset=

Today we added 6 Neon Tetras (about half grown). All seems good at the moment although they do seem a bit cautious (staying to the back of the tank).

Question: When you feed the fish flakes are you supposed to crush them up or do the fish just take tiny bites of the large flakes?

[KevanGuy]

They will take bites of the bigger flakes, just make sure you don't over feed them. 6 neons don't need a whole lot of food. A flake the size of a quarter should be enough, just break it up into a couple pieces. Watch that they eat it and it doesn't just get sucked up into the filter.

[photon]

I find that's one of the toughest things, the flakes get sucked into the current of the filter so easily and get pushed down to the bottom. I bought one of those feeding rings and that helps, but with the fish all feeding in a small area that seems to disturb the flakes enough that they sink anyway, it feels like 2/3 of the food I put in is sinking to the bottom rather than being eaten.

[photon]

Though I guess that's not that bad a thing as eventually I'll have some kind of bottom feeders in my tank.

[Bagor]

Day 3 of fishies. So far they're all still alive and seem relatively content.

My Ammonia levels since adding the fish have consistently been at 0.5 with no obvious adverse affects. I didn't check them pre-fish but water was checked at the fish store and was told all was good.

Have been doing ~25% water changes every day with no changes.

Today I decided to test the tap water as a control (treated and untreated) and both gave me a 0.5 reading.

Is there Ammonia in tap water or am I getting false readings? Anything to be concerned about?

[photon]

Treating the water with Prime or whatever won't remove the reading for ammonia from a test, it will just lock up the ammonia so it doesn't hurt the fish (for a short time, until the bacteria can eat it).

Possible that there's ammonia in the tap water, though 0.5ppm seems pretty high for tap water, what kind of testing kit do you have? Strips? Or the liquid?

Your ammonia levels will increase over the next month and then come down as the tank cycles, then as the ammonia levels come down you should see the nitrite levels go up, spike, then come down.

I think they usually recommend not as many water changes during the cycling process as it will just slow it down. That's why they recommend hardy fish during cycling, or to do a fishless tank cycle by using ammonia directly.

[photon]

[photon]

One other thing to mention would be a fully cycled tank will have a reading of 0ppm for both ammonia and nitrites, wasn't totally clear on that.

[Bagor]

Cheers Photon,

Yeah, basically on hindsight the cycling wasn't the best of moves. It was just the 0.5 after <24 hours that had me thinking it was going up too fast and thus the need for dilution.

Just had a google on ammonia in tap water.

In recent years, water treatment plants have turned to chloramine as an alternative to chlorine. Chloramine combines ammonia with chlorine, which gives it the advantage of being more stable than chlorine by itself. Using Chloramine makes it easier to attain the legal level of chlorine in the water.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/wa.../f/faq0050.htm

Possibly chloramine in Ottawa, chlorine in Calgary? Only explanation I can think of.

I'm using the dropper kit.

[photon]

Yeah makes sense.

My problem with my tap water isn't ammonia, it's PH. almost 8 right out of the tap The guy at that good store on 17th ave mentioned earlier said though that most tropical fish should be able to adapt to it.

Just have to use Prime any time you do a water change to treat the water.

My ammonia levels are creeping up over 1 so I may do a 20% water change anyway just to keep things low, I can see the fish getting stressed over it with red gills.

The more I read about it the more I wish I did a fishless cycle now.

[Bagor]

Me too.

Truth be told, we set up the tank explained to thekids that they would have to wait a while before we could make the water "good" for the fish.

No big deal was made of it.

And then the adults grew impatient ........

[killer_carlson]

I wouldn't have started with Neons. They can be really finnicky, especially with a temperature change. Watch for Ick if you leave a door open too long and a draft catches the tank.

Add your fish slowly as opposed to going to the store and buying a bunch all together (you'll shock the bacteria cycle in the tank and have massive death inside 14 days). At most add three at a time, and ask if you are buying schooling fish (most tetras, most corydorius cat fish, etc).

Again, consider www.albertaaquatica.com for questions as well. Many of the independant pet store managers and breeders post there.

[Ashartus]

Generally you shouldn't add neons or other similar tetras until your tank has been running a few months - hopefully yours do ok though.

It's best to start with fairly hardy fish and add a few at a time. I started with Odessa barbs (hardy fish and the males are quite spectacular once they get settled) followed by zebra danios - then started adding other types once things were settled. Down the road various tetras are always good community fish, as are cory catfish.

I've only skimmed the thread, but there were some mentions of plecos - if you're adding a pleco maybe go with a bristlenose or another small species; some of them can grow as big as 2 feet. Alternatives for algae eating include otos and flying foxes.

[greyshep]

Sorry to revive a somewhat buried thread.

My two daughters each received a 10gallon starter kit for Christmas this year. Needless to say they were pretty excited to get started. So off to the pet store to pick up some fish we went.

I wont bore you with all the details, but we are now approaching mid-cycle I believe. Tanks have a swordtail and a platy in each as well as a chinese algae eater. We lost a couple of guppies at the beginning (likely due to high ammonia levels)

One of the swordtails was preggers when we bought it so we have a nursery net filled with 12 fry in one of the tanks as well.

We are struggling to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels under control at the moment. My daughter is gonna be pretty sad if we lose these baby fish.

I have been doing almost daily partial water changes to stem the ammonia and nitrite tide. Any advice from the peanut gallery?

Wishing we would have done a fishless cycle as Photon says above.

How is everyone elses' tanks coming along?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by greyshep

I have been doing almost daily partial water changes to stem the ammonia and nitrite tide. Any advice from the peanut gallery?

I think all you can do is to keep doing the water changes, and test the water daily - when the ammonia and nitrite starts to come down, you can gradually add more fish (not too many at once). When the tank is fully cycled, you will not be able to detect any ammonia or nitrite. I would still continue with weekly water changes after that (about 25%).

I finally have a baby cichlid that has survived long enough to avoid being eaten by the others! It is large enough now that it no longer has to hide in the rocks. I won't know what kind it is until it grows more - it is just white now.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by troutman

I think all you can do is to keep doing the water changes, and test the water daily - when the ammonia and nitrite starts to come down, you can gradually add more fish (not too many at once). When the tank is fully cycled, you will not be able to detect any ammonia or nitrite. I would still continue with weekly water changes after that (about 25%).

I finally have a baby cichlid that has survived long enough to avoid being eaten by the others! It is large enough now that it no longer has to hide in the rocks. I won't know what kind it is until it grows more - it is just white now.

Yeah I am going to keep up with the water changes. Dont want to lose these little guys.

Problem is going to be if they all survive, what do I do with them? Going to have a tank overcrowding issue. And it sounds like swordtails are prolific breeders as well. May have to let nature take its course if it happens again.

Cichlids are neat looking fish. My kids tanks are a bit too small for them though I believe.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by greyshep

How is everyone elses' tanks coming along?

Day 19 of cycle, day 16 of fish. 29 gallon tank.

So far they're all alive and "appear" to my untrained eye to be quite content.

Ammonia has so far peaked at between 1 & 2. Did ~ 25% water change when we felt it was nearer 2 than 1. Since then it appears to be a consistant 1.

Nitrite has so far been more or less 0.1 with the exception of yesterday when it was 0.2. Will see today.

Cycle was added weekly to the biological filter.

What does this mean. Who knows?

If I'm to believe the leaflet inside Nutrafin Cycle then I am over the worst and my tank should have cycled in 12 days.

I don't.

Just waiting and trying to keep them alive.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Ammonia has so far peaked at between 1 & 2. Did ~ 25% water change when we felt it was nearer 2 than 1. Since then it appears to be a consistant 1.

Nitrite has so far been more or less 0.1 with the exception of yesterday when it was 0.2. Will see today.

Looks like you just have to wait for Nitrite to spike and come down.

I don't think Cycle does anything.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by troutman

Looks like you just have to wait for Nitrite to spike and come down.

I don't think Cycle does anything.

Yeah I am surprised Bagor hasnt seen higher nitrite levels than that. Everything I have read leads me to believe there is a pretty significant spike at some point. I am seeing nitrite rise in my kids tanks in the last couple of days. Trying to keep it at a livable level via water changes, but I think I may just be delaying the inevitable.

Apparently when you start to see algae growth on the glass its a pretty good indication that the cycle is complete as well. Of course an Algae eater may not allow that to occur.

I have been dosing cycle a fair amount as well in the hopes it will add the bacteria the tanks need to transition the nitrite to nitrate. Jury seems to be out as to whether this actually does anything or not though.