AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH! update

oogpister · 07-18-2008, 09:23 PM

WE DID IT! our tank is cycled!!!!! tomorrow we do the major water change. I upgraded filters to one I had seen mentioned in the forum several times. I have been running the penguin 200 with biowheel during the cycle. Now my new filter doesn't have all the proper bugs it needs. Can I start the new filter up and just use the old filter cartridges and (since the biowheel doesn't appear to be compatible) can I just let the old biowheel sort of hang out in the tank and be beneficial until my new biowheels get populated? Needless to say, we are anxious to get fish. Here are a few we think are really cool, I understand that they may not be the best for us and our tank (55 gal) We are open to suggestions.

dwarf gouramis 2-4?
tetras of some sort 7?
upside down catfish 2?

we like the blue crayfish, but have heard that it mostly makes things dead.
we also like the little puffers, but have heard the same about them.
Are there any eel type fish we could get?
We don't want anything that breeds readily (guppies, platys?)

Please, foist your opinions off on us... we want to buy some fish! (just a few at a time of course....)

orb4me · 07-21-2008, 02:31 PM

congrats oog!!!! sounds like your ready to go!!!!

I had to get rid of the blue crab, and the eel, both were killing fish. Then my shark/catfish got too big for the tank, and my red/blue shark was just plain mean, so they had to go. My gouramis do very well. I love my tiger barbs.

My suggestion is to get what you like, make sure you know what your buying, and what size they will be when they get big, and I discovered the hard way, to find out how long it takes them to grow up. Mrs Shark, my favorite fish was over 6" long when I got rid of her, I had no idea they could grow so fast in just 6 months, she was by far the biggest fish in my tank.

Check water parameters for the fish also. I didnt at first, but now I stand and watch the fish before I buy. In the last few weeks I have found ick in one of their tanks, and one fish had fin rot. Thanks to this forum, Im learning to pay more attention and not just jump in and buy a fish/fishes? just because I think they are cute.

Best of luck, and let us know what one/ones you get

onefish2fish · 07-22-2008, 04:24 AM

Good Advice.
If Your Going With Tetras Check Out Neons And Bloodfins, Thats What I Have And They Are Easy To Care For And Harder To Breed..there Are Also Lots More Other Types... Tiger Barbs Are Also A Nice Fish But I Would Suggest A Small School ( About 4-6 ) Because They Can Sometimes Be Slightly Aggressive And Seem To Abandon This Behavior As A Group..i Also Personally Like Clown Loaches But They Can Get Big...and So On And So On.. Anyways As Im Sure You Know There Are Tons Of Fish Out There ..i Suggest Going To A Pet Store And Browsing The Fish, Writting Down The Names Of The Ones You Like And Then Coming Onto The Internet To Do Alittle Research On Their Compatability, What They Eat, There Basic Needs ..ect.ect. Because Knowledge Is Power ..lol

RJRofFL · 07-22-2008, 02:28 PM

Hi oogpister. Congratulations and we're so glad your tank has cycled.

Seems as if we all went through it with you. Glad for you.

Bob

oogpister · 07-23-2008, 10:01 AM

Uh-OH. I may have spoken too soon. After I got the 0 nitrites/0 ammonia, I am now seeing 0.50 nitrites (today, and some variant of nitrite every day). I am adding approximately 15ml of ammonia to the tank daily to feed the "bugs" (good bacteria). I still have a 0 reading on my ammonia. Is that too much ammonia? (55 gal tank) Is this just normal? I started my cycle the 19th of June, so its really only in the 5th week... Am I doing it wrong?

Thanks for the advice on the eels and crayfish. Its a bummer, but I don't want my fish to be food.