Is my new tank big enough?

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/28/2023 at 6:49 PM, madmark285 said:

The Odessa barbs I have are not laid back fish, even my Tiger barbs can't keep up with them. During a morning feeding, one jump right out of the tank. 

Odessa's are definitely more calm than tigers! But they can be feisty. 

I would go for something smaller, melon barbs is what I was intending to recommend.  Cherry barbs are really calm and passive.

[BenJames3445]

Hi everyone,

Thank you all again for all of your advice, suggestions for helpful threads and all of the information!

Time for some replies 🙂

 

On 6/29/2023 at 12:54 AM, Lennie said:

You zooming into the very tiny red on their tail made me laugh 😄 

Ah dude, it was just a suggestion. Ofcourse you can keep the stocking however you like as long as you give them the ideal conditions, tankmates and swimming room. It’s your tank, you will look it everyday. Noone can make me buy something I don’t like just because they like them for my displays tanks.

if you liked this fish, I would recommend checking white cloud minnows, or gold versions.They also like conditions of good flow, colder water, big school, etc. they can get their part of food in a tank wjth crazy eaters like barbs and danios too.

Normal version:

long fin version(im not sure how barb safe but looks majestic)

 

Gold version:

 

Also, If I were you, I would consider panda garras and Hillstream loaches too. They would like your lots of oxygen, good flow setup. 

 

 

 

 

 

They usually love non sharp rocks but whats that rocklike thingy u have there? Any nonsharp rocks in the tank?

Panda garras:

 

hillstream loaches:

While checking fish species spotlights, always check Rachel O’Leary’s videos too!

I looked into those minnows, but I'm not a huge fan 😂

I quite like the look of the Panda Garras though, that'll be another one to research!

I haven't got any smooth rocks yet, but I think that'll be another thing to pop in there. Got some more space now that the Anubias is tied to the driftwood 🙂

 

 

On 6/29/2023 at 1:41 AM, anewbie said:

I'm not sure i would put in either hillstream loach or panda garras. I have a group of panda garras in my 40B and they are not bad fishes but they are a little annoying and pesty. I suspect the other fishes you have would not appreciate such a boisterous fish.

 

SAE i would be a little concern in your aquarium. These fishes are quite larger as adults but they move extremely fast and your aquarium offers very little room for them to er zoom across. Also while you can keep a single one (I have); they are similar to other cat fishes and prefer large groups (something your aquarium most definitely could not support). Also they are sort of an odd fish out - being a giant among a bunch of smaller fishes. I know you want a 'center piece' but these guys are not oppose to hiding and will frequently be found in areas along the edges grazing. They don't really fit your typical 'center piece' fish that stays out in the open looking pretty all day long. Oh and they most definitely are not interactive. 

Thank you for your insight!

I've kind of gone off of the SAE (we change our mind quickly over here 😂)

after considering the size of the tank. I put my tape measure to 15cm and sized it up, and I think the tank is just a little too short for my liking for a fish that size.

I wasn't too worried about it being a "centrepiece" in terms of looks or activity, more in the sense of a large fish amongst the smaller schoolers (if that makes sense?)

On 6/29/2023 at 3:04 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

There is also a newer discovered Vietnamese version. Slightly different but similar. They should be more available these days for hobbyists.

Interesting!
 

 

On 6/29/2023 at 3:04 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I would encourage a more mild tempered barb. Something like the Odessa is a great recommendation, but it's all about the color and pattern you enjoy.  Check out what's known as a melon barb (there's a few names) as a really beautiful compliment to the Cherrys.  You can also add in a clown pleco too and it'll do well in that setup.  Tank temp around 74 degrees and a good amount of oxygenation, beautiful setup and it's about 99.99999999% of my tanks and how I have them..... Except during the hottest days of summer. 😂

Everywhere I've been reading says that the Golden Barb are one of the most peaceful fish, but I trust all of your experience. Have you all found them to be typically nippy (if you've kept them)?

I've also read that the Odessa ones can be nippy as well, so I'm finding that if I want Barbs that I should expect some sort of nip activity 😂

I'm planning on fish with short fins and ones that can shift quickly, so hopefully they should all coexist peacefully

 

On 6/29/2023 at 4:07 AM, beastie said:

I have a similar sized tank, 110cm instead of 90cm length, a bit lower. Mine is about 150 liters or maybe less, given the ammount of stones

I am a big fan of one species in large shoal rather than multiple species in smaller shoals, as I believe the behavior is more insterresting in larger numbers. In my asian tank, which might inspire you, I have 20x white cloud mountain minnows, 5x hillstream loaches and 4x panda garra.

I took quick pictures, so sorry about the glare and the quality. As you can see (or as I keep telling myself), the one shoal does not make the tank look as empty as one would expect

I originally considered odessa barbs but decided against it, they are known for being slightly agressive in lower numbers and the tank lenght does not support large numbers. I did consider danios too, I have had them in a 120cm long tank and in 60 cm long tank at one point too, they are very adaptive, and if you add a little flow, they enjoy swimming against it and they are super fun swimmy fish, but not necessarily fun behavior fish

Given both danios and barbs (any sort) are boisterous nippy fish, I would not add anything else to them (as in the rasbora) in the middle region, and rather up the numbers of these two shoals or just went one way (the barbs I guess). If you decide these one or two species and add higher flow to the tank, you may still consider the panda garra and or hillstream loaches. They are fun fish, but should not be added for months, since they feed on the biofilm and algae growth so 4 months at least and high light. As you can see from my pictures, they do not clean the algae, I have so much the glass and the stones, so do not get them if you think they will clean it. They like it, they eat it, but they dont "clean" . Panda garras are fun and also boisterous fish, so they could match the others well, but they may be bullied by the other fish when it comes to food. Hillstream loaches ( I have the sewellia linoleata) like to hide and would need way more stones and caves. They are usually not bothered by other fish, I suspect mostly because other fish dont consider them fish

I so understand your situation, I cant decide stocking all the time, keep watching more videos, keep thinking of new fish, new options, new combinations,...

What I would do is decide on the main fish, one or two shoals, add those (ideally at the same time, so the other fish wont consider the tank territory if you decide to go with two) and then decide on a third fish for bottom regions later on once you see the tank working, how the cleaning goes, how do the fish work together

I would also absolutely not recommend long fin danios, especially if paired with barbs. If you forgo the barbs, you can have long fin danios, but not the large flow. They dont swim very well

It is almost two centimeters smaller. But same behavior, same breeding, similar look. Available from local breeders here  too, better for smaller tanks I think

Thank you for the information!

I do quite like the look of the smaller fish in a large group. Plus their size to tank ratio would make me feel a bit better, as they'd have more space to move around

I love the assorted rock/pebble sizes too 😍

Thanks for the info around keeping the Rasboras with Danios and Barbs, very helpful and definitely something to consider!

It is so tough having a blank canvas, I've changed my mind so many times 😂
 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/29/2023 at 3:55 AM, BenJames3445 said:

Everywhere I've been reading says that the Golden Barb are one of the most peaceful fish, but I trust all of your experience. Have you all found them to be typically nippy (if you've kept them)?

I think Lennie has some and can comment.

The ruby barb, Odessa barb, golden barb, those are all very similar in behavior and are generally the same size. Sort of like a color morph of the same fish, but different species actually.

The cherry barbs are very peaceful though, I like that choice. If you look into something like melon barbs, barbs of that size or smaller, you'll get a list of a few that should go well with the Cherry's.

My tiger barbs were what I would call nippy. Essentially they had to have their spot, but there was a lot of infighting. For the Odessa barbs, same tank as the tigers, they would have their own social bickering but much more calm compared to the tiger barbs. There was always one fish that was Lowest on the total pole and would always be trying to escape and recover. Even my swordtails do this, so it's a very common fish behavior.

[BenJames3445]

So I've given it some thought today, and I've come up with some new tank compositions

Here are the two that are the top of my list:

Tank #1:

. 6 x Cherry Barb

. 6 x Golden Barb

. 8 x Red-tail Rasbora

. 8 x Zebra Danio

Tank #2:

. 7x Golden Barb

. 9x Cherry Barb

. 9x Red-tail Rasbora



I would quite like to keep the 4 different types, but it sounds as though keeping smaller schools of more types may not be the move. I'm a bit wary of crowding the mid/top section of the tank (considering what @beastie mentioned) & have the Zebra Danios zipping around and unsettling the other fish. Let me know if this setup would work, as it'd probably be my preferred one tbh.

If I went with the three types (Golden Barb, Cherry Barb, Red-Tailed Rasbora) then I figured that the Golden Barbs would stay kinda low down, the Cherry Barbs would operate around all three levels sporadically and the Red-Tailed Rasboras would occupy the middle/top in a school. Perfect harmony 😇

I've opted to perhaps not go with the SAE, just due to it being 15cm. I think my tank may just be a smidge too small once they get to be large, especially if I'm stocking quite a few other fish to share the space

If you guys could pass down a verdict on whether these setups would work (or which would be best) that'd be great!

Also feel free to shut me down if both compositions are non-starters 😂

Thanks in advance!

Sorry for changing it up every time I post too, I just keep experimenting 😅

 

[BenJames3445]

On 6/29/2023 at 9:10 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I think Lennie has some and can comment.

The ruby barb, Odessa barb, golden barb, those are all very similar in behavior and are generally the same size. Sort of like a color morph of the same fish, but different species actually.

The cherry barbs are very peaceful though, I like that choice. If you look into something like melon barbs, barbs of that size or smaller, you'll get a list of a few that should go well with the Cherry's.

My tiger barbs were what I would call nippy. Essentially they had to have their spot, but there was a lot of infighting. For the Odessa barbs, same tank as the tigers, they would have their own social bickering but much more calm compared to the tiger barbs. There was always one fish that was Lowest on the total pole and would always be trying to escape and recover. Even my swordtails do this, so it's a very common fish behavior.

I appreciate the lightning response time!

I kind of misspoke before, I said Golden Barbs were reported to be some of the most peaceful "fish" instead of "barb" haha

Those Melon Barbs look quite nice, but it doesn't look as though they are as readily available locally. Are they generally a bit tougher to get a hold of? I'd be a bit worried about them adjusting to the local soft water here, is all.

How do you all go with buying fish to be delivered online? Is it better to see the fish with your own eyes before you buy?

Interesting to hear about the dynamics between different types of fish, something I'm sure I'll be observing soon 🙂

 

Also, quick question:

When it comes to stocking, is it best to stock more of the nippy type (say, danios) vs the passive (Red-tail Rasbora) to reduce the behaviours

Or is it better to stock more passive vs nippy so they feel more confident/comfortable in numbers?

Or is it an inexact science?

[Guppysnail]

One thing I want to mention is sourcing. 
I often find myself putting together tanks I think would be ideal stocking only to run into sourcing issues. 
Sometimes the sources that I trust and have good reviews or local shops and hobbyists simply do not have what I want. 
I then find I would need to order from sources that do not have all glowing reviews or ones I feel may be questionable. 
 

Take a moment and for each fish choice be certain you can obtain them. Take heat into consideration this time of year. Certain vendors do not do overnight with early morning delivery and depending where you are it may be to hot to ship safely any other way. 
 

Unfortunately we cannot discuss specific vendors on the open forum so do your research. Check all reviews and where they are shipping from. Try to get them as local as possible. 
On the store page for ACO there is a club locator that you type in your zip code to find local clubs. 
99% of the time I find the health and quality of hobbyist club member raised fish are top quality that cannot be beat by retailers. 

[BenJames3445]

On 6/29/2023 at 10:07 PM, Guppysnail said:

One thing I want to mention is sourcing. 
I often find myself putting together tanks I think would be ideal stocking only to run into sourcing issues. 
Sometimes the sources that I trust and have good reviews or local shops and hobbyists simply do not have what I want. 
I then find I would need to order from sources that do not have all glowing reviews or ones I feel may be questionable. 
 

Take a moment and for each fish choice be certain you can obtain them. Take heat into consideration this time of year. Certain vendors do not do overnight with early morning delivery and depending where you are it may be to hot to ship safely any other way. 
 

Unfortunately we cannot discuss specific vendors on the open forum so do your research. Check all reviews and where they are shipping from. Try to get them as local as possible. 
On the store page for ACO there is a club locator that you type in your zip code to find local clubs. 
99% of the time I find the health and quality of hobbyist club member raised fish are top quality that cannot be beat by retailers. 

Thank you for the tips

I'll definitely want to keep as local as possible, so will definitely do my due diligence to source my fish from the best sources I can

Unfortunately there are no clubs listed on the ACO Local Aquarium Club page in Melbourne, so I'll have to explore the net to see what's out there!

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/29/2023 at 4:40 AM, BenJames3445 said:

Those Melon Barbs look quite nice, but it doesn't look as though they are as readily available locally. Are they generally a bit tougher to get a hold of? I'd be a bit worried about them adjusting to the local soft water here, is all.

Some barbs can be a bit harder, but I have seen them at the big box stores. Snakeskin barbs is another.

On 6/29/2023 at 4:40 AM, BenJames3445 said:

How do you all go with buying fish to be delivered online? Is it better to see the fish with your own eyes before you buy?

Definitely not always the case that seeing the fish is better. Be sure to check out aqua huna! The coop also has a coupon code the offer on the website.

[Lennie]

On 6/29/2023 at 2:40 PM, BenJames3445 said:

Is it better to see the fish with your own eyes before you buy?

Def it is.

I have never been able to stick with my stocking plan. NEVER. Whenever I enter to my LFS, if I am buying in person, there is always change of plans.

Pictures online vs fish irl change a lot. I mean ofc, fish color up in your lovely tank at home much better with good care, higher quality foods, less stress, etc. That's not what I mean.

What I mean is, for example, I always thought CPD (celestial pearl danios) are very cool looking fish. When I saw them irl, I was not even slightly impressed. I would personally regret hard if I ordered them online. It is just not my type of fish I realised. 

Also in person, you can observe their behavior, eating, swimming, potential signs of any diseases, etc. Is the fish buly? Is it going for the food? Is is active and looking healthy, or not? You get the idea.

I also think you can connect with fish irl in person. There is a bounding that appears. Same with snails. When I got my Rick (my blue mystery snail, RIP) and my Morty, my gold mystery, I legit connected them with both. Rick saw me and climbed to the front glass never left until I leave. Well, at that point we had to leave together. 😄 

 

I never felt this sort of connection with my snails I got online. I like them, but I just like them. They don't even have names. If you know what I mean :') 

Btw, You can easily keep a SAE there. Don't be demotivated if you wanna keep one. That tank size can surely home it. I have 3 SAEs in my 100cm ( so a bit longer than yours) but shorter tank.

[Galabar]

It has been scientifically proven that new tanks are *never* big enough. 😅

[BenJames3445]

Hi again!

Tomorrow is initial fish day, so thank you all for the advice. 

I think I've nailed down what I'm going for!

On 6/30/2023 at 12:26 AM, Lennie said:

Def it is.

I have never been able to stick with my stocking plan. NEVER. Whenever I enter to my LFS, if I am buying in person, there is always change of plans.

Pictures online vs fish irl change a lot. I mean ofc, fish color up in your lovely tank at home much better with good care, higher quality foods, less stress, etc. That's not what I mean.

What I mean is, for example, I always thought CPD (celestial pearl danios) are very cool looking fish. When I saw them irl, I was not even slightly impressed. I would personally regret hard if I ordered them online. It is just not my type of fish I realised. 

Also in person, you can observe their behavior, eating, swimming, potential signs of any diseases, etc. Is the fish buly? Is it going for the food? Is is active and looking healthy, or not? You get the idea.

I also think you can connect with fish irl in person. There is a bounding that appears. Same with snails. When I got my Rick (my blue mystery snail, RIP) and my Morty, my gold mystery, I legit connected them with both. Rick saw me and climbed to the front glass never left until I leave. Well, at that point we had to leave together. 😄 

 

I never felt this sort of connection with my snails I got online. I like them, but I just like them. They don't even have names. If you know what I mean :') 

Btw, You can easily keep a SAE there. Don't be demotivated if you wanna keep one. That tank size can surely home it. I have 3 SAEs in my 100cm ( so a bit longer than yours) but shorter tank.

I love the anecdotes so much. I hope that I'll have similar stories to tell about my animals, and their quirks 🙂

Thanks for the reassurance around the SAE. After much deliberation it's made the provisional cut!

So I think I'm opting for:

6-9x Cherry Barbs (wary of overstocking) - 1st set of fish
8x Redtail Rasboras - 2nd set of fish
1x Siamese Algae Eater - 3rd type of fish
6x Melon Barbs - Final set of fish

I'm thinking that'll be the perfect mix

I thought I'd send this before I head to sleep in case I've got some warning messages to heed when I'm preparing to head to the store 😂

Thanks again for all of the advice!

P.S. if you have any final pre-purchase tips they'd be more than welcome!

[Lennie]

On 6/30/2023 at 5:13 PM, BenJames3445 said:

P.S. if you have any final pre-purchase tips they'd be more than welcome!

I have one.

While selecting SAE, try to go for the ones with good colors and with a good body structure. I see lots of baby SAE with body deformaties. Abnormal spines. Etc. 

Also I think saes may have some issues at first in the size you get them. The batches I see are usually weak. Like, I barely lost fish ever in my years of fish keeping, however, after buying 3 SAEs, I lost 2 out of 3 even when I tried to choose the healthiest. Then, my LFS gave me another 2 for free for the ones passed away. This was another batch, and they did much better.

Now they are all doing fine and doing well! 

 

Another warning is, make sure to check in detail what you are buying rather than what the label says. A lot of fish are being sold under the name of SAE but that are not true SAE! Especially as babies, they may look very similar. 

flying fox:

-has more color to fins. Also slightly more yellowish than SAE juveniles.

 

SAE:

 

in comparison: 

 

Chinese Algae Eater ( RUN! 😄) : 

These have a sucker mouth. Gets quite agressive as adults. Be very careful not to mistake these. The gold version is obvious, but normal vision may look pale at the store and people can be mistaken.

 

Cambodian logsucker:

-as you can see, the black stripe does not continue on tail on this one.

 

Here is a pic that includes all four:

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/30/2023 at 7:13 AM, BenJames3445 said:

I thought I'd send this before I head to sleep in case I've got some warning messages to heed when I'm preparing to head to the store 😂

I'm just warning you, I'm very excited to see all the barbs and fish in the tank!

I found a picture of my SAEs being lazy whales.

 

[BenJames3445]

On 7/1/2023 at 12:37 AM, Lennie said:

I have one.

While selecting SAE, try to go for the ones with good colors and with a good body structure. I see lots of baby SAE with body deformaties. Abnormal spines. Etc. 

Also I think saes may have some issues at first in the size you get them. The batches I see are usually weak. Like, I barely lost fish ever in my years of fish keeping, however, after buying 3 SAEs, I lost 2 out of 3 even when I tried to choose the healthiest. Then, my LFS gave me another 2 for free for the ones passed away. This was another batch, and they did much better.

Now they are all doing fine and doing well! 

 

Another warning is, make sure to check in detail what you are buying rather than what the label says. A lot of fish are being sold under the name of SAE but that are not true SAE! Especially as babies, they may look very similar. 

flying fox:

-has more color to fins. Also slightly more yellowish than SAE juveniles.

 

SAE:

 

in comparison: 

 

Chinese Algae Eater ( RUN! 😄) : 

These have a sucker mouth. Gets quite agressive as adults. Be very careful not to mistake these. The gold version is obvious, but normal vision may look pale at the store and people can be mistaken.

 

Cambodian logsucker:

-as you can see, the black stripe does not continue on tail on this one.

 

Here is a pic that includes all four:

I was aware of the Flying Fox & CAE, but not the Cambodian Logsucker

That one is verryyy similar. Will have to be on the look out! I'll also be going to a few stores, and will pick out the best looking one (that'll be a little way down the road, once the Cherry Barbs & Redtail Rasboras have settled)

 

 

On 7/1/2023 at 1:07 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I'm just warning you, I'm very excited to see all the barbs and fish in the tank!

I found a picture of my SAEs being lazy whales.

 

Will definitely send a photo of the Cherry Barbs once they go in today! (if all goes to plan 🙂)

They do look awesome in a group, but I've got to stick to the plan/what'll fit 😂

[Lennie]

On 7/1/2023 at 2:41 AM, BenJames3445 said:

I was aware of the Flying Fox & CAE, but not the Cambodian Logsucker

That one is verryyy similar. Will have to be on the look out! I'll also be going to a few stores, and will pick out the best looking one (that'll be a little way down the road, once the Cherry Barbs & Redtail Rasboras have settled)

Yea can be a nice idea to get SAE later on as they love to graze for algae around especially as a young, and they won't find much in a fresh new tank.

 

You wouldn't like them to be lazy constant fish food eaters since juveniles. Of course supporting their diet is a good idea, that's not what I mean. But usually, it is better to let some biofilm and algae to grow before getting algae eaters. Same goes for panda garras, hillstream loaches, otocinclus, etc. 👍🏼

 

You sound love you are gonna love and spoil your SAE a lot anyway 😄

[BenJames3445]

On 7/1/2023 at 10:46 AM, Lennie said:

Yea can be a nice idea to get SAE later on as they love to graze for algae around especially as a young, and they won't find much in a fresh new tank.

 

You wouldn't like them to be lazy constant fish food eaters since juveniles. Of course supporting their diet is a good idea, that's not what I mean. But usually, it is better to let some biofilm and algae to grow before getting algae eaters. Same goes for panda garras, hillstream loaches, otocinclus, etc. 👍🏼

 

You sound love you are gonna love and spoil your SAE a lot anyway 😄

That's what I was thinking, seems like I may be getting a grasp of the basics 🙂

The SAE will likely be the only one to get a name. There'll be 6+ of the other fish who will look largely identical, so I think it'll be tough to distinguish who is who 😂

I've got to hold off on my urge to spoil in these early stages & stay disciplined haha

[BenJames3445]

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd post a quick update and ask a few questions 🙂

Fish are in, and are doing well! (See photos above)

I did have a question around the water parameters. Here's how they're sitting:

PH: 7.0-7.2
GH: 100ppm
KH: 50-70ppm  (3-4 drops on API KH Testing Kit)
Ammonia: .50-.75
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5ppm

I wanted to ask about the Ammonia, as it was a bit higher than I was anticipating.

The level before I put the fish in was a bit higher than that, so I did a 40% water change the day before they went it.

I'm thinking that the ammonia was due to the liquid fertilizer & root tabs, as it was at 0 before I put those products in.

I read in the API test kit that Ammonia fluctuations can be expected in the beginnings of new aquariums, but I'm still a bit worried about having heightened ammonia which could cause health issues for the new residents!

I was wondering if there's a balance to find between getting ammonia under control, while still allowing the beneficial bacteria to build?

I'm currently adding Seachem Stability every day for the next 6 days.

I'm thinking of doing a <20% water change every couple of days, while continuing to add the Stability every day and some water conditioner during the changes of water.

Is that a good approach given the current parameters? Or should I lean more towards caution and make larger changes to bring that ammonia down (or do the opposite & allow the bacteria to build and begin doing the job by adding seachem, avoiding frequent changes to water & monitoring the parameters)?

I'm thinking that the elevated levels are due to the root tabs & fertilizer, rather than a spike due to the fish being added.

If I'm wrong on that please let me know!

If I could also ask you all again for some advice on what the appropriate course of action should be with the above circumstances, that would be much appreciated 🙂

Thank you all!

P.S. The fish seem to be coming out of hiding and getting used to their new home, and I'm not observing any behaviour that is overly concerning. The one thing to note is that a few of the fish are swimming up against the side of the glass, as if they are looking in their own reflection. I'm a bit unsure if this is typical behaviour, due to them getting new to their new surroundings, or is indeed due to the increased ammonia.

 

[Galabar]

How was the tank cycled?

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/1/2023 at 10:31 PM, BenJames3445 said:

Fish are in, and are doing well! (See photos above)

I did have a question around the water parameters. Here's how they're sitting:

PH: 7.0-7.2
GH: 100ppm
KH: 50-70ppm  (3-4 drops on API KH Testing Kit)
Ammonia: .50-.75
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5ppm

I wanted to ask about the Ammonia, as it was a bit higher than I was anticipating.

The level before I put the fish in was a bit higher than that, so I did a 40% water change the day before they went it.

The ammonia is likely from the fish respiration, not the fertilizers.  They contain nitrates, not ammonia, usually.  Some do contain ammonia though.

 

On 7/1/2023 at 10:31 PM, BenJames3445 said:

I'm currently adding Seachem Stability every day for the next 6 days.

I'm thinking of doing a <20% water change every couple of days, while continuing to add the Stability every day and some water conditioner during the changes of water.

Is that a good approach given the current parameters? Or should I lean more towards caution and make larger changes to bring that ammonia down (or do the opposite & allow the bacteria to build and begin doing the job by adding seachem, avoiding frequent changes to water & monitoring the parameters)?

Stability is a great thing to use for this specific situation.  A few notes, this is from my experience and this is just what I've done for as long as I can remember. 

When you're cycling a tank and having issues.....
1. Daily 50% water change
2. Dose in your dechlorinator and add in water
3. Dose in your bacteria for the 1-week directions.

The bacteria then has 24 hours to do it's thing until the next dose.

It'll work, you can do your water changes, and you keep the fish healthy during the 3-5 days of ammonia - nitrates.

Per seachem's website, dose dechlorinator once every 24 hours at most.

[BenJames3445]

On 7/2/2023 at 4:43 PM, Galabar said:

How was the tank cycled?

 

Not well apparently 😭

[BenJames3445]

On 7/2/2023 at 4:54 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

The ammonia is likely from the fish respiration, not the fertilizers.  They contain nitrates, not ammonia, usually.  Some do contain ammonia though.

 

Stability is a great thing to use for this specific situation.  A few notes, this is from my experience and this is just what I've done for as long as I can remember. 

When you're cycling a tank and having issues.....
1. Daily 50% water change
2. Dose in your dechlorinator and add in water
3. Dose in your bacteria for the 1-week directions.

The bacteria then has 24 hours to do it's thing until the next dose.

It'll work, you can do your water changes, and you keep the fish healthy during the 3-5 days of ammonia - nitrates.

Per seachem's website, dose dechlorinator once every 24 hours at most.

Thanks heaps nabokovfan87!

You've been an ever-present for all of my questions, your help is much appreciated!

I've done quite a bit of reading & watching tonight, and I think I've got a grasp on what's required

Obviously not ideal that I'm having this happen, but given the fact that you can actively track everything through testing (& make the changes necessary with water changes & products) then it feels as though I have the ability to keep the parameters in check while the tank matures (through consistent monitoring & adjustments) to ensure the fish aren't exposed to dangerous levels of ammonia &/or other nasties.

I'm going to pick up all of the items I need to complete water changes tomorrow (60L container, spare heater & thermometer, additional bottles of Prime & Stability) & begin doing daily changes until it reaches 0 (then track with daily feeding to see how many days it'll take for ammonia to reach .50) to figure out how often the water change is required (& how much).

I'll keep tracking the parameters on my spreadsheet to see the changes.

I'm going to buy a bin like this to heat the water in (https://www.bunnings.com.au/willow-60l-black-dome-bin-base-only_p0182871). I'm assuming it's okay to keep/heat water in something like this so you can add the Prime & get it to temperature before pouring it into the tank?

Fish are still doing really well, seem to be very settled now. The males are following the females around a bit. I hope that's not a spawning thing, I don't think I could handle offspring at this stage 😂 

Will be holding off on additional fish until the cycle is complete 🙂

One last question @nabokovfan87 😂

With the Stability, are you adding according to the 1-week instructions indefinitely until the tank cycle is complete? Or just for 1 week then going from there?

Also, are you just adding for the volume of water replaced?

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/2/2023 at 6:18 AM, BenJames3445 said:

With the Stability, are you adding according to the 1-week instructions indefinitely until the tank cycle is complete? Or just for 1 week then going from there?

Also, are you just adding for the volume of water replaced?

You always add the dechlorinator per size of the tank when you are adding the water directly to the tank itself. If your setting up a "mixing station" then you'd add the dechlorinator per size of water holding container.

As for the bacteria products, the smaller size bottle I will just add it daily until the bottle is empty. If you have the larger size with the intention of having some on hand, follow the treatment for 7 days and then monitor the tank parameters. If they are consistently poor, then you need to fix filtration and run it for an additional 7 days.

[Galabar]

On 7/2/2023 at 5:54 AM, BenJames3445 said:

Not well apparently 😭
 

So, this is just a new filter that you set up and added fish?  That's fine.  People have been doing that for a very long time.  If the fish are hardy, they should pull through.

With your next tank, you can use some of the filter media from your current tank along with a source of ammonia and get it cycled before adding fish.

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Your barb and rasbora tank is off to a good start. It may not feel that way with ammonia creeping in but that too will pass. I’ve done lots of fish-in-cycling of tanks over the years and it’s just a matter of lots of water changes, under feeding, and time. 
 

A couple things that could help - more plants would help. Some fast growing stems along with some floating plants could get your ammonia down. Something to consider as we’re building up your beneficial bacteria and cycling and eventually maturing your tank. Pogostemon stellatus “octopus”, Bacopa caroliniana, and some kind of floaters (red root, Amazon frogbit, etc). 
 

I’d plan to go with this group of cherry barbs for about a month as you work through these cycling issues, get yourself to the point of being able to feed well and within an hour or 2 checking your parameters and seeing it close to where things were pre-feed. I like your stocking plan and ethos of this tank. Im a huge barb fan and have a nice size group of ten 🍒 barbs in my 45 g. 

Remember to have fun and enjoy the ride. We’re all here if you need us. 

[BenJames3445]

On 7/3/2023 at 12:33 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

You always add the dechlorinator per size of the tank when you are adding the water directly to the tank itself. If your setting up a "mixing station" then you'd add the dechlorinator per size of water holding container.

As for the bacteria products, the smaller size bottle I will just add it daily until the bottle is empty. If you have the larger size with the intention of having some on hand, follow the treatment for 7 days and then monitor the tank parameters. If they are consistently poor, then you need to fix filtration and run it for an additional 7 days.

Perfect, thank you 🙂

 

 

On 7/3/2023 at 9:22 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Your barb and rasbora tank is off to a good start. It may not feel that way with ammonia creeping in but that too will pass. I’ve done lots of fish-in-cycling of tanks over the years and it’s just a matter of lots of water changes, under feeding, and time. 
 

A couple things that could help - more plants would help. Some fast growing stems along with some floating plants could get your ammonia down. Something to consider as we’re building up your beneficial bacteria and cycling and eventually maturing your tank. Pogostemon stellatus “octopus”, Bacopa caroliniana, and some kind of floaters (red root, Amazon frogbit, etc). 
 

I’d plan to go with this group of cherry barbs for about a month as you work through these cycling issues, get yourself to the point of being able to feed well and within an hour or 2 checking your parameters and seeing it close to where things were pre-feed. I like your stocking plan and ethos of this tank. Im a huge barb fan and have a nice size group of ten 🍒 barbs in my 45 g. 

Remember to have fun and enjoy the ride. We’re all here if you need us. 

Hi Beardedbillygoat1975!

Thank you for the reassurance and advice!

I was a bit wary about putting too many plants in (can you have too many?) but some floaters are a great idea. I'll get some shortly 🙂

On the feeding, how much would you give to infant barbs? I've been putting a very small amount of flakes in, but it is still being left by them

I've been netting out the leftovers after an hour to avoid ammonia build up, but I'm planning on feeding once a day for the time being

Would that be a good strategy? Or do young fish need more food (or can get away with less during tank cycling)?

Thank you, this community is the best 😍

Hope to be able to help out some people in my position once I've gone through it any learnt more about the hobby 🙂