Stocking Advice

13 posts • Page 2 of 2

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


Cross6236
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 8:22 am

by Cross6236

Well the tank came complete w/fish and had 2 HOB filters when i bought it. I replaced one of the HOB filters with 2 Eheim camisters. A buddy of mine gave me a few handful of substrate from one of his long-running tanks to help mature my boi-load quicker. I also change from gravel to sand. My Nitrates spiked up two 80 ppm and Nitrites up to 1 ppm the first week. With weekly water changes and cleaning they've droped down below 20 ppm Nitrate and 0 to 0.5 Nitrite. I don't think my tank is completly ready to be fully stocked yet, so I'm just going to swap out the 4 cichilds i have w/a group of 4 Labs. Then next week another group might be added. May wait 2 weeks depending my Nitrate level. I also got more rock for the tank, just got fine some time to boil and clean them before adding.


WCAfishboy
 
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:54 am

by WCAfishboy

I'm no water specialists but what I've read on other sites is that water changes in the beginning are bad.

You want your tank to cylce and build up good bacteria so it can sustain nitrate, nitrite, amonia levels it self. Weekly water changes and lots of cleaning just delay the process even more.

From what I've read it is best to buy a tank set it up and put something like cheap feeder fish in it. You let it run and the fish help build good bacteria, and the feeder fish can take the harsh spikes. Apparently this can cause nitrite,nitrate, and amonia levels to stablize quickly (two weeks), Then you have a mature biofilter ready.

That was a process I learned on another cichlid forum, I used a different process, but that one has good results.

Good Luck!


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

I think the weekly water change is good, as long as its not more than 25%. Its the cleaning of filters and stuff that the bacteria live in that messes with a cycle. Its the stuff in the tank it lives on, not the water. So the vacuuming of the sand and adding fresh water help, but leave the rocks and filters alone so you don't kill the bacteria.

I think if the Labs are small you will be OK. Just check the ammonia levels daily and if they spike do a small water change. I would wait 2 weeks or more before adding more to be on the safe side. New fish will bring on a spike no matter how old the tank is. My 20 gallon had been running for 2 years when I added 2 Cory's and a couple more Rummy Nose Tetra and I had an ammonia spike. These fish were under an inch each.

Check your levels everyday and when they read 0 you can add more fish. Then keep checking. If you get a spike do a small water change. This is how I did it and all my tanks are very healthy. When I switched my Africans from a 30 to a 55 I moved all the filters, sand and rock over. Even with adding all new water I had an instantly cycled tank. As I added new fish (they were big at over 4") I had to up my water changes for awhile as each new fish caused a small spike.

This is my advice for what its worth :-)

Stocking Advice

13 posts • Page 2 of 2

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