[kathymalaspina]

Originally Posted by taylor13

You need to put a few fish in now. Unless your doing a fishless cycle. But if not get a few hardy fish. Maby 3 or 4. Then you need to do small water changes every few days. Until the amonia, nitrite, and nitrate read 0. After they read 0 give the tank a couple days to stabilize. Then you can slowly add the fish you want. Oh and i recoment a schoool of tetra not the little ones, but some like black shirt tetra. They go well with a mellow tank.
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Thanks Taylor, I would love to have a school of tetras... I will check out the black shirt tetras.

[dlambert]

well cycling the tank refers to establishing bacteria that convert poisonous fish waste(amonia) into nitrite and then nitrate which is relatively harmless. you should have at least an amonia test kit (ideally/ nitrite /nitrate /GH /KH /pH as well) so you can know for sure when it's ok to put fish in..a few hardy fish or a small piece of raw shrimp in your tank will produce plenty of amonia to kick start the cycle(if you use shrimp make sure to take it out after a day or so as too much amonia will slow down the process)..it may take 3-6 weeks for the tank to cycle but the only way to know is to test for amonia/nitrite/nitrates.. if available from someone you know, adding some gravel from a cycled tank can speed it up.. also they sell gravel/sand with bacteria in it.. there are products that claim to "instantly cycle" your tank... while i wouldn't count on that, i think some help significantly.. tetra safestart is good... i would not recommend nite-out or night-outII as i'm pretty sure they contain the wrong type of bacteria.. used it on my first tank and cycle still took over a month.. my second tank i used bio-active gravel, tetra safestart, seeded gravel and a rock from my first tank, and some old filter media, and i saw nitrates within a week and no amonia within 2 weeks. make sure that you use a chlorine eliminating water conditioner as chlorine will kill bacteria and slow or stop the cycling process.. lots of addtional information on the web if you search "nitrgen cycle"

[Byron]

You mentioned live plants, so if these are numerous and some are fast growing (floating plants are ideal for this) you will not have any "cycle" to worry about. The plants assimilate the ammonia/ammonium from day one. Just don't overload with fish, a few at first and gradually increase to avoid overwhelming the system.

What fish are intended in the end? Some are better than others in new tanks due to the unstable biology [not the cycling here, something different].

Byron.

[taylor13]

sorry i ment black skirt. Not shirt.
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[kathymalaspina]

Originally Posted by Byron

You mentioned live plants, so if these are numerous and some are fast growing (floating plants are ideal for this) you will not have any "cycle" to worry about. The plants assimilate the ammonia/ammonium from day one. Just don't overload with fish, a few at first and gradually increase to avoid overwhelming the system.

What fish are intended in the end? Some are better than others in new tanks due to the unstable biology [not the cycling here, something different].

Byron.

I like corys and I thought maybe some bleeding heart tetras...always liked them..the rest I don't know...any suggestions? Going to get some more plants..I also dropped some bulbs in there, one is a lilly. Going to take them a while though...

[kathymalaspina]

Anyone know anything about them. I have a question. I have a 35 gallon patio pond. During the winter months I was wondering if I put a submergeble heater like I have in my aquarium so that I could keep the fish active through the winter. I hate the dormant time,,,not crazy about using a de-icer..I know they stop eating at 39 degrees. Has anyone ever done this? Figured it might work? What do you think?

[Byron]

Originally Posted by kathymalaspina

I like corys and I thought maybe some bleeding heart tetras...always liked them..the rest I don't know...any suggestions? Going to get some more plants..I also dropped some bulbs in there, one is a lilly. Going to take them a while though...

The Bleeding Heart Tetra would be OK as "first fish" but this is a 30g (presumably 30 inches length?) and I would not put this species in this small a tank. They are one of the larger tetra, attaining 3 inches. There are other species in the Rosy clade of Hyphessobrycon closely related that are similar in appearance and colouration but remain smaller and better suited to a 30g. Rosy Tetra, Roberts Tetra, Black Phantom come to mind. Click shaded names for the profile.

[kathymalaspina]

Originally Posted by Byron

The Bleeding Heart Tetra would be OK as "first fish" but this is a 30g (presumably 30 inches length?) and I would not put this species in this small a tank. They are one of the larger tetra, attaining 3 inches. There are other species in the Rosy clade of Hyphessobrycon closely related that are similar in appearance and colouration but remain smaller and better suited to a 30g. Rosy Tetra, Roberts Tetra, Black Phantom come to mind. Click shaded names for the profile.

Byron thanks for the info. Do you mind making me a list of fish that will go well in that tank with the number I should have for schooling. Only musts for me are corys. I love them. Thanks.

[Byron]

Originally Posted by kathymalaspina

Byron thanks for the info. Do you mind making me a list of fish that will go well in that tank with the number I should have for schooling. Only musts for me are corys. I love them. Thanks.

There are so many, i suggest you browse through our profiles. Tetra are under characins, and there is data on minimum number, minimum tank, compatibility, water parameters, etc.

There are also some good fish in the cyprinids, among the rasbora which are often viewed as "tetras" not because they are at all related but their habits, needs, behaviours, compatibility, etc is so similar.

The minimum number is just that; always have more when space is available. If you find some species you might like, I would be happy to offer any suggestions on numbers beyond what is in the profiles. Corys also need groups, minimum 5 if just one species, again more is better. If you want 2 or more species, there are so many (over 150 so far), I would try to have no less than 3 of each species, with say 3 or 4 species for a total of 9 to 12 in a 30g. Or you culd have 5 and 5 of two species, or 4 each of 3 species, etc.

Byron.