stocking advice please :)

kitten_penang

you could try the Hillstream Loach they don't take up a lot f space an they eat algae too =)

dorabaker

i just looked at the species profile for them and it says they need a strong current and well oxygenated water...so that wouldn't really work for me, i have a very gentle current in my tank because the fish i'm keeping prefer that. thanks though :)

kitten_penang

your welcome.i do hope you find something that fits you =)

dorabaker

how about otocinclus? i was just reading about them. i heard they are delicate though so maybe it's best to wait until my tank matures a bit.

kitten_penang

yup the water quality is the best way to make sure the fish lives well in the tank =) i learned that the hard way. i lost 7 fancy guppies to a tank i thought was fully cycled =(

dorabaker

oh no! how awful. i don't have a nitrate/nitrite/ammonia test kit yet. i might be getting one tomorrow. the sooner i have it the happier i'll be, i'm kind of on edge at the moment not knowing what's going on with the cycle :S

kitten_penang

good luck then =)

dorabaker

yay i got my test kit today! i got an API dip strip nitrate/nitrite test kit. i know dip strips are not the most accurate but they were cheap and will give me some idea. i wanted an ammonia test kit but they were so expensive i decided to go look for them somewhere else. my lfs is great though.

here are my readings:
15 gallon tank - 0 nitrate 0 nitrite
hospital tank (with angelfish in it) - 20 ppm nitrate 0 nitrite

i don't know whether the readings for the 15 gallon means its already cycled, or it hasn't cycled yet and theres a build of ammonia in there. i would have thought it would smell bad if there was ammonia though i really need that am test kit :S

p.s. i got some moss today. i was after Java Moss but they didn't have that, they had something very similar though which looked great (can't remember the exact name.) i've attached it to some rocks and driftwood in my tank and it makes it look so natural and chaotic...haha!

kitten_penang

good for you =) what does the box say about your reading?

dorabaker

what do you mean, what does the box say?