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What order should i add fish?

2K views 8 replies 3 participants last post by  Genos 
#1 ·
Me again! Im buying a cycled tank tomorrow filter and gravel. Its current inhabitants are just being moved to a bigger tank. Im going to set it up and run it for a couple days with the filter it comes with as well as an extra filter ive had in my own tank the past couple weeks so everything should be super ready for fish. My plan is 2 honey gouramis as my centrepiece fish (so excited i adore them!) and 5 or 6 platies. Then i haven’t decided on 5 guppies or 7 rummynose tetras. Either way i’ll be about 80% stocked with extra filter capacity. I suppose i could do both but id rather stay understocked. I was just wondering what order i should add the fish in. Will it matter much? Im assuming i should add the platies first but im just so excited to get the gouramis i went to the lfs today and was admiring them lol. This is my first big tank so id appreciate any advice 😊
 
#4 ·
That's not possible. You can take out gravel and media and use a chemical on a empty tank, but it'd be pointless as whatever you're worrying about killing would be on the media and gravel. You could use aquarium salt (without stock) in a set up tank and do a large water change before adding fish. If you follow the instructions on the salt, you can technically add the fish with it.
 
#5 ·
Good thing about rummy nose tetras is that the colour of their nose is indicative about your water - if they're faded away then there is something wrong with your water chemistry, they should be nice and bright red. Cardinals are a favourite of mine, I like how they school if you have at least 6 of them. I've lost count of mine haha.

As for platys, mine ate all my plants as well as the cucumber I had been giving them.



Salt is something to watch - I had been advised to put about a teaspoon worth for every 15 litres so I proceeded to do that and all my fish started to act weird.
I tested everything except the hardness and couldn't find anything wrong. When I did test the hardness I added the 10 drops of test liquid and no change. Another 10 drops, no change. Yet another 10 drops and it started to change colour, so I ended up doing 2 massive water changes and upped the tank temperature and most of the fish came back around.
I did lose an unidentified catfish (I have another one MIA too), a neon and *5* platys. At the moment I am not going to add in any other fish for now.


Good luck!
 
#6 ·
currently i only have 3 platys so i dont lose my cycle by adding too many fish but they haven’t bothered the one real plant in there or the moss ball. One does constantly bite at a silk plant that moves from the filter flow though so hopefully when i can afford to rescape to a fully planted tank they wont ruin it ☹ Im sorry to hear about your water issues. I have aquarium salt in case i ever need it but ive never used it so that wont be an issue for me.I changed my stock plan a little so no guppies so im thinking the tetras will be next
 
#7 ·
Things like java and anubias have a nasty taste, most won't even think of eating them. Super easy to keep too. I just saw your IG pictures, looks like ammonia poisoning. Did you get them from a clean store/ where they like that before purchase? Keep up on biweekly water changes (minimum) for now.
 
#8 ·
i got them from big als which aside from their feeder shrimp everything looks healthy to me and they asked about my tank before selling me the fish so i assumed theyd be healthy but they have looked like that since i saw them in the bags at home. In the store i didnt notice and they went into the bags with the purchase paper and white store bag covering them so i didnt see them until floating the bags
 
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