[9Volt]

Hi - I decided to cycle a new 10G with a school of 5 Mosquuito Rasboras and daily 15% to 20% water changes. When the ammonia hit .25ppm the rasboras got ich. I went straight to the store and got meds. The directions said to turn up the heat and add the meds. I did so and then went to work. I read about the meds on my lunch break and realized that they were malachite green and that them and the added heat both reduce oxygen in the water and that an airstone would be needed in addition to my hob filter. Sure enough I get home and one fish was dead and another was gasping. I put in the airstone immediatley and baffled the filter to reduce current as I read that rasboras like still water. It was too late and two of my five rasboras died. Since then two more have jumped into the filter and died. So now I have a single rasbora and it is obviously panicked to be alone. With the daily water changes I am able to keep the ammonia at .25ppm and am waiting for the nitrite to start showing. What I'm trying to figure out is whether to let the rasbora tough it out alone and wait for the tank to finish cycling or to get him some friends now. There is also a medium sized, active and healthy ghost shrimp in the tank. The tank is lightly planted.

 

[corina savin]

I would wait for the tank to cycle first. Going through a cycle is not just stressful, it's downright lethal and those surviving fish have a shorter lifespan.
My last "schooling" fish, a white shirt tetra, lived more than a year alone.

 

[beaslbob]

Hi - I decided to cycle a new 10G with a school of 5 Mosquuito Rasboras and daily 15% to 20% water changes. When the ammonia hit .25ppm the rasboras got ich. I went straight to the store and got meds. The directions said to turn up the heat and add the meds. I did so and then went to work. I read about the meds on my lunch break and realized that they were malachite green and that them and the added heat both reduce oxygen in the water and that an airstone would be needed in addition to my hob filter. Sure enough I get home and one fish was dead and another was gasping. I put in the airstone immediatley and baffled the filter to reduce current as I read that rasboras like still water. It was too late and two of my five rasboras died. Since then two more have jumped into the filter and died. So now I have a single rasbora and it is obviously panicked to be alone. With the daily water changes I am able to keep the ammonia at .25ppm and am waiting for the nitrite to start showing. What I'm trying to figure out is whether to let the rasbora tough it out alone and wait for the tank to finish cycling or to get him some friends now. There is also a medium sized, active and healthy ghost shrimp in the tank. The tank is lightly planted.

I'm sorry for your experiences.

FWIW Please review the procedures in the link in my signature.

What I do is add one fish and not feed for a week. That way the plants keep up with the bioload preventing the ammonia jumps.

The one fish and not adding food I found out the hard way as that single fish always died on the 5th day when fed but survived when not food was being added. It is important IMHO to feed very lightly after more fish are added as well. This is not starving the fish as they get plenty of food from the plants.

my .02