[Flint]

My mind is on my 75 gallon today and I was thinking about how I am going to stock after cycling. I will be doing a fishless cycle with 4ppm of ammonia running a single SunSun hw-303B that, other than the sponges it comes with, will be filled with biological media. I will be adding a second SunSun hw-303B 2-3 months after I am fully stocked. My stock list is as follows -

7 (2") Fancy Goldfish
5 (1") Purple Mystery Snails
5 (3") Longfin Albino Bristlenose Pleco

A note on stocking, 2 of both the goldfish and mystery snails will be going into another tank within 3-5 months. I will also only be keeping two plecos, as I want a m/f pair. The extra will be rehomed at my LFS. If I can't find them for under $10 locally, I will most likely just buy an adult pair online but I heard petco can get them for $4 a piece so I will be looking into that further. ​

Now, as much as I want my snails first, I think I am going to do a prazi treatment on the goldfish once I have all seven. I may get my snails and put them in my empty 10 gallon just so I can be appeased that I have them, lol. I read mixed reports on whether or not prazi will harm them and I just don't want to take the chance. I will add them a month after the prazi treatment is finished so the tank should be cleared out of all medication.

I will be adding the goldfish about 2-3 at a time every 1-2 weeks. I know I could fully stock immediately with dosing 4ppm but at $5-7 a piece, I just won't be able to afford all the goldies at once. I will then add the snails while I search for the bristlenose locally.

Now, for the questions -

• Will it hurt anything to have set my tank up to handle 4ppm of ammonia and then not add the fish all at once or will it just cause some BB die-off and I'll have to stock slower?
• Should I float the snails in a plastic breeder box for a week or so before adding them to the tank or will they do okay introduced immediately?
• Is it safe to add all five snails at once or will they need to be added a few at a time?
• Will it be safe to add all five baby bristlenose at once or, again, a few at a time?

 

[Austin]

I feel the bacteria population will reduce in size to the availability of organic waste. So, it may decrease in size if you add some goldfish and stop dosing with ammonia. This shouldn't harm anything. I'm not speaking from experience though, but can't see any way how a small BB die-off if it occurs would cause any damage at all.

Not sure what you mean by floating? Why would they not do okay?

In regards to the beneficial bacteria, 5 snails shouldn't have a major impact. The bacteria should catch up in population before anything harmful may happen.

I've added 8 nerite snails at once and 10 baby angels (shipment), when all I had was a few angelfish to start in my old 50 gallon tank. They were fine, the tank didn't even notice. Assuming it's cycled just feed a little less if you're worried and work your way up. They shouldn't poop much more than what's already in their intestines, and then what you feed them.

This is just my opinion/experience though I could be very wrong and just lucky!

 

[Flint]

I was worried the goldies would pick on them. Everything sounds good though.
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[Hallyx]

Don't know about compatibility. But stocking all your snails at once is not a problem. They even provide ammonia to feed your cycle.

It's OK if some of the bacteria die-off. But I've always felt that cycling strong enough to oxidize 4.0ppm ammonia in a day allows you the freedom to stock a shoal or two, if not your entire tank all at once. In fact, that's the major reason to do a fishless cycle.

 

[Flint]

I want to add the snails first but I'm going to be treating the goldies with Prazi, which can harm the snails so I need to figure out something else.