I recently bought a 2ft fish tank with a canister filter system and some rock deco at a LFS. Cycle it for a week and added 13 pink zebra danios (if I didn't get the breed wrong), 1 albino sucker fish and a albino otto fish. Went back to the LFS and asked if I could buy more fish for my tank as it still looks pretty empty. The LFS guy said with the canister filter I could add up to 80 small tiny fishes. Could any season or professional here advised is it advisable to add that many into the tank if I wish to add in Neon Tetras? As I went on AqAdvisor and they said the tank is already overstock if I add in 50 neon tetras. Thanks in advance for any help.
With enough reserve 'horsepower' of mature biological filtering material, you can even jam your tank full with fish.Originally Posted by Joseph Lee
But usually, it is hard for the average hobbyist without considerable experience and knowledge to be able to do that.
Usually beginners tend to overstock their tank with too many fish, resulting in many problems and frustrations of losing precious and expensive fish.
LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!
Yeah, the bio-load a tank can actually handle all depends on the water condition, filtration efficiency, plant types and density, and how well you maintain the tank.
Its always best to start with low numbers of livestock, then only gradually add more as time goes by. You will know if the bio-load is too high for the tank to handle when water parameters start to deteriorate and fishes start falling ill and dying.
Btw, a new tank doesn't cycle in just a week... it takes much more time for a cycle to establish (can be many weeks or even months). Since your tank is currently in the midst of cycling with fishes already introduced, do monitor the parameters closely and do extra water changes if toxic spikes occur.
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Plan for many tank to house many fish.
If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.
Actually to cycle a tank is not an easy thing to do. Seasoning a tank is the most important thing in fish keeping.
People usually have no patience to wait many many weeks for the bacteria colonies to be established.
Seasoning a fish tank actually means raising an abundant culture of bacteria. Only after this step is completed should pet fish be considered.
How do you cycle your tank in a week? I have started out and seem to have trouble cycling lol. ammonia level still remain the same after a week
Hi BFG,
I planned to maintain my 2 feet tank as I just started out and after hearing from the professionals here, I believe to let it cycle for a longer time before getting more fishes. I hope to have about 80 tetra and zebra danios in the tank if possible. Thanks
Hi loonyuan,
I followed what my LFS taught me is to let the tank run on it's own for a week, followed by adding in zebra danios (apparently they are quite hardy so they could survive). The "good" bacteria would then grow slowly through their discharge. I believed there's better way so you could check with friendly experts in these forums of better ways as I just started this hobby.
Seasoning a tank takes many weeks, not just one week.
Bacteria need time to grow and multiply into huge colonies, the bigger the better.
So your primary concern when starting out is not the fish but the bacteria.
Your focus must be on how to grow more bacteria all over the tank and inside the filter.
Bacteria are very fragile and they can die easily. So care must be taken to ensure they
are well-established and healthy. They must have plenty of oxygen to survive.
Hi, I just started a 3 feet tank planted last week, Ammonia still at 4ppm and there is a slight nitrate increase over the past two days. I think it is important to get a test kit and patience is the key.
How do you get oxygen for the bacteria? Would the plants in the tank be enough?
Ya sufficient plant is needed. Just be patience, wait for your tank to be fully cycled. My 2Ft tank took around 1.5 month, facing a lot of algae issue. After a while, now stabilize. It is good to have test kit.
To have good oxygenation, the arrangement of your filter is important.
For a canister filter make sure the spray head is located near the surface and is agitating the whole water surface all the time. If you just let the water flow back from the filter into the tank, there's not much oxygenation. Same for hang-on filters. Make sure the water outlet is at the water surface for the same reason stated above.
Plants are good oxygenators only during the day, but what we want is continuous oxygenation day and night (darkness).
Thus, it all depends on how you cleverly balance the conflicting requirements of plants/fish/bacteria. That is the trickiest part, as it's not a simple task.
Usually after my water is cycled. I worry a lot about the bacteria, because they as important as my fishes. I am very scared of killing the fragile bacteria. That's why I always ensure the water is very well oxygenated, and I try not to use tap water to top up because Chlorine in tap water will kill bacteria quickly.
I usually just leave the tap water overnight for the chlorine to 'escape'.. free and workable method.
Good filter you can add more fishes (YES) but when one sick sometime you can hard spot it then later the parasites spread all your beloved fishes 1 by 1 will die..
Happen to me before i bought 100 neon tetra from farm i add into my 3ft tank within 12hrs at least 15-20 of them died
I'm A Newbie Pls Don't Flame Me
Baton courtesy.....service with a smile!
Chlorine is easy to remove given time but there is another element that is present, chloramine. This is harder to remove from our tap though.
If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.
Ya, can be very frust. When we buy fish, they all become our precious pets. To lose them is a very sad thing.Good filter you can add more fishes (YES) but when one sick sometime you can hard spot it then later the parasites spread all your beloved fishes 1 by 1 will die..
Happen to me before i bought 100 neon tetra from farm i add into my 3ft tank within 12hrs at least 15-20 of them died
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