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Hello,

I am back into aquatics after a several year lul. I picked up a 37 gallon starter kit tank is 30x12x22. I setup the tank two days ago and added 6 long fin danios yesterday. I am planning on a 10% water change tomorrow followed by consecutive changes every other day in the same amount.

Over the last two days my water properties are as follows:

GH 60
KH 240
ammonia 0
Ph 7.5-8
Nitrite .5
Nitrate 0

I have hard water and I realize that my tank is cycling.

I am looking to stock the tank with other than the 6 danios which will be replaced if I loose any, with one Pictus catfish and at least two other fish that will get along with the other fish with a possible growth of 4-6 inches.

I have the tank filled with moderate decoration including all artificial plants (6) with two structures that provide cave and hiding.

One thing I notice with the power filter that came with the kit is that the water overflows over on the inlet side of the filter. I do have the flow maximized and being a new filter I found that strange being that the filter is not clogged in any way that would impede the flow. Scratching my head on that one.

Any thought comments or suggestions are more than welcome as I venture off into my newly rediscovered love of the underwater world!

Welcome back to fishkeeping !

I wouldn't do water changes while cycling with danios. IME danios can handle the cycling process. It's not ideal, but they can usually take it. I've never done it with long finned ones, but they're the same as regular danios, just bred for the long fins. You of course can tell if they're getting stressed by the cycle by watching them since you're there. I'd hold off on water changes unless you notice them up by the surface more than usual. Lowering the water level a little to increase oxygenation or adding an airstone to increase surface agitation and therefore increasing oxygenation can help.

I've never been a fan of 'starter kits' they usually don't have the right sized filter. All I can suggest with the overflow issue is pulling it apart and putting it back together again. make sure the filter is level, sometimes you need to wedge some cardboard between it and the tank. Also if the intake tubes don't match the hole into the impeller exactly you can sometimes have the overflow. Also, if the filter sponge/floss/pad sits too tightly and doesn't let enough water flow past it can overflow. Usually you don't see that unless it's pretty clogged like you mentioned.

I've had pictus before, I think a 37 gallon is a bit on the small side for them, wouldn't put them in anything smaller than a 50. For one thing they're actually schooling fish, and for another they're really really active. Make sure you get the white fabric fishnet instead of the green mesh kind. Pictus have little barbs at the ends of their fins that can (and do!) get tangled up in the green mesh nets. You'll have to cut them out when they get tangled...a rather stressful process.

I'd look at getting a school of smaller cories instead of the pictus. They handle smaller tank space better.

^_^

Hi Bablefish, thanks for the reply.

I gave up right away on the filter that came with the tank and put in an Aquaclear 50 and that is working flawlessly. I omitted the carbon and opted for an extra bag of the white things, I forget what they call them.....to allow more surface area for bacteria to thrive.

I'm not too worried if it takes a little extra time to cycle with water changes if that's why you mentioned that. I heard the danios were hardy but I didn't know they could handle that!! I've been doing a ten percent change twice a week and the ammonia is staying below .5 and I'm just now beginning to get some nitrite readings. Hardness and ph are pretty much the same and I'm not going to bother regulating any of that.

I have since decided against the pictus from doing a little research saying just what you said and I will be going with some Cory's instead.

I usually just run biomedia, in your case it sounds like ceramic rings? Didnt' realize ACs were shipping with rings these days (yes it's been ages since my last filter purchase ). Usually only run carbon if I've had to dose the tank with something I want removed.
The only other 'white things' I can picture for filter media is an ammonia absorbing packet that ships with some AC filters. You can run those, but you may end up with some trouble getting nitrIte and nitrAte to show up. I'm also not too certain that they'd provide more surface area for bacteria compared to just a standard sponge.
Looking at your water parameters I'm assuming that ammonia was present, but since it's only been running a few days I find it somewhat hard to believe that you'd already be done with the ammonia and onto the nitrIte. Have you run water tests on your tap water? Knowing what's going into the tank is good as well.

When cycling, some fish can handle the process, but not if it's extended (by doing water changes). It's almost as if they can handle stress for a little while but not over an extended period. By doing the water changes you basically expose them to low levels of ammonia and never get the ammonia or nitrIte high enough to establish the next one in the line. Not enough ammonia means no NitIte can establish and too low of NitrIte levels and no NitrAte can form.
Danios should be ok though. Just keep an eye on them, their behavior will tell you when a water change is needed.
You can also add a dose of Cycle to the tank to help speed things along. It contains the beneficial bacteria that you're trying to establish.

^_^

Yes it's the ceramic rings I put in an extra bag and it did come with one when I picked it up from the LFS. So just those two and the sponge.

Those readings I posted were with the new setup now into a little more than three weeks and just barely able to see any color on the strip for nitrite a little subjective but I'm tracking it. The ammonia was below .25 for a couple weeks but has been rising and now is just under .5 looks like.

Thanks again!

Ok sounds good.
Just a FYI, a lot of people have a little trouble reading the test strips. Most of us (myself included!) buy them to start off with, read about how others have a hard time and end up going with a dropper kit in the end.
I suggest the master test kit from API. Big Als has them on sale right now (and at that price no wonder they're out of stock !).

Rings and sponges are two things I've never had to replace on any of my tanks.

^_^