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I'm setting up a 10g Shell Dweller tank and want to cycle with some fishes. The tank is at home and I'm dorming at school, so a fishless cycle isn't feasible.

The tank occupants will be a pair of breeding [font color="#BF791F"]Occelatus[/font] and will use Eco-Complete Cichlid Sand Subtrate (which I've read, helps to decrease cycling).

What fishes and how many, can I use to cycle the tank? I was thinking of Danios.... I plan on putting a sponge filter pad from my other tank to also boost the process.

How long would it take to cycle my 10g? Because its so small, I figure that it should be less than a month.

Thanks.

Last edited by sly at 04-Oct-2004 11:01

Last edited by sly at 04-Oct-2004 11:02

Last edited by sly at 04-Oct-2004 11:02

If you must use fish to cycle with, then zebra danios are usually the best....a trio should be enough depending on how big they are when you get them....
If a fishless cycle isn't possible how are you planning on cyclying with fish You'll still need to be able to moniter it.

Just make sure that your LFS will take the danios back when you're done with them if you're not going to put them in another tank.

^_^
*Proud member of the Committee for Sig Line Restoration*

Hey Babel

Well for a fishless cycle, I would have to monitor the ammonia dosage and take readings daily. But for a fish cycle, I would just leave them in there and check back every week.

Good idea, if the cycle takes less than a week, I'll get half-credit for them. Or perhaps, depending on how many I should get, leave them w/ the Occelatus. Which may be a bad thing since those Occies are agressive.

Last edited by sly at 04-Oct-2004 11:18

If it were me, I'd still want to do daily water tests even when cycling with fish. In fact, I think it might be even more important than with fishless cycling. If the ammonia or nitrite gets to toxic levels, you can do a quick water change to prevent fish from dying or suffering. If I understand you right, you're using filter media from an established filter, so it should go reasonably fast.

That is true but unfortunately I won't be there to do daily. And yes, I will be using a sponge pad from my established AquaClear150 to speed it up.

*immagines a 150 running on a 10g*
well zebras do like current, but if they're small make sure the intake is covered and they will be places for them to get out of the current. I've had more than one danio turn an ac mini into an amusment park ride...only not to my amusement.

If something should happen and one of them die, will someone be able to remove the dead?

^_^
*Proud member of the Committee for Sig Line Restoration*

My experience with zebra danios has been horrible. I tried to use them to cycle a tank and they all diee except for 2. Instead of replacing them I just bought pearl danios. They are even hardier.

My dad will be there to feed and notify me if something is awry. The AC150's speed is adjustable, and I would imagine setting it medium to low.

I would use Marineland Biospira. It will cycle your tank immediately. All you have to do is call around to your lfs and see if they carry it. (Not every store carries it because it has to be refrigerated and it costs $10 a pouch (one pouch treats 30 gallons)) Buying 3 danios will cost about the same price and you won't have to go through the hassle of waiting for your tank to cycle and putting those poor fish through all that stress. I use Bio-Spira every time I take down my tanks to clean them or when I am starting up a new tank. I would recommend Marineland filters too, they are a little noisy, but the bio-wheel is a nice feature.
Here are a couple links:

http://www.marinelandlabs.com/science/nspira.asp

http://www.marinelandlabs.com/products/consumer/con_penguinfilters.asp