FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hello all,

I'm new to FP but have been reading and researching for a while. I had fish up untill I was 14 and am looking to get back into it with a small tank which I can move in a few months when I head to boston. Ive got a 12g tank on the way which will be well planted and I wanted to get some advice.

I scoured my LFStores for available small (<2" fish.

For small tetras they have lemons, head and tail lights, neons, cardnials, and von rios. Also they have ottos and panda cats. the tank will have 4 watts/gal and I think the neons and cardnials will be unhappy with that.


I think i will be able to have a small school of 6-8 of the tetras (one species, probably lemons) and am less sure about the ottos or cats.

There will be a branch of drift wood and then the plants in the tank. I dont know if the cats or the ottos would do better in a situation like that as I expect much or all of the gravel to end up covered with plant matter with some grass like plant in the front and taller ones in the back.

any advice would be appriceiated, Chaos

Any other species recomendations would be welcome

__________________________________
- - - Humorous Bit of Wisdom - - -

Personally, I would go with a school of Von Rio Tetras. They are rather cute if you ask me. Also they are lots of fun to watch!

As for the plants, I am the WRONG person to ask. I have a few plants in my tanks but I am VERY new to the plants. Maybe someone could get on here and help out, say maybe Little Fish? Oh LF, where are you? I also like the otos; however, they can be a bit difficult if your tank is not well established. They do not like changes in the water's chemistry at all. They are pretty good at algae clean-up though.

Good Luck and Sorry I couldn't be more help.


Christina

Welcome to FP.

If i was you, i would get a school of Tetra's & some Ottos. You can also attach some Anubia's Plants with the Driftwood & don't stock the tank too much, as it's a small tank & water parameters are difficult to keep stable.


http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Hello,

For the tetras I am trying to decide between the lemons and the von rios. the latter being very small they would probably do well in the tank. However the rios at my lfs are 'icky.' If i see them in a week or two without spots are they better? or will stress of the move bring out the disease again? Ive had bad luck with ick in the past and dont want to deal with it right away.

On the question of cycling a tank this small. I know i shouldnt cycle with the ottos but could I do it with the tetras? or should I do a fishless cycle. ALso when in the adding fish and cycling of the tank should plants be added to the tank?

Chaos

__________________________________
- - - Humorous Bit of Wisdom - - -

Add the plants first, they'll help reduce the shock of cycling as they'll be consuming the ammonia that would otherwise stress the fish.

Don't don't don't cycle with ottos please. In fact I wouldnt cycle with the tetras either!

If you havent got access to an established tank that you trust either do a fishless cycle (unscented uncolored ammonia or fishfood) or at least be sure you purchase cycle or biospira to help reduce the stress of cycling. They're active bacterial additives that will speed up the process.

As for which tetras to pic....I vote to go with the smaller .

^_^[hr width='40%'][/font]

Hello

I did not think i could use fish food to do the fishless cycle. I knew not to cycle with the ottos and was cautious about the tetras just because of the articles on those species on this site. I have patience enough to do a cycle without fish and I think I will so I dont need to use any hardy fish i dont really like

does anyone have advice on weather the sick von rios I mentioned in my previous post will be ok to bring into this tank?

Chaos

__________________________________
- - - Humorous Bit of Wisdom - - -

No don't any sick fish in the tank & leave them in a hospital tank, till they are Ok again.

Do a fish less cycle & only add the fish when the tank is cycled.


http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Using fishfood is the same as using ammonia to cycle the tank, only it takes a bit longer as you have to wait for the food to decay into an ammonia source first. With using ammonia straight you save those few extra days.

If you have a q-tine or hospital tank that's what should be used for the sick fish. If' you're sure it's just ich and want to risk transporting them when they're already stressed (or if there is no chance of getting healthy fish from that store ) then make sure that they are the first fish you stock after you're finished cycling. Be ready to treat for ich and keep a close eye on water parameters. If they're still doing just fine after 3-4 weeks you should be okay to start increasing the stock.

If you do have access to a q-tine all the better. Keep them quarrentined for a month or more just to be sure.

^_^[hr width='40%'][/font]

Hi,

So i only have the one tank and the most important question for me for the moment is how long the fishless cycle will be. I havent started it yet (tank is in a UPS truck somewhere) and think it is supposed to take a month to do the cycle but im not sure.

thanks, chaos

__________________________________
- - - Humorous Bit of Wisdom - - -

Hi ChaosMaximus, and welcome to FP

About the cycling duration: did you see Babel’s entry where she talks about the Bio Spira product? That one, when used properly, shortens out the cycling significantly. Otherwise, I would guess 4 to 6 weeks the longest would be about right.

You mentioned in your very first post that the tank should be well planted, but later it gets a little fuzzy on this subject. It seems you don’t know when to add what. Again, as Babel pointed out, plants will help you dampening the cycle as the plants would suck up ammonia produced by the fish.

Do you have any idea what plants, and how many, you would like to put in this tank? What is your lighting? What do you know about plant fertilization? Did you plan for any substrate fertilizer (if not you may experience problems later)? Sorry about all these questions, I am sure your head is spinning enough as it is .

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Littlefish,

You ask, and so I shal answer.

Luckily my head is not spinning too bad, Ive had fish before, when i was a kid, and I am a chemisty major so ive got a decent handle on the ammonia and other things in the water.

I will be using 4 watts / gallon lighting. This is a nano cube delux and is pretty small at 12 gallons. The substrate will be flourite. I think this means I wont need to add anything to the substrate but am not confident. Ill rig up a diy CO2 system for the plants. I know I may need a liquid fertilizer for the plants for NO3 mabey? or some other nutrients.

At this point I would like to plant the tank early thought I am not sure what to get. I need some foreground stuff, like short grass or some ground cover. One or two kinds of mid hight plants and something for the background. I dont know much about aquatic plants and am only sure that they need to be relativly short, or easily prunable to 12" or less for the tallest ones. I want the foreground to be no more than 3" and there is a grass at my lfs which looks appropirate for this. Past this i need adivice on plants. Mabey it will be easer for people to advise on plants when I can provide a picture of the driftwood layout I am planning

Chaos

__________________________________
- - - Humorous Bit of Wisdom - - -

Chaos,

I asked, you answered, and I am impressed

You sure know what you want. Flourite in itself will be fine as a substrate. Adding plants early on is a good idea.

4wpg (watts per gallon) is good, but not the world as you still have a small tank and - the smaller the tank the higher the wpg to achieve the same lighting effects on plants.

Yeah, let's see a picture then, I love pictures

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club