how long..

I'v put 3 of my small hardy fish in the tank thats been cycling for 2 weeks to properly balance the nitrite, how long till I know its safe to put the rest in?

 

Were you adding ammonia for those first 2 weeks? Or just letting the tank sit empty with the filter running?

-Chelle

 

hi

I was adding ammonia...
then I had the water tested and the fish person.. lol can't think of the term :wink: said that the water was safe for fish but that it wouldn't be properly stable until fish were living there for a while..


by the way I think I found out what the little fish is, the one living with the white clouds, I *think* he is a white bloodfin tetra, i'v only just connected so i'm about to do a search to find out if they are ok in coldwater.. but the fact he might be a tetra doesn't sound too hopeful

 

When you get your water tested at the LFS, you really need to get the exact numbers. I've learned to take anything LFS people say with a grain of salt. Or better yet, just buy your own test kits. They're not that expensive and it will save you the hassle of going to the LFS.

And everything I found on bloodfin tetras say they do okay down to 65* so it may be fine in your tank.

-Chelle

 

hi

well that particular store is the only actual good one around here.
the owner breeds fish and is very very knowledgeable , but anyways I will soon be starting to use water from a local spring, its very clean, obviously :wink: as its straight from the ground, and well away from any farms where chemicals could be introduced.. its actually a holy place and hundreds of people use it as drinking water.. they come and fill bottles and things.. My aunt uses it and has used it for years without any problems, she got tired of dechlorinating the tap water because the treatment plant every now and again added too much, and her fish died. She tests it each time but its always ok and shes had her current tank fish for over 6 yrs in it so I think it will be ok.. safer than tap water at least... I'll use it gradually, for the water changes until eventually the whole tank will probably be the nice clean springwater.

I'm not sure now he's a bloodfin.. the tank had a sticker saying that, but there were other fish in the tank too.. there was another sticker saying glass tetra so i'm going to look that up.. he is very healthy though..

so when will be safe to add the rest of the fish? Should I do it 1 by 1 because the small fish will be hardly producing the same amount of ammonia as the big ones.. and I read thats a problem, if the tank can't cope with the ammonia or something..?

 

Re: hi

Even if you do start using nice clean spring water you still need to test for ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte.

The absolute best way to cycle a tank is by doing the fishless method adding ammonia. With that method you will know for sure it's safe then you can add 5ppm of ammonia one day and the next have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrItes, and some amount of nitrAtes.

But even with what you're doing now, I can't tell you if your tank is safe for fish without knowing the actual results of the tests.

-Chelle

 

ok

thanks, i'll post the results at the weekend