# tons of ?s on getting new fish



## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

I am hopefully getting my fish (Labs & Dems) on Friday or Saturday. So I have some questions.

* The store I am getting them from uses Omega One. From reading here, I would rather use NLS. Should I buy some Omega One and slowly switch over, or can you just switch it?

* I will have both omnivore and herbavore, can they eat the same food? Should I use something _with_ the NLS?

* After I put them in my tank, how many days should I wait before I feed them?

* Do I aclimate them with lights on or lights off and for how long?

* When I aclimate my saltwater fish, I make sure that my salinity and the salinity in the bag are exactly the same. (Usually takes about 1 1/2 hrs). Fresh water is a little different, should I be matching the PH?

* Is there a "first aid" kit I should have on hand? Particular medicines and cures of ick, bloat etc?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm excited and nervous. Any extra advise for a newbie is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Good questions! :thumb: 


zoie said:


> * The store I am getting them from uses Omega One. From reading here, I would rather use NLS. Should I buy some Omega One and slowly switch over, or can you just switch it?


You can just switch it, although it may take the fish a bit of time to adjust to eating pellets instead of flakes. 


> * I will have both omnivore and herbavore, can they eat the same food? Should I use something _with_ the NLS?


That's why NLS is great- it's well suited for veggie and meaty eaters. 


> * After I put them in my tank, how many days should I wait before I feed them?


I would wait 24 hours, then feed very lightly- only a few pellets. Then, if they eat, feed a bit more on Day 2. Don't worry too much if they're not interested in food for a few days. 


> * Do I aclimate them with lights on or lights off and for how long?


Lights off for the first couple days to let them get used to the new digs. If these are tank raised fish, they'll adjust pretty quickly (compared to wild caught, anyway). [/quote]


> * When I aclimate my saltwater fish, I make sure that my salinity and the salinity in the bag are exactly the same. (Usually takes about 1 1/2 hrs). Fresh water is a little different, should I be matching the PH?


Is your home tank already cycled? If not, we need to have a whole different conversation. But, assuming that your biofilter is well established, and your water is suitable for African cichlids (pH above 7.5, well buffered, hard water) then just match temperature. If you tank is not currently suitable, you should wait a few more days and get those details ironed out. 


> * Is there a "first aid" kit I should have on hand? Particular medicines and cures of ick, bloat etc?


Well, I always have metronidazole and Epsom salt on hand, and I use heat and kosher salt for ich. Make sure you have test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, GH, and KH. Also- always use a good dechlorinator with every water change... Oh, water changes will be different from saltwater tanks- freshwater tanks benefit from frequent, large water changes (I do 50% every week or two in order to keep my nitrate readings below 20 ppm).

Are there any other fish in the tank? What size tank is it and what filtration are you using? What are your current water parameters?


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

zoie said:


> I am hopefully getting my fish (Labs & Dems) on Friday or Saturday. So I have some questions.
> 
> * The store I am getting them from uses Omega One. From reading here, I would rather use NLS. Should I buy some Omega One and slowly switch over, or can you just switch it?
> Just switch
> ...


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

triscuit said:


> Good questions! :thumb:
> 
> 
> zoie said:
> ...


Yes, my tank cycled like 10 years ago :lol: There are NO other fish in the tank (I donated them so I could start getting the water ready for cichlids).

Tank size: 4' long, 13" wide and about 12" tall.(about 33 gal) I have a Whisper filter for a 55 gal, I use 2 ready filled filters, a bag a purigen for 100 gal tank, I'm adding a sponge to the filter and I have a power head on the other end of the tank to help with water flow.

Water Parameters:
amonia:0
nitrites:0
nitrates: 20 before a wc, 10 after (doing 8 gal 1x a week)
temp: 79
chlorine: 0
PH: 8 (although after I added cichlid stones it went up to 8.6) will work on that
GH: 180 ppm
KH: 180 ppm

I have been working on the water for about a month. The PH out of my tap is 7.6. Either my KH or GH was only about 60 ppm. After fiddling for a bit I figured out if I added 3t. baking soda and 1 Tbs. epsom salt with each wc it brought my reading to PH:8 KH and GH 180.

Thanks for all the advise and answers!!


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

GTZ said:


> zoie said:
> 
> 
> > I am hopefully getting my fish (Labs & Dems) on Friday or Saturday. So I have some questions.
> ...


Thanks for the answers! I will look into the Maracyn 1&II, Melafix Matronidazole and Clout. I don't even know what they are for, but I will learn :wink:

Thanks again!!


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

> Yes, my tank cycled like 10 years ago :lol:


Excellent- :thumb: sorry if I underestimated your fishkeeping experience- I just wanted to make sure we covered the basics along with the specifics for keeping cichlids.


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

triscuit said:


> > Yes, my tank cycled like 10 years ago :lol:
> 
> 
> Excellent- :thumb: sorry if I underestimated your fishkeeping experience- I just wanted to make sure we covered the basics along with the specifics for keeping cichlids.


Not offended in the least bit. I am learning that cichlids are totally different then regular fresh water, I am done assuming, so I now consider myself a newbie.


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

I forgot my ? about the clean up crew. What should I get and how many? As far as snails, placos, catfish etc.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Bristlenose plecos usually do well in an mbuna tank. Personally, I like algae. Even better, I like to watch my fish go vertical nose-down and chomp it's way across algae covered rocks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Another vote for bristlenose, a good fit since your tank is smallish and you have to overstock to manage the demasoni aggression. I still have enough algae for everyone, even with the BN.

I found my mbuna either eat the snails outright or harass them until they die by knocking them off surfaces and nipping off their antennae.


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

o.kay hopefully the LFS has bristlenose and how many should I get- 4?

Thanks guys!!


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

Just note that clout is a strong blue color and will stain your silicone and other plastic items in your tank. If you have to use clout definitely do it in a small hospital tank.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

One bristlenose is plenty for a tank your size. I only have two in my 72" tank. You want to have SOME algae for them to eat.


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

dotbomb said:


> Just note that clout is a strong blue color and will stain your silicone and other plastic items in your tank. If you have to use clout definitely do it in a small hospital tank.


Thanks for the tip!! I usually medicate in a hospital tank, but I do appreciate the info!!


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

DJRansome said:


> One bristlenose is plenty for a tank your size. I only have two in my 72" tank. You want to have SOME algae for them to eat.


Great, thanks.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

> Yes, my tank cycled like 10 years ago Laugh Out Loud There are NO other fish in the tank (I donated them so I could start getting the water ready for cichlids).


I just skimmed this post so sorry if I missed something, 
but:
if your tank has gone more than a day without fish in it then it may no longer be cycled. The beneficial/nitrifying bacteria in your filter need fish, (fish waste), to keep them alive.

If you have any doubts about it being cycled you might check into something like Dr. Tim's One and Only. It will get your tank instantly cycled. Or if you have some media from an established tank that you can jump start your tank with, that will work as well.

And I vote for bristlenoses, too. Love those fish!

Robin

My s.petricolas also are fairly good at cleaning.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Robin said:


> I just skimmed this post so sorry if I missed something,
> but:if your tank has gone more than a day without fish in it then it may no longer be cycled. The beneficial/nitrifying bacteria in your filter need fish, (fish waste), to keep them alive.


I have to respectfully disagree with the above. When cycling tanks I've gone several days without feeding the bacteria with no harm. There was also a thread in another group on this forum where someone was being advised by the moderators that their tank was likely still good to go after not having had fish in the tank for a couple of weeks. I can't vouch for this last claim but have personal experience with not feeding the bacteria for several days routinely without ill effect. I also had an exchange with Dr. Tim when I was first cycling a tank and he said (I'm paraphrasing) that people overestimate how much and how often they need to feed bacteria to keep it alive.

If it's been a while since the tank had fish in the tank, you could put in 1 ppm of ammonia just to get confirmation that your readings for ammonia and nitrites are 0, 24 hours later and that the tank is cycled.

If the filters, substrate and decorations are allowed to dry out, that's a different story.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

dotbomb said:


> Just note that clout is a strong blue color and will stain your silicone and other plastic items in your tank. If you have to use clout definitely do it in a small hospital tank.


Also note that Clout and Metro are often used to treat the same problem. Clout is a much more aggressive intervention that's harder on the fish (but necessary if you don't catch the problem in time). If you intervene early, Metro causes less problems.

Robin's signature (under the "Bloat" section) has some good articles about using the two medications.

BTW great questions, Zole! I was asking most of the same ones a month ago when I set up my Tropheus tank. I wish I could have seen this thread then.


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

zimmy said:


> Robin said:
> 
> 
> > I just skimmed this post so sorry if I missed something,
> ...


You don't mean the ammonia I clean my floor with do you? And if you do, how would you measure ppm? I haven't changed my filters since my fish were in it. The readings have stayed the same, the nitrates go up to 15 or 20 then down to 5 0r 10 when I do my water changes.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

zimmy,

You're right. I've never heard anyone give an exact length of time for how long the bacteria will survive without food--at least not beyond what has worked for them. 
I tend to advise people to err on the safe side. Many years on this forum has taught me that more often than not people think their tank is cycled when it's not. And when you're adding new fish to a tank--fish that are likely already stressed-- you want to avoid any kind of additional stress.

But perhaps we can get Dr. Tim in on this discussion and see what he has to say. There's probably no-one that knows more about cycling tanks than he does. 

Robin


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

zoie said:


> You don't mean the ammonia I clean my floor with do you? And if you do, how would you measure ppm? I haven't changed my filters since my fish were in it. The readings have stayed the same, the nitrates go up to 15 or 20 then down to 5 0r 10 when I do my water changes.


I do mean the ammonia that's used as a cleaning product. You want to ensure it is not scented and has no surfactants. One way of testing for the latter is to shake the bottle vigorously and if there's no bubbling, it should be safe. Read the label too of course. If you have time, you could order some from Dr. Tim (one of the sponsors of this forum). He has some that's safe and easy to measure (1 drop of his stuff per gallon of tank water equals 2 ppm).

The other way to measure (if you go the cleaning product route) is to add a teaspoon of it to a 5 gallon bucket of water and measure using your test kit. That gives you how many ppm you've added. Adjust accordingly till you have 1 ppm.

How long has the tank been running without fish?


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Robin said:


> I tend to advise people to err on the safe side. Many years on this forum has taught me that more often than not people think their tank is cycled when it's not. And when you're adding new fish to a tank--fish that are likely already stressed-- you want to avoid any kind of additional stress.


I totally agree, Robin. My point was just that one day without feeding the bacteria will not do it harm.

It would be good to get Dr. Tim's viewpoint though.


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

zimmy said:


> zoie said:
> 
> 
> > You don't mean the ammonia I clean my floor with do you? And if you do, how would you measure ppm? I haven't changed my filters since my fish were in it. The readings have stayed the same, the nitrates go up to 15 or 20 then down to 5 0r 10 when I do my water changes.
> ...


About three weeks and my fish come tomorrow


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

I found a photo from March 3 and there were still fish then. NOt sure if that helps.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

I'll pm Tim and ask him to weigh in on this. 
zoie I would not trust that that tank is sufficiently cycled if it's been without fish for three weeks. Exactly how long a tank can go without fish before it's no longer cycled, like I said, err on the side of caution. 
The number of fish you will be initially adding will also be an important factor. Even a cycled tank can be overtaxed by the sudden addition of too many fish.

Robin

There are many articles in the library on how to cycle a tank. Do you have any other tanks up and running with fish in them right now?


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

I found some old ammonia my mother-in-law had in her cupboard, it says clear ammonia contains so phosphorus. The ingredients are deionized water, ammonia and chelating agenst. There are no bubbles when I shake it.

Is this safe? He can hold my fish until Sat.

Would the test work in a 5 gal bucket, or does it have to be in my tank?


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

Robin said:


> I'll pm Tim and ask him to weigh in on this.
> zoie I would not trust that that tank is sufficiently cycled if it's been without fish for three weeks. Exactly how long a tank can go without fish before it's no longer cycled, like I said, err on the side of caution.
> The number of fish you will be initially adding will also be an important factor. Even a cycled tank can be overtaxed by the sudden addition of too many fish.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much. I was nervous to begin with, now I;m goin crazy  (not really, but close :wink: )


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## xxbenjamminxx (Jan 22, 2011)

http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm

Zoie, on the bottom of that page is an ammonia calculator. Just enter your tamk size, change the 5ppm to 1 n make sure you put it on gallons n it will tell ya how to add.


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

I generally advise that 2-3 weeks is no problem at all if filtration is maintained and the tank hasn't been cleaned zealously. There's plenty of goo in an established tank to maintain bacteria for months. While your population will be smaller, they will happily ramp up their reproduction when new food sources are available.

That said- temperature extremes, chlorine from untreated water, stagnation, and medication can impair your biofilter function. Whenever adding new stock, it's a good idea to monitor ammonia.

Even with what I said above, adding a small amount of ammonia to test/feed the biofilter isn't a bad idea. And yes- it has do be done in tank. You do not need to go to 5 ppm. Start with a cap-full of ammonia, let it mix in the tank for 10 minutes, then measure with your test kit. If there's a trace of color on the test, you've added a measurable amount. Wait at least 4 hours and measure again. It's most likely that there will be zero measurable ammonia at that point. There- you've fed the bacteria and made sure they're alive.

*I'm not sure what chelating agent is in that ammonia- go spend $1 and buy some new stuff at your grocery store. The ingredients should be only water and ammonia hydroxide. :thumb: *


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

triscuit said:


> I generally advise that 2-3 weeks is no problem at all if filtration is maintained and the tank hasn't been cleaned zealously. There's plenty of goo in an established tank to maintain bacteria for months. While your population will be smaller, they will happily ramp up their reproduction when new food sources are available.
> 
> That said- temperature extremes, chlorine from untreated water, stagnation, and medication can impair your biofilter function. Whenever adding new stock, it's a good idea to monitor ammonia.
> 
> ...


aww, I was gonna do it at nap time. (I have a home daycare with 5 kids) Now I'll have to wait till after work and I'm gona go crazy wondering. Oh well.

Thanks for the info


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

> Thanks so much. I was nervous to begin with, now I;m goin crazy Surprised (not really, but close Wink )


Sorry for the confusion, zoie.

I think you should at least be prepared for the tank not being fully cycled. And don't stress. Even if you do have an ammonia/nitrite spike there's still things we can do to keep your fish safe.  
Here's my advise:

Make sure you have a good, relatively new test kit. Generally speaking the test tube type is more accurate than the test strip type. You want to measure ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. (Later a KH testing kit will also be helpful)
Test the tank water before you get the fish and keep testing it, daily or every other day for the next 2+weeks. If you see a spike in ammonia then you'll know that the tank is re-cycling and you'll need to do daily partial water changes to keep your new fish safe. 
Additionally you want to have a good quality dechlorinator on hand: one that detoxifies nitrite and removes ammonia. Amquel Plus and Seachem Prime are both good for this. That way if you do have an ammonia/nitrite spike you'll have something to help combat it. 
Have some aquarium salt on hand. A small amount of sodium chloride will detoxify nitrite, should you get any.

From everything I've read and heard about Dr. Tim's One and Only product it will in fact cycle your tank instantly and safely.* It's good stuff! * So you may want to look into that, too.

Personally I've never seen or read any studies that show how long an empty tank will remain cycled. Not saying they don't exist, just saying that I've never seen anything other than people's personal experience. So: given that your new fish will undoubtedly already be somewhat stressed--new fish almost always are and are therefore more susceptible to disease, I would err on the side of caution and not assume that the tank is still cycled.

How many fish in total will you be getting tomorrow?
Do you have access to a tank that is up and running with fish in it? If so then you can jump start your tank's filter by taking some of the established media from that tank and putting it in your tank's filter.

Let us know how it goes. 

Robin


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

xxbenjamminxx said:


> http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm
> 
> Zoie, on the bottom of that page is an ammonia calculator. Just enter your tamk size, change the 5ppm to 1 n make sure you put it on gallons n it will tell ya how to add.


I couldn't get this to work. I typed in all the info, but there was no button to make it work. I tried enter, the reset button, I just sat there with my info, and didn't tell me anything. :-?


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## DrTim's (Jun 8, 2010)

Hey All:

The nitrifiers can last a fairly long time without ammonia. A week or two with mostly the same activity level is not a problem.

Sorry Robin but your post below is not correct.



> if your tank has gone more than a day without fish in it then it may no longer be cycled. The beneficial/nitrifying bacteria in your filter need fish, (fish waste), to keep them alive.


The question is how long will they maintain activity - that depends on many factors. The best way to get the bacteria in shape for the longest time period is to first remove as much organic material from say the gravel bed as you can. Also make sure to keep the bacteria wet.

I don't completely agree with the following statement



> the tank hasn't been cleaned zealously. There's plenty of goo in an established tank to maintain bacteria for months.


Assuming 'goo' means organic you want to remove as much goo as you can because that smothers the nitrifers because goo is food for other (heterotophic) bacteria that out grow the nitrifiers. So clean out as much goo as possible. Of course, you don't want to scrub things so the post is correct is terms of not getting zealous and cleaning everything spotless - that will remove the nitrifiers too.

There is not much evidence of nitrifiers growing on filters pads so one way would be to siphon clean the gravel but leave the old filter pad(s) in place. The heterotrophs will break down the organic on the filter pad to ammonia which will provide a little feed to the nitrifiers in the gravel.

But in reality if your tank is going to empty for just a week or two there shouldn't be a problem.

Hope this help


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Thanks Tim! I stand corrected and I sincerely appreciate your knowledge in this area. 
So: one-two weeks without fish should be okay--_depending on the activity level._ By that you mean---? How many fish were in it and how many will be added? (What sort of bio-load it had previously and what it will now have?)

So if zoie's tank has been empty of fish for 3+ weeks then there is a fairly good chance that her tank is no longer cycled and at the very least she should stay on top of testing the water after the new fish are introduced. 
And not to continue to plug your product but personally I would get some Dr. Tim's One and Only --just to be on the safe side! New fish are so iffy, IMO you can't be too cautious when introducing them.

Robin


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

DrTim's said:


> Hey All:
> 
> The nitrifiers can last a fairly long time without ammonia. A week or two with mostly the same activity level is not a problem.
> 
> ...


As far as activity here is a little history:

I have been testing my tank every day for the past 3 weeks. (I _always_ use the mad scientist test kits, when I can get them. :thumb: I am having a hard time finding one for GH and KH though) (Trying to figure out how to maintain PH, GH & KH.)

I have been doing an 8 gal wc every monday.

My nitrates are 20 until I do a wc then they go to 10. Lately they haven't really been reaching 20 and they have been more like down to 5 (I figure that's cause theres no fish)

My nitrites and ammonia have been 0 except around the 21st when I removed my gravel (switching from pea sized river stone to PFS) The ammonia went up to .25 and the nitrites were in between .25 and 0.

I did about a 50% water change that day (mostly because I had no room for 30 gal of water) :roll:

It took about 2 days for ammonia and nitrites to go back to 0. They have been 0 since then.

I have figured out that if I add 1 tsp. baking soda and 1 tbs. of epsom salt to my 8 gal wc, it keeps my PH at 8, my KH 180 and my GH between 150- 300 (I hate those dip strips!! I can't read them good)

I have not changed my old filter pad because I thought there were good organisms in there I wanted to keep for the new fish and I didn't want my tank to recycle by stripping too much. NOt sure if that helped.

After work I went to Shaws to get ammonia and it bubbled when I shook it :x I looked at the ingredients and sure enough it had that stuff in it. I have a Dr. apt tonight and can swing by walmart, maybe they have pure ammonia.

I am getting a ton of fish on Fri :? I did research and everyone said do it all at once. It didn't sound like a good idea to me, I have sw tanks and that is a definate NO NO! But, cichlids are different. Then everyone told me to raise my ratio of dems to keep down the aggression so I went from 16 fish ordered (1+" 8 labs, 8 dems) to 25 fish ordered (1+" 10 labs, 15 dems)

I will get the stuff mentioned, I'm home all day and can do anything I need to do to keep my fish safe. I will be able to notice any stress during the day etc. I will be comming here for help though, so be ready!!

Thanks guys for catching this BEFORE my fish came. I hope all goes well


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## DrTim's (Jun 8, 2010)

> So: one-two weeks without fish should be okay--depending on the activity level. By that you mean---? How many fish were in it and how many will be added? (What sort of bio-load it had previously and what it will now have?)


This always matters - if you only had 10 fish in before and now what to put in 20 fish - assuming same size then there will be a problem. Also it is not really fish numbers but the amount of feed given each day. Feed = ammonia.

Robin - I do not mean to pick on you, really! But I don't really like the term 'no longer cycled' as you said here.


> fairly good chance that her tank is no longer cycled


The tank will have a cycle in that there are ammonia bacteria and nitrite bacteria and they will be active and start converting ammonia and nitrite asap. Now will there be enough - that's the real question. But you could say no tank is cycled because you can always overwhelm the nitrifiers - just keeping adding more fish and more feed. It is semantic but saying it is "no longer cycled" to me means you have to start over and have no bacteria which is not correct.

Now this I agree with 100%


> very least she should stay on top of testing the water after the new fish are introduced.


Yes, monitor the ammonia and nitrite and be ready for water changes. Being prepared is much better than being surprised.

Zoie - during the last week you have not added any ammonia and you are adding a lot of fish - feed lightly and watch the nitrite - that will be the one that will give you trouble if at all. You might see it spike up and it should come down quickly. If that happens (or with ammonia) manage it with water changes rather than dumping in chemicals. I don't like the fact that you changed the gravel - that's where your good bacteria were watch things carefully.

If you get the ammonia tonight - add enough for 1 ppm and test in the morning to see what the values are.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

> Robin - I do not mean to pick on you, really! But I don't really like the term 'no longer cycled' as you said here.


Okay, I stand corrected again.  
Didn't use the correct terminology (didn't know the correct terminology!), but I do understand that zoie's tank may not be able to handle a large addition of fish and so she needs to be prepared for possible trouble in the way of ammonia and nitrite spikes. (Trouble that can be managed, so don't stress, zoie! People are here to help you  )

Thanks again Tim for your expertise

Robin


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## DrTim's (Jun 8, 2010)

Robin - I agree 

Zoie - just watch the ammonia and nitrite and be prepared to do water changes. Please keep us posted it will be interesting to see how this plays out.


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

DrTim's said:


> Robin - I agree
> 
> Zoie - just watch the ammonia and nitrite and be prepared to do water changes. Please keep us posted it will be interesting to see how this plays out.


I went to walmart and no luck- bubbles in the ammonia.

I will keep very close tabs on all my levels and as said before, i am home all day and can do water changes whenever needed.

If thats all I have to do, I now feel more comfortable, though I wish I had caught this sooner. :? I'm just glad I know before my fish come.

Thank you both!!


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

It's almost been a week since I added my fish and so far so good. I've been feeding them lightly and testing the water every day. It was suggested that I wait a week before doing a water change so I wouldn't stress out the fish. (I usually do them on Mondays)

My levels have been ammonia and nitrites still 0 and my nitrates have gone from 10 slowly up to 20. Every day a little bit higher, a little bit, but this morning they were defininetly 20.

Shoul I do a wc, or should I still wait till Mon?

Also, does this mean my tank was cycled? Or would it take more than a week to find out? Either way, I am still going to test my water everyday for the first few months. But I was just curious where it was in debate. :-?


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Sounds cycled to me- and I would do a water change. :thumb:


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Zoie this might be a good read for you:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cycling.php

I haven't followed your new fish event closely but I did see some pictures in another thread you had going and the tank was completely cleaned out and empty, (dry) and it also looks like you've completely changed your substrate. Perhaps you kept the filter going on another tank??

Since the tank has been without fish for over three weeks and empty/dry for some period of time and you've just added 25 fish, which is alot for any filter to initially handle, I think you are wise to continue to test the water every day for at least the next two-three weeks and I would also watch your fish's behavior. If they start hanging at the top and/or gasping then that's one possible sign that something is amiss in the water.

I don't think there's any problem with doing a WC regardless.

Your tank looked beautiful, btw. Something about those 33G LONG tanks--just a really nice look to them. Like a panoramic picture.

Robin


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## zoie (Mar 7, 2011)

Robin said:


> Zoie this might be a good read for you:
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cycling.php
> 
> I haven't followed your new fish event closely but I did see some pictures in another thread you had going and the tank was completely cleaned out and empty, (dry) and it also looks like you've completely changed your substrate. Perhaps you kept the filter going on another tank??
> ...


Thanks,
I emptied my tank when I changed the gravel to sand, and I put egg crate down, BUT I kept the tank water so it was only empty for an hour, not even. 

I don't like my nitrates getting that high, so I will feel a lot better doing a water change. Thanks again!!


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