Just set up my tank etc...

[Winzzy]

I just started cycling my tank, I am using one blue dwarf gourami and 6 ghost shrimp (which I was told would be good becuase they are labrynth fish and ghost shrimp are next to no bioload but eat uneaten food)

Tank is a 10 gal, 10 lbs gravel, 10 lbs of lacerock, Papiliochromis ramirezienguin mini biowheel.

After six hours in the tank Ammonia was at .5! I did a partial water change toi drop it a bit.

This morning it was at 1! got it to drop back down to .25 with another water change (40% or so)

I am worried for my dwarf gourami Fred, I also heard that they can get intestenal problems easy... should I be medicating him just in case? I have had him for just over a day now.

Thanks,
Tim

[OrionGirl]

No, you should take him back and cycle without fish. Just because the gouramie can get oxygen without using his gills, he still has gills, and they are stil being burned by the ammonia. Most of the ammonia in your tank is not the result of uneaten food, it is the by-product of the gouramie being alive. It will continue to spike with each new fish added to the tank, even after the bacteria bed develops enough to process the waste from just the gouramie.

If you can't do this, then plan on doing lots of water changes. Adding some plants will help--quick growers, like anachris and duckweed.

[Winzzy]

I don't think I can take him back...

what types of plants would do well in a 10 gal incadesent (low wattage) lit tank with a gravel bottom?

[ChilDawg]

The aforementioned duckweed will do well, as will java moss and java fern, and Aponogeton plants.

[caz]

i have cycled with a dwarf gourami before with no problem. if you have other tanks, put the gravel in a nylon stocking and hang it in the tank, also if you can use a filter from your old tank, or rinse the filter in the new tank. anything that will get more bacteria in your new tank will help. also do water changes :)