HELP! Fish overdose during cycle!

[orgetorix]

OK....I have a HUGE problem here. I am in the final stages of setting up my 300 gallon planted tank. I was going to use the fishless cycling method according to Chuck's Planted Tank. (http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/) Now...I was just getting all my equipment balanced and had added a few plants when my brother told me that a good friend of his had a plant tank that he was tearing down to make into a reef. I asked him for all the plants and he agreed. Apparently he thought I wanted the fish as well. I came home to find not only relatively few plants (his tank was a 40) but a whole mess of fish that are probably going to die during my now conventional cycle. They are:

6 guppies
2 mollies
2 dwarf african frogs
20 ghost shrimp
10 harlequin rasboras
5 black skirt tetras
5 cories
5 kuhli loaches
2 angelfish
2 discus
1 ram
1 krib
7 ghost catfish
6 zebra danios
6 white clouds

I couldn't locate some of these fish...the kuhli's, but I was told they're there. Some of these fish (danios) are hardy, while others (discuc) are not even to close to being suitable for a cycle. So, what do I do. I suppose I need to stock up as many fast-growing stem plants as I can,but should I try to return the fish. I called a couple LFS and they were all wary of someone trying to unload ALL the fish they own. Please let me know what I should do and what I can expect shoudl things stay the same.

[OrionGirl]

Water changes, water changes, water changes. They will be the saving grace. If you can, get BioSpira as well. Add a bunch of plants, and monitor closely. If you can get some established media from someone, add that as well.

All those fish were in a 40? My heavens--I wouldn't put that many fish in a 100 gallon tank. I would see about getting rid of some of those fish though--in the long run, they won't be a good mix. The frogs are going to have a rough time in such a deep tank, as well. The kuhli's are there to stay--you'd have to tear the whole thing down to find them. The cories should be okay, as should the tetras and danios, though the danios may upset the discus. I'd pick either the angels or the discus--I'm not sure how well they'll mix. The white clouds may not be happy with the tank either, since discus tanks are usually kept much warmer--in the 80's.

[TKOS]

Orion girl is right about the White Clouds. They are a coldwater fish, though often sold as tropicals. They need water in the low 70sF at max to thrive. They are hardy and can take the hotter water but it really isn't fair to them.

What was your plan for this tank? Do any of these fish fit into that plan? You shouldn't have any problems with compatibility, though the angels might eat a few of your little fish as they grow up.

With a tank that size I would get more khulies and cories. They do best in large groups and your tank could easily hold them.

[orgetorix]

I hadn't decided on a plan per se. I was leaning towards a school of fast moving fish like rainbows, but now, seeing all these fish I really like the angels and discus. They really have personality. What I am sure of, is that I'm not appreciating the mix. I think I want to get rid of the danios, white clouds, guppies, and rasboras. I may or may not keep the tetras. The frogs usually hang out on a large piece of wood so the swim isn't usually that bad for them. The kuhlis are impossible to catch and the catfish all seem to have their own niche....I also like the krib and the ram, but not sure about them as I've never kept any cichlids before. I was thinking about a larger school of discus, keeping the angels, and maybe adding some other dwarf s. american cichlids. I think the tank is large enough for a few to find their own territory easily enough. I don't really want pairs, as I'm sure a spawning pair could be heck even in a large tank.....so, once I get rid of some of this stuff, what do you think about maybe 8 discus, the 2 angels, a few apistos, LOTS of plants nad a few more cleaning crew? Thanks again for all your guys' help. By the way, is there anything wrong with daily water changes?

[Sensei_the_dojo]

Granted, I'm no expert on this, but from what I've gathered by reading posts about similar situations, I'd say that daily water changes would be prudent in order to minimize the stress of the cycling on your livestock.

[OrionGirl]

If you pare the fish down to that list, you should be okay. Adding more cories and kuhli loaches would make them more comfortable, and they will keep the bottom of the tank clean of left overs. Other good cleaners would include some bristlenose, and a herd of otocinclus, and maybe some amano or cherry shrimp. But, I wouldn't add anything until it's cycled!

Daily water changes are fine. The purpose of a water change is to provide clean water; you can't provide the fish with too much clean water. Just can't happen. The one thing you'll need to be careful about is temperature--discus and angels react poorly to sudden changes in temperature. As long as you bring the new water up to tank temp, you'll be fine (and of course, treating it for chlorine/chloramines). Most discus breeders have a continuous flow of water in their tanks, and basically end up doing 100% water changes daily.

[yashinfan]

Wow that is a lot of fish. If you want to get rid of fish, you can always find an Aquarium Services / Big Al's to sell your fish to. You wouldn't get a lot of money but you could get rid of the fish. Honestly, I don't think the danios will cause that much stress to slower moving fish, especially not angels. I threw a swordtail in with a school of 10 danios and at first she was so nervous but a couple of days later she seems almost to school with them and can compete for food. :) But, I think a tank with discus is much nicer than one with danios, especially if you have the room.

[Prometheus]

Originally posted by OrionGirl
Water changes, water changes, water changes. They will be the saving grace. If you can, get BioSpira as well. Add a bunch of plants, and monitor closely. If you can get some established media from someone, add that as well.


Ditto on the biospira.

Gonna cost an arm and a leg for enuff to treat the tank, but it should save all you fish, and the stress of daily water changes...

[Gunnie]

The bio spira would certainly help in your situation, but it's not cheap. See if you can find it locally. If not, go to The Fish Store (www.fishstoretn.com). Bernie's bio spira is very fresh, and I get mine within 2 days. It would be well worth the expense in your case IMO. I have used it 3 times in emergency situations with excellent results. Here's a link for more info on bio spira

Bio Spira Experiment (http://fishgeeks.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=7372)