New and confused

Welcome to the forum. Yes you have to cycle the tank first. I don't know if a cycle in a bottle is going to work but the place sounds like they know what they are talking about. You should check out the threads at the top of this newbie section. It will explain cycling and teach you how to do it properly.

As far as fish, no to angels, sorry but they will be way to big for that tank when they grow up. Neons can be touchy and I would suggest doing them last when you know a little more about the hobby. But danio's and mollies sound like a good choice.

Mollies and danios are no problem. Angels like to eat neons for a snack. Angelfish are cichlids - not the best idea until you lean about cichlid temperment.

You should take the time to do a "fishLESS" cycle. Your wallet will thank you for it and so will the fish as it is very stressful on them. Other than a dechlorinator, learn to not use chemicals. Bacteria in a bottle doesn't do quite as much good as claimed. It may help speed along a cycle but it doesn't teach you how to cycle a tank and what happens during one. By learning to cycle without fish and learning the changes your water goes through will help you to identify when you have a problem before it kills the fish. Most people are glad to have cycled a tank bfore adding fish because of all the things it teaches.

Either way you will need to invest in a water test kit instead of relying on a store. They are human and make mistakes too and depending on the clerk, you could end up losing all your fish.

Welcome to AC!

Cycle is no good. Otherwise, you've taken all the right steps, including coming here for advice! You are way ahead of the game already. A good "cycle-in-a-bottle" product that actually works is Tetra SafeStart. This has the live bacteria needed to convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. Cycle only had dead bacteria, which do nothing. I believe that Dr Tim's One and Only has also been reported to work well.

I would also not recommend an angel. They need a quite tall tank and more room to swim than a 20g can provide. They need at least 40g.

You will ultimately need to get at least 3 more of the zebra danios. But, yes I would only get a few and then gradually add to it once the levels are stable. You will need a liquid test kit that measures ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. API makes a good kit. Ammonia and nitrite need to be zero while nitrate needs to be under 25.

Neon tetras are great. You need to get at least 8 of them, or they will not be as healthy or pretty or school as well if you have less. You have to be careful what you house them with as many fish will eat them since they are so small. When you get these guys, I would get the whole school at once since they have a relatively low bioload and also need their buddies or they will get very stressed.

Mollies: You could get about 5 of them, but be careful that you get all males. If you get any females, you will have babies coming out your ears! From just one mating, a female can store sperm for months and have a batch of babies once a month for several months. Each time she will have up to dozens of babies. While they will eat some of the fry, a handful will survive, and you will quickly have an overstocked tank. Any livebearer will do the same thing.

I recommend going with a group of pygmy cories instead. They are bottom feeders and also do well in a group. They get lonely and unhealthy if they don't have buddies. Get 4-6 of these guys. Remember that they also have to be fed and can't rely on just what is left over from the other fish.

Noyesy said:

Ok - so I've got this CYCLE stuff in there already - so I need to go out, get a test kit, then wait (without adding more CYCLE) till the levels stabilize before adding fishies? - following all the good fishless cycling info on here (besides the aforementioned blunder I've already made)?

PS- thanks for all the stocking suggestions! Keep them coming if anyone has any more.... I'll see what the local shop sells... I live in a small town, so I don't have tons of options, but there is a pretty good store here.

ANOTHER question - what do I get if I want a showy fish (which is what I wanted the Angels for)? I like the idea of having a school or 2 - mollies and tetras - but what else is an option for a cooler/bigger one?

YAY. thanks everyone.

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Never mind CYCLE. I used it, but couldn't tell if it made any difference. Just follow the direction on the bottle, but forget you added it in relation to the the cycling process, it can't do any harm.

Follow the directions for cycling (Fishless) and meanwhile research what fish you want.

Is this a 20g High or Long tank? If you want a centerpiece (showy) fish then I can suggest a Betta, Gourami, or German Blue Ram. Not all fish are compatible, so we need to know what you decide as a centerpiece fish before suggesting tank mates.

Noyesy said:

Is fish-in cycling an option with a few zebra danios?

Note - I work at home, so I can monitor and test as often as required.

This is a long tank I think - it's rectangular sideways instead of tall-ways.

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Well if you already have Danios then you are going to have to cycle around them. Some people even choose Danios to do a fish-in cycle. Basically whenever the Ammonia hits .25 PPM do large WC. Keep doing the WC as needed until you are cycled.

Long tanks allow for more stocking option than Tall. I'd do a nice community tank.

My 2 pennies is: read up on cycling and do it without fish. Then once it is done, add a mix of zebra, blue, gold, and glofish danio. And then select some medium sized fish that won't proliferate uncontroled (so not Mollies). Maybe a pair of gourami or something. And then select your bottom dwellers/ cleaner crew such as cories, snails, or shrimp.

I wouldn't mix the neons with danios. The danios are hyperactive swimmers while neons are peaceful. All the activity from the danios will make the neons nervous. I would choose one or the other. If you get neons, make absolutely sure the tank is fully cycled before you stock them. They are delicate enough that any ammonia or nitrite would probably kill them.