Vitara died. :( Do I have to start all over?

[Rava]

After 5 weeks of not eating, Vitara has finally gone. I re-did her tank about two weeks ago- new gravel and two new plants (picture below). So what's next? Do I need to completely clean out the tank and cycle again? What should my next step be? And any suggestions for new fish? I've found the natural decor` looks tasteful but bland, so I'd like some colorful fish to dress it up some. Maybe some male guppies or something? It's 5 gallons.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Hamsterish/Picture_2432.jpg

Thanks! :)

[ArkyLady]

Are those all fake plants? If so, I'd recommend doing a fishless cycle. Most, if not all, of your good bacteria will be dead by now since they've had no food source. Hopefully there has been some old food/fish poo in there to feed them and you'll still have a little, if so the cycle will go much quicker.

Get a test kit and read up on fishless cycling (search here or on google). Then start adding your ammonia and testing.

I think a couple of male guppies would look great in there! You might get by with 3 male guppies even, but be sure not to get any females. You don't need a buncha babies too :)

Does that tank have a filter at all? If not, you might consider getting a small sponge filter for it. That would help keep the water circulated a bit and give you more places for bacteria to grow. Good luck and let us know what you decide :)

[Rava]

Yes, they are all fake. I was really pleased with the one on the far right (I just bought it), as the package claimed it looks realistic in your tank, and it really does look great! I totally forgot that there wouldn't be good bacteria with no food/poop in there...

What test kit do I need (like for what) and which one/brand would you recommend?

I was wondering if it was possible to house a red and blue Paradise fish in there? Would I be able to have another small fish or two with a Paradise? Would I need a filter for a Paradise?

It doesn't currently have any filter. I don't know why, but I have a strange aversion to them... I think I have bad memories of the noise. I don't like the hum of them. But I could do that if necessary. :)

Thanks for your help!

[ArkyLady]

I asked about the plants because I wasn't real sure on that one. It does look great :)

Most test "kits" have ph, gh/kh, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The main tests you need for cycling are ammonia and nitrite. Any brand should be fine, some people have preferences for some over others. I just buy whatever I can get locally when I need it usually.

Not real sure about paradise fish, hopefully someone else will respond that has experience with them. You're very limited with a 5 gallon.

Filters can be noisy, the sponge filters run on an air pump which can be extra noisy. You can do things to quiet an air pump down a bit though (cushion it, etc). The reason I suggested a sponge filter is that I'm not sure you can get power filters for a tank that size. My tanks run very quiet as long as I keep the water level up. The most noise they make is splashing water when the water gets low. I doubt that a filter would be an absolute requirement though, especially if you didn't overstock it (the three guppies I suggested earlier would be overstocked IMO).

[ChicoRaton]

an aquaclear mini turned all the way down should work on that tank. if there's still too much flow, lift the intake tupe un about 1/4" to get it down even more. should be about silent as well.

[Analog Saint]

My whisper and powerhead together make only a slight bit of noise, and are really soothing at night when I sleep. I have two blue paradise in there, and I'm going to finish out the tank with some cories- once I fix up the hood with moon lighting and put in some live plants.

[Analog Saint]

oh, another thing: paradise can be very hard on their tankmates, especially in a 5 gallon. Perhaps some ghost shrimp and snails would do to keep him company. If you do decide on something like dwarf cories, introduce them a day or two ahead of the paradise. That way when the paradse fish is setting up his territory, the cories won't* bother him..

* = no promises though... Some paradise fish just can't stand ANYTHING near them...

[13BRAVO]

I'm a newbie and all so please take what I say with a grain of salt but I bought FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc, cost about $20 and I like it. It is very simple to use and seems to work well. There may be better test sets out there but I have been happy with this one for now.

Also, this probably doesn't help you but I bought an eclipse 6 six gallon tank, it comes with a filter and I never even hear the thing, it is very quiet!

[Rava]

Thank you everyone! :)

I'll look into a filter. I half hate to just put one fish in there again. It's just not much to look at- no matter how pretty it is. And so far I've been unsuccessful finding pygmy cories (which I'm told are what I'd need for them to fit in there- as opposed to dwarf cories). There's a new pet store that just opened up locally, and I need to check the phone book for LFS's, though, so I haven't exhausted my options. I just can't decide what to do. I hate being so limited with my 5 gal., but I really don't have room for even a 10 gal. :( So I think I'll figure the test kit is my first step. Need to find one of those somewhere... ($20?! *sigh*) Then I'll look around and see what I can find as far as fish go. How depressing to be so limited... lol

Bravo- thanks so much for your recommendation! I appreciate it. :)

Thanks again everyone! I'll keep you updated on my findings.

[13BRAVO]

Bravo- thanks so much for your recommendation! I appreciate it. :)


No problem! I have done nothing but take, take, take from this forum...if I can give back, even just a little, it makes me feel better! :D

13BRAVO

PS - Not sure who is right here but my wife said that the test kit cost me $30...I could of sworn it was $20 but I may be wrong. If I was, sorry aboot that! :o