New 7g -- cycle 'n' stock questions!

[Canoe]

Hi all!

I just set up a 7g minibow. I let it run for a week with plants only, and yesterday dosed it with Bio Spira and put in 3 (tiny!) julii cory cats. Here are my water stats:

temp: 78
pH: 7.2
GH ppm: 150
KH ppm: 80

ammonia: somewhere between 0 and .25; hard to read chart
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 20

Here are my questions:
1-Since I have nitrates, does this mean the Bio Spira worked?
2-Is my bio load too light to maintain the bacterial community? Should I add some more fish jiffy quick?
3-what other fish could I add to this tank? My original plan was 3 julii and a sparkling gourami, but I can't find that durn gourami anywhere.

Thanks for any advice you can give me...

[OrionGirl]

Depends--what's the source water test for nitrates? I'd suspect the answer is no, the tank isn't fully cycled, based on the precense of ammonia. You'll probably see a slight nitrite spike as well, and the nitrates should actually decline if the plants are healthy and start growing.

I wouldn't worry about adding the additional fish. The tank clearly has more ammonia than the existing bacteria can process, so adding more would be counter-productive. Keep monitoring, and you may need to redose the Bio-Spira--or start doing frequent water changes if the ammonia continues to rise. If this happens, it means the Bio-Spira likely was not viable (it's a PITA to ship and store, apparently, and sometimes is not viable on purchase).

[WinterWind]

Do many water changes, about a quarter every two days or so. Since you're using fish to cycle, nitrites or ammonias can get dangerously high.

btw, you can get sparkling gouramis at www.liveaquaria.com, but don't add any more fish until the tank is cycled!

[Canoe]

Thanks OrionGirl! I tested a sample of tap water and viola! Nitrates! Thanks for clueing me in.

I spoke with the BioSpira manufacturer yesterday. I had heard that mishandling during shipment/storage can kill the bacteria. Interestingly, the customer rep told me that the product does NOT need to be kept under refrigeration, and is "drop shipped" at ambient temp and refrigerated when it reaches the stores. At room temperature, the product has a shelf life of 6 months. Refrigerated, 2 years. It does need to be protected from extreme heat, though.

This morning, same readings as yesterday -- a shade of ammonia, no nitrite, a bit of nitrate. If my tank hasn't cycled yet, when can I expect to see an ammonia spike?

[Canoe]

Winterwind, thanks for finding the sparkling gouramis for me! Unfortunately, I have to make a $30 min order to get them to ship to me -- and I can't fit $30 of fish in my tank ;)

[OrionGirl]

Sounds like the Bio-spira is working, and you're just waiting on the bacteria to become fully established. I'd still wait until you're getting solid 0's for the ammonia before adding another fish.

Ask your LFS if they can order some for you--I know my store is willing to do so, most of the time.

[WinterWind]

Winterwind, thanks for finding the sparkling gouramis for me! Unfortunately, I have to make a $30 min order to get them to ship to me -- and I can't fit $30 of fish in my tank ;)

Lol. That's why one reason why I don't buy fish online. The shipping is too expensive if you want to buy a limited quantity of fish.

[thesydmonster]

I agree! I am having the same problem... I bought the last little corydoras habrosus at my lfs two months ago. They said they would get more in but they haven't! I called all the fish stores in my phone book and no one has them -- but I could buy them online and pay overnight shipping! I guess I would worry about buying fish without actually seeing them, do you know what I mean? I don't know the breeders, I don't know what the fish look like/what shape they are in, etc.

[Ramirezi]

yeah, for the longest time i was looking for kribs or rams. no one in town carried them. my lfs even said they'd try and order some but they never got any in. now all of a sudden 2 of my lfs have Kribs and Rams!
and rainbowfish and gouramis of all kinds...whereas before all my lfs had were common livebearers like mollies and platys and guppies.