Stocking an uncycled tank with mudskippers

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AliN

Neighbourhood zookeeper
Oct 6, 2008
14
0
0
Montreal, Quebec
There's a possibility I may be forced to bring home my mudskippers within the next two weeks... and my tank's still completely empty! From everything I've read, there's no way the tank can possibly be cycled and ready in time, even if I start right this minute.

Is there any way I can do this in a hurry without putting the 'skippers lives in danger? I've read that they're pretty hardy fish and I'm willing to do daily water changes if it'll help!

Sigh... any advice would be greatly appreciated. :help:
 

AliN

Neighbourhood zookeeper
Oct 6, 2008
14
0
0
Montreal, Quebec
An update: The manager of the fish department offered to take the filter medium from the 'skippers tank at the store and wring it into a bag for me, to help jumpstart my tank. What do you guys think? Will it help?
 

zoowks

AC Members
Oct 13, 2007
256
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0
Orlando
Not much bacteria will come from just water, you need some of the actual filter media or some gravel. Other then that I personally don't know much about skippers
 

AliN

Neighbourhood zookeeper
Oct 6, 2008
14
0
0
Montreal, Quebec
The manager seems to be quite willing to help me out, so I can probably get some gravel from the skippers tank at the store. If I set up the tank tomorrow with filter media or gravel or whatever, will it be safe to put the skippers in after about 2 weeks?
 

zoowks

AC Members
Oct 13, 2007
256
0
0
Orlando
The only problem I could see with that is the bacteria needs ammonia to feed off of. It would probably be better to pick up the skippers and filter/gravel at the same time. That or get the gravel/ammonia now and start as you would with a fishless cycle and keep adding a little ammonia to the tank for the bacteria to begin growing more rapidly and have the tank more established while you wait for the skippers.
 

AliN

Neighbourhood zookeeper
Oct 6, 2008
14
0
0
Montreal, Quebec
Can I toss in a little of my dwarf frogs' food to supply the ammonia? It seems to contain mostly fish.
 

Sploke

resident boozehound
Staff member
Oct 20, 2005
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South Windsor, CT
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Matt
Yes, adding a little fish food to rot and create ammonia should do it. Just make sure that your tank water is at the same SG as the store's tank when you add the cycled media.
 

Sploke

resident boozehound
Staff member
Oct 20, 2005
6,797
64
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South Windsor, CT
Real Name
Matt
You are seriously advocating, as a vendor, that a tank doesn't need to be cycled before adding fish? Regardless of how much time they spend in the water, they still breathe with gills. They store that water in little pouches when they are out of the water and use it to keep their gills and eyes wet, and to breathe. Ammonia and nitrite spikes will have the same detrimental effects on mudskippers as it would on any other fish.
 
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