The cycle on my 75 gal is complete. This is my first fishless cycle so forgive my ignorance. I am feeding the nitrifying bacteria with ammonia until Thur or Fri when my LFS gets new stock in. Everything I can find on fishless cycling indicates its best to introduce fish all at once or you wind up effectively cycling with fish until you achieve the full bio load. My problem is I cannot get all the fish I want at once. I live in a small town and I can get only what the store brings in. I can preorder, but no guarantee they will get what I want in the next shipment. I will have 32 fish when done, but will probably get 12 at the most for the first stocking. Whats the best way to proceed with a partial stocking or am I worried for nothing?
fishless cycle complete how many fish to add
- Thread starter cb101
- Start date
12 will be fine I have a 75 gal and my first stocking was like 9 black skirt tetras ant 10 ghost shrimp and 3 baby plecos so not much bio there but it did fine.
what kind of fish you looking at to start with? do you have anyt plants in there that will be sucking up any of the waste taking it away from bacteria?
what kind of fish you looking at to start with? do you have anyt plants in there that will be sucking up any of the waste taking it away from bacteria?
My stocking plan is still evolving but currently is as follows:
7 Boesemani Rainbow
1 Dwarf Gourami
6 Denisoni Barbs
10 Serpae Tetras
8-12 Sterbas Corys
Some of it may depend on what I can get locally. The Tetras and Gourami are pretty much always available and the barbs most of the time. The rest is hit or miss according to my LFS.
I do not plan on any live plants, just artificial plants and real rock for hiding places.
7 Boesemani Rainbow
1 Dwarf Gourami
6 Denisoni Barbs
10 Serpae Tetras
8-12 Sterbas Corys
Some of it may depend on what I can get locally. The Tetras and Gourami are pretty much always available and the barbs most of the time. The rest is hit or miss according to my LFS.
I do not plan on any live plants, just artificial plants and real rock for hiding places.
if you do partial stocking you only need to concern yourself when adding more fish.. if you do so slowly you will be fine.
generally once the BB have established they can quickly adapt to the stocking levels.
you do need to be prudent and monitor whenever adding new fish.
don't forget to do a large water change before adding the new fish.
generally once the BB have established they can quickly adapt to the stocking levels.
you do need to be prudent and monitor whenever adding new fish.
don't forget to do a large water change before adding the new fish.
Charlie, I wouldn't worry about that at all. Stock with what you can for now and just keep a closer eye on your water parameters once you get the rest of your stock in the tank. I bet you don't even notice a difference in parameters in that 75g, given the huge surface area of hardscape to harbor BB.
Unlike the fish, the bacteria colony does not need to be fed daily. Honestly a good feeding monthly is enough to keep it going strong. Nitrifying bacteria can easily starve for up to a year and still survive.
Now that they tank is cycled you can add in the fish quickly or over several months it doesn't really matter. The major advantage of fishless cycling is you can do a full stocking all at once. It doesn't mean that you have to or the colony will die.
Now that they tank is cycled you can add in the fish quickly or over several months it doesn't really matter. The major advantage of fishless cycling is you can do a full stocking all at once. It doesn't mean that you have to or the colony will die.
put fish food in the tank...drive those ammonia levels up, and let your good bacteria get used to the the additional bio-load before you put them in. It's not like cycling your tank all over again, but I've always found it helpful before introducing a large number of fish
