I've been keeping notes! I've read a lot of other threads on here too and think I'm gonna get my tank and set it up Monday or Tuesday. I'm just glad everyone here is SO helpful!
Thinking of getting some Tetras...
- Thread starter LaRues Lady
- Start date
Ok before you add your tetras you have to decide if you want to cycle the water in your tank as a fishy cycle or fishless cycle. I would not cycle your tank with neons tetras they will surely perish they are very sensitive fish. It takes a few weeks for the water to be biologically healthy for the fish you plan to add to the tank. Which you had said you wanted tetras great choice I have a variety in my tank. The rule that some follow is the one inch of fish per gallon rule. If you want to add more fish other than your tetras you should think about something a little bigger than a 10g maybe a 20g or 30g might be better if you plan to add more fish. I chose to do the fishy cycle only because I had no idea how to do a fishless cycle and there is a method to it that some of the members who have done fishless cycles can help you with if you plan to go that route. If you want to do a fishy cycle I suggest doing it with a couple of white clouds or danios. They are very hardy fish. You must add dechlorinator to the water when you set up the tank and then with every water change. You should purchase liquid tests for ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and test daily then once your tank is cycled check your levels once a week to make sure your water is within the correct parameters for your fish. You will see ammonia first once you do it should not rise above 0.25% you must do water changes daily sometimes twice a day atleast 25% of the water until you see 0 ammonia. Then you will see nitrite still do water changes 25% this level should not go above 0.25% and should eventually be 0. Then you will see nitrates once you do this level should be around 5-10 that's a good level. You can use a gravel vac which will also siphon the water out of the tank into a bucket use that bucket for water changes for your fish only that is what I use and it works great. Just make sure that the water you add back to the tank has similar ph, temp and is dechlorinated. I use aquaplus or stress coat to dechlorinate the water. It takes a few weeks to cycle the tank so expect to do alot of water changes. I used a product called CYCLE that some members say doesn't work but it seemed to work for me my tanks cycled pretty fast using this product. Biospira is also good. When you add your gravel to your tank before adding the water make sure you rinse it before adding it this is very important. You will need a good filter, heater and if you want to get a little more oxygen in the tank you can use an airstone. I have plastic plants in my tank and a variety of small decorations fish love caves they hide in them. Your LFS can help you choose a few decorations. Don't overfeed your cycle fish if you plan to do a fishy cycle when your tank is cycled and you add your tetras feed them lightly overfeeding can pollute your water. Now once your tank is cycled add your tetras slowly. I have 3 neon tetras in a 2.5g tank and they are doing great. They like acidic, warm water with temps in the high 70's so you will need an immersible thermometer to keep track of water temp. If you want to add bottom feeder fish cories are nice and they eat everything off the bottom of the tank. Once your tank is fully cycled make sure to change your filter every 4 weeks if using a HOB type and water changes can be done every week or biweekly. I feed my tetras tetramin flakes, spirulina flakes, blood worms, brine shrimp. I alternate and give a variety. I hope this helps good luck!!!
Thank you, Platy Tetra Fan! Your info is very helpful (as is all the other info everyone has given me)! This is the first thank I've ever sat up, so I'm VERY green and have a couple of questions about what you've suggested. I know these questions will seem very easy for you, but the only way I'll ever learn these things is by asking, right (unless I just fly blindly and kill a few innocent Tetras in the process, which is what I'm trying to avoid)?! So here goes:
First, I wanted to make sure that Tetras and Cories get along well and that there will be enough room for 6 Tetras and one or two Cories (I don't know much about them; size, what they eat, are they peaceful, will they need any other food than what they eat out of the bottom of the tank...).
Also, what should the ph levels be? Does it vary for different types of fish?
Is it alright to siphon the water out like someone else had mentioned?
Does "cycling the tank" mean getting the levels perfect before adding the fish? I know that a tank is constantly going through a "cycle," but once that first cycle is complete (I assume this means that the ammonia and nitrite are at 0 and the nitrate is around 5-10) am I ready to add the first couple of fish? And how long does the first cycle take? Two, three, four weeks? More?
Once the initial cycling period is over and I've added the fish (I'm planning on starting with two Tetras), do I start the process of testing again? And just test once a week (if everything's looking good) and treat the tank if needed? Do I then add a couple more fish once the levels are back to 0 ammonia and nitrite and 5-10 nitrate?
I just want to make sure I'm doing things right before I start. Thanks again! I really appriciate your information!
First, I wanted to make sure that Tetras and Cories get along well and that there will be enough room for 6 Tetras and one or two Cories (I don't know much about them; size, what they eat, are they peaceful, will they need any other food than what they eat out of the bottom of the tank...).
Also, what should the ph levels be? Does it vary for different types of fish?
Is it alright to siphon the water out like someone else had mentioned?
Does "cycling the tank" mean getting the levels perfect before adding the fish? I know that a tank is constantly going through a "cycle," but once that first cycle is complete (I assume this means that the ammonia and nitrite are at 0 and the nitrate is around 5-10) am I ready to add the first couple of fish? And how long does the first cycle take? Two, three, four weeks? More?
Once the initial cycling period is over and I've added the fish (I'm planning on starting with two Tetras), do I start the process of testing again? And just test once a week (if everything's looking good) and treat the tank if needed? Do I then add a couple more fish once the levels are back to 0 ammonia and nitrite and 5-10 nitrate?
I just want to make sure I'm doing things right before I start. Thanks again! I really appriciate your information!
You should start cycling the tank with two or three danios or white clouds there is only one cycling period....NOT with neon tetras they are too delicate. Yes cycling means getting the water perfect before you add the tetras and cories. The cycling period takes about 6-8 weeks approximately. A good ph to stay with is 7.0. Yes you will see a spike of ammonia first you have to test the water daily and do water changes to keep ammonia less than 0.25%. Then you will see nitrites which should be eventually 0 don't less this level go above 0.25% do water changes ammonia should be 0 at that time and then you will see nitrates. 5-10 is a good level as long as nitrates do not go above 40 you are ok. Once you see nitrates you are cycled I would wait one more week to make sure your nitrates stay at that level and then add the tetras slowly like maybe 2 per week and then watch your water levels. Feed lightly during the cycle period and don't overfeed once your tank is cycled. Yes cories are great fish but you have to keep them in a group of atleast 3-4. From experience with cycling tanks and believe me I started out very green as well and am still learning. The bigger tank you get the better. You can add more fish you might be better with a 20g tank rather than a 10g. Cories and tetras get along very well. I have peppered cories and tetras. I alternate flake food with frozen brine shrimp,bloodworms, tetramin flakes and spirulina flakes. I also feed the cories at night before bedtime one sinkable pellet that I break into little pieces. Cories are night feeders. There are other types of tetras that are very hardy in my 36g I have white skirt tetras, serpaes and bleeding heart tetras. They are bigger than the neons and not as delicate but if you go bigger you must get a bigger tank or you can only add a few of these tetras since they are bigger. Cories can grow to 2 inches I have heard. I use my gravel vac to vac the gravel and to siphon the water I don't use a python I just find it easier to do it this way the bucket you use should only be used for water changes use one for your dechlorinated water and one to empty the old tank water into. Make sure your temp and ph match your existing tank water. Yes once the tank is cycled you have to check your parameters weekly to make sure everything is where it should be. Hope this helps good luck!
Thanks! I'm setting everything up tomorrow, so I'll definately put these things in the notebook and look over them regularly as I cycle my tank! Thanks again!
If you have decided to do a "fishless" cycle, you can still add plants. My second tank, a 10, started about a month after my first tank, I did a fishless cycle on. When I started the 10, I used materials that were both new and old (from my first tank): gravel, decorative rocks, and plants (a lot of anacharis/elodea, plus some amazon swords and Java fern from those tubes Petco sells). The HOB filter had been run on the first tank for a while as well. I got a good light and just let the tank sit with some nice looking plants for at least two weeks, testing the water daily (using Tetra chemical tests). That aquarium looked so nice, bright and green I could have just left it that way, without fish. But in time the conditions became good for fish, so in went some black neons and things have gone well since then (~11 months) with regular maintenance.
Note that I did not use amonia, just all the above, and I sat back and enjoyed the progress. I even enjoyed doing the tests and watching the conditions improve day by day. If you don't have a friend with an established tank you sponge off of
don't worry, it will just take more time (plants will help, and so can the pet store, they might give you old filter material to provide microbial life), but it will still be fun. Patience --and report back here as you go along.
Note that I did not use amonia, just all the above, and I sat back and enjoyed the progress. I even enjoyed doing the tests and watching the conditions improve day by day. If you don't have a friend with an established tank you sponge off of
don't worry, it will just take more time (plants will help, and so can the pet store, they might give you old filter material to provide microbial life), but it will still be fun. Patience --and report back here as you go along.
