Which fish to choose to help kickstart freshwater cycling phase

T

tigerbarb88

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Mar 23, 2009
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Phoenix, AZ
Hows it going everyone..

Im new to the forum and would just like to get some insight..

I have a 10 gallon freshwater set up right now.. The water is free from chlorine and the gravel has been put in (new gravel). I have installed the filter system and have had it running for a good 50 hours or so.

Today I will be picking up a bubble wand (cuz it looks cool :D and to help out with aeration), as well as an extra pump and tubing.

So to my main question..

I need to pick up a fish or two that will help kick start the cycling phase.. Im assuming I need a hardy fish species that can handle the new tank.

Any suggestions?

And yes, I am aware that there are other ways, (ammonia, etc), but Id like to have a fish in there instead of an empty tank.. :o


any suggestions and tips would be helpful.. thanks everyone. and please dont bash me cuz im a noob to this hobby :o
 
if you wanted to do that i would go with 1 or 2male guppies.

but i would recommend the fishless cycle!
 
I agree with going fishless.

I will say that if you know someone with an established tank, get some used filter media from them. It will create a "silent" cycle and you can add one or two small fish of your choice.
 
tigerbarb88 said:
Hows it going everyone..

Im new to the forum and would just like to get some insight..

I have a 10 gallon freshwater set up right now.. The water is free from chlorine and the gravel has been put in (new gravel). I have installed the filter system and have had it running for a good 50 hours or so.

Today I will be picking up a bubble wand (cuz it looks cool :D and to help out with aeration), as well as an extra pump and tubing.

So to my main question..

I need to pick up a fish or two that will help kick start the cycling phase.. Im assuming I need a hardy fish species that can handle the new tank.

Any suggestions?

And yes, I am aware that there are other ways, (ammonia, etc), but Id like to have a fish in there instead of an empty tank.. :o


any suggestions and tips would be helpful.. thanks everyone. and please dont bash me cuz im a noob to this hobby :o
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If you're set on your ways, then I'd go with a labrinth type of fish, as they are able to breath both from the air, and in the water. You'll find yourself doing a lot more work with a fish-in cycle, than you will in a fishless cycle. There's also the alternative of a silent cycle, by the use of plants.
 
If you just got to do it with fish use guppies or gouramis
Get a good test kit that uses test tubes not test strips and use it OFTEN
 
tigerbarb88 said:
And yes, I am aware that there are other ways, (ammonia, etc), but Id like to have a fish in there instead of an empty tank.. :o
Click to expand...

But wouldn't you rather have an empty tank instead of a tank containing a sick and/or suffering fish? :evil_lol:

If you do go the fish route, just be prepared to buy the necessary test kits, test your water daily, and do large water changes every day or twice daily to keep ammonia and nitrite below 0.25. Any higher, and your fish suffer gill damage and other health issues that shorten their lives in the long term and cause them physical discomfort in the short term.
It is very time consuming to do a fish-in cycle if you intend to keep the fish healthy. I see you are a student, and this is a busy time of the semester, so just keep the time issues in mind. I once found myself cycling a tank with fish in it, right around exams. The cycling process was, to say the least, much more difficult, time-consuming, and stressful than I had expected.
The other options people here have mentioned are not only kinder to the fish, but quicker and easier for you, too! :) If you can get some established media, then you can have an instant or near-instant cycle. If you can go the ammonia route, then you won't have to do major water changes every day.
What are your plans for the final stocking of the tank?
 
2 or 3 zebra danios would cycle that tank fine.. you will have to monitor your water and do changes as needed
 
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