I finished cycling my tank a few weeks ago. How often can I add new fish and how many can I add at a time? (It's so hard to wait! :rant: )
How often can I add new fish?
- Thread starter Jakmax
- Start date
Carefully and consider quarantine needs
There is no easy answer to how to add fish, I think you have to balance sevearl things at once, as best you can.
On one hand, the first fish there are establishing their territory and later additions will be very stressful to them "emotionally" as they have to share their turf. So, if you can add most of a group all at once, that would be nice. But you don't want to stress the filtration.
I think the more territorial fish should be added last, so they don't attack each newcomer. Some fish are more delicate and cannot endure cycling stresses, so save them for last.
Then, as you add fish, the biofilter strains to catch up to the fish load, so you want to go slow. Water changes and water conditioners like Prime can ease that strain so you don't have to go too slow.
But, every new addition brings the possibilty of new parasites and diseases that could wipe out the tank if you have not had them in a quarantine situation for several weeks. So, you'd like to do it all at once, but you can't. Choices, choices.
Now, you said you finished cycling... was that a fishless cycle? Are you still adding ammonia? Or are there some fish in the tank now?
If it was a fishless cycle, you can probably go about half way to fully stocking the tank on the first round, stocking fully the main group in the tank perhaps. Then after 2 or 3 weeks or so, if all parameters are OK, add another full group. Ideally, you'd have kept this second group in a separate Q tank for 4 weeks, but you probably don't have a Q tank now, so you'll just have to risk it. Lots of water changes will help the tank handle the bioload.
When I stocked the school tank, I added all the algae eaters first, 5 otos and some shrimp. Then 3 weeks later I added all the guppies. Then another week or so later, the catfish. This was a planted tank and had a seeded biofilter so I went pretty fast, were it all new I might have gone slower.
There is no easy answer to how to add fish, I think you have to balance sevearl things at once, as best you can.
On one hand, the first fish there are establishing their territory and later additions will be very stressful to them "emotionally" as they have to share their turf. So, if you can add most of a group all at once, that would be nice. But you don't want to stress the filtration.
I think the more territorial fish should be added last, so they don't attack each newcomer. Some fish are more delicate and cannot endure cycling stresses, so save them for last.
Then, as you add fish, the biofilter strains to catch up to the fish load, so you want to go slow. Water changes and water conditioners like Prime can ease that strain so you don't have to go too slow.
But, every new addition brings the possibilty of new parasites and diseases that could wipe out the tank if you have not had them in a quarantine situation for several weeks. So, you'd like to do it all at once, but you can't. Choices, choices.
Now, you said you finished cycling... was that a fishless cycle? Are you still adding ammonia? Or are there some fish in the tank now?
If it was a fishless cycle, you can probably go about half way to fully stocking the tank on the first round, stocking fully the main group in the tank perhaps. Then after 2 or 3 weeks or so, if all parameters are OK, add another full group. Ideally, you'd have kept this second group in a separate Q tank for 4 weeks, but you probably don't have a Q tank now, so you'll just have to risk it. Lots of water changes will help the tank handle the bioload.
When I stocked the school tank, I added all the algae eaters first, 5 otos and some shrimp. Then 3 weeks later I added all the guppies. Then another week or so later, the catfish. This was a planted tank and had a seeded biofilter so I went pretty fast, were it all new I might have gone slower.
I think a good question is what do you plan to add? maybe we can at least let you know what we would do in your situation. Looks like you're doing a fairly friendly community tank so far so territory shouldn't be a problem unless you're shooting for more gourami's or something similar. you'll likely get tons of different recommendations, just try and take the advice you get and average it and make your own decisions based on that. as anonapersona said, there's really no exact way to figure that. Idealy, a couple fish at a time is what should happen but that never happens anyway. I've added a dozen fish to a 36 at one time and never had a problem, I've heard of people adding 2 to a 30 and having an ammonia spike. Kyle
Well, my 20 gallon is a high tank so that limits me. I currently have the 4 red eyed tetras, 4 rummy nose and 1 male dwarf gourami. I would like to add 3 marble hatchets for the top and a couple otos for the bottom. I would also like a couple of ghost shrimp. I'm afraid that is too much. I have a Penguin bio-wheel 170. Each time I test the water, it looks good (ammonia and nitrite 0ppm and nitrate slowly climbing at about 8.0ppm). I just don't want to crowd everyone and "mess things up". Thoughts?
I think you could add the three hatchet fish and the a couple of ottos and that would complete the tank.
yep,,,thats the way it seems to go. Look at me,,started with 35,,then added a 45 and now I just finished moving in my 90 yesterday,,,It is cheaper to buy the larger aquariums used. I got the 90 for $400 bucks which included everything all I had to do is move it. I have nice big fish to look at,,,its great!
That's a nice collection of tanks you have..... :sad . No one else in my house likes my fish, so they don't want any more tanks :sad :sad :sad :sad .