Freshwater Aquarium advice needed! When should I add fish?

Question

Hi, I have just set up a 20 gallon freshwater aquarium about a month ago. I have a few plants (real) and rocks but no fish yet. I have done water changes each week (20%) and am adding cycle as directed. However I am not seeing any change in the Ammonia or Nitrite at this time, when should I expect to see it rise? I was told it will shoot up after a couple of weeks then start to come down. I am seeing algae growing on the gravel already. Also when is a good time to add fish and what types are good for beginners. Should I get something that eats algae?
Thank you.

Answer 1

It will not begin to cycle until you add fish. Once you add fish, the Ammonia and Nitrite will rise. Put only a few small hardy fish in for that first month and do your water changes and monitor water quality. You'll be fine.

Don't worry about algae eaters until you've got something for them to eat. As far as good beginner fish go, stick with community fish. They don't make much waste and most of them get along ok. Larger bodied Tetras like, black tetras, von rio tetra, serpae tatras, white skirt tetras, etc make excellent choices for the beginner. They are quite hardy and like to school.

Answer 2

If you don't have any fish you prob won't see a nitrite or ammonia change; this is caused by their waste. Also; you are doing correct water changes which also is also keeping down you levels as it's suppose to. I like guppies; however they breed quickly and are a hardy fish. Goldfish produce a lot of waste and can grow large; so you can only have a couple. Every fish has a draw back; bettas fight and may attack other fish. Research and waying the pros and cons is the best to see what u are capable of handling. Also I would look into small algae eater. Some can grow large and produce more waste than they help clean; but i think ur ok with a 20 gal. Good luck.

Answer 3

I think its best to cycle your tank the natural way, with fish. Tetras are good hardy and colorful starter fish but there are so many more tropical fish that will make a good starter fish. Pick out something you like and start with 2-3 and wait 1-2 months, check your water to see where you at and if your ammonia and nitrite levels are normal add a few more! Good luck!

Answer 4

Is the cycle you added BioSpira? That is a great cycler and I recommend it if they sell it near you. It is very easy with BioSpira. Also, feed the tank,even though there is no fish. Just buy cheap fish flakes and the decayed flakes will spike the ammonia levels. You can also add 100%, pure ammonia; but it is harder to handle. After it spikes, look for nitrite than the nitrate. Wait for them to return to a normal, safe level. Generally it takes about a month.

Zebra Danios are great hardy fish. Is it a 20 gallon long or regular? A regular might not be enough room for them; they are rowdy and LOVE to chase.
Tetras are great. They are easy and come in many varieties. I personally like Neon Tetras.
Platys are hardy and come in many different colors. They breed easily, however.

Algae eating fish are very sensitive and should not be added until about the 2nd month or so after the tank is completely cycled. Some good fish to think about are Corydoras (eat some algae, mainly food, rotten food too!) and Otocinclus (algae.) Corys are hardier, Otos are pretty sensitive. The Otos stay pretty small, but Corys get to be about an inch and a half.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Add "Ammonium Nitrate" to the tank for Two Weeks, Then Make a "Complete" water change and add fish. Never run a tank in with live animals (Fish, Invertebrates, Live Rock, etc.) You Will not lose a single fish this way. I once set up a complete aquarium section in a new Pet Shop this way, I completely stocked all the tanks and never lost a single fish! The salesman that took my initial fish order came back a week later and wanted to see my list of dead fish (for Replacement) I told him there wasn't a list, as I had not lost any fish. He was absolutely amazed and wanted to know why. I explained to him the proper way of running in tanks as I have above. Never and MEAN NEVER add so called Conditiong Agents to and Aquarium (its a waste of time & money), especially some POS called "Stress Coat" it contains "Aloe Vera" a plant extract which is organic and will imediately start to "Decay" in you tank and the Ammonia Level will go thru the roof and kill everthing in your tank! Aloe Vera is fine for you and I to use, but has NO Place in the Aquarium EVER!

Answer 6

Algae eaters or snails are a good way to go to get rid of algae. However, be aware that plecos can grow to be almost 2 feet long! Make sure you either have a big enough tank or get smaller algae eaters such as Chinese algae eaters or Ottocinclus (Ottos). Another way to reduce algae is to limit the amount of light. The combination of light and waste form algae, and since you don't have any fish yet, it's probably not the waste. You could also get live plants, which use the same nutrients from light that algae does. They will "use up" the nutrients to grow so that the algae won't get any.

Answer 7

You don't have anything in the tank to cycle it. There is no ammonia being introduced into the tank. This is done by adding fish (their waste and decaying food particles) or by fishless cycle, adding pure ammonia, raw shrimp, fish food, etc.

You know what you're looking for : first ammonia, then nitrite, then nitrate. But you haven't added your ammonia source in yet. Plants don't put out that type of bioload.

If you wanted to add fish, the hardiest are danios for the cycle. Another good fish are gouramis as their anabantoids (breathe at the surface like bettas).

Good luck :)

Answer 8

I would add some fish food to the tank to get your cycle started.When the food starts to decay it will release ammonia,just a little 2 a day.You should be able to add fish in a day or so.If you've got algae growing its probably due to too much light.Nothing to worry about.It doesnt hurt the fish to have a little algae.But you can put an algae eater in the tank to help control it and cut back on the light time.As for types of fish it depends on what type you prefer.Aggressive cichlids or gental community fish.Convicts are great they are aggressive cichlids but a joy to watch and easy to breed. Zebra Danios are schooling fish best kept in groups of 6 or more and a hardy fish. Good luck! any further advice I can give email me at [e-mail]

Answer 9

TREATING YOUR WATER
A month is about the right time to see the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate decrease. However, a couple things could contribute to your problems. Most water companies add chlorine or chloramine-there are products to neutralize these. Also, setting your water out in a wide bowl overnight before adding it to the tank when changing water will allow the chlorines to evaporate.

The plants and decaying material could also be contributing. I would recommend a product like Ammo-Lock. You can get at most pet stores like Pet Smart that reduces the toxicity of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Usually a capfull or two will have an immediate effect. However, these products don't reduce the levels (so keep changing your water), just the toxicity. You should not add fish until the levels are down.

CHOOSING FISH
As for starter fish, it depends on if you have a coldwater or tropical freshwater tank and if you have a working heater. Coldwater-the many types of "goldfish" and guppies are good starters. For tropical tanks, tetras are good starters. Make sure to ask if you are buying a schooling fish-they don't do well in groups less than 4 or 5.

ADDING THE FISH
When adding fish, be sure to acclimatize them to the temperature by keeping them in their bags placed in the tanks for at least 15 minutes. Then add water from your tank to the bag and tie it back up. Keep them in thier bag for another 10 + minutes before putting the fish into your tank.

Answer 10

First you will want to cycle your tank. You aren't seeing your ammonia go up because you don't yet have a source of ammonia in the tank. I would suggest at this point you feed the tank just as if it had a bunch of fish in it. After a few days the ammonia will start to rise and in a few more it will be off the charts. Then stop feeding and wait for it to 0 out again. Then it's safe to add fish.

Tetras are generally considered to be excellent starting fish. They are generally quite colorful, hardy and peaceful. There are literally hundreds of fish in this family, so just ask about tetras at your local fish store once the cycle is complete.

Hope that helps

MM