I have a new 40 gal tank that has fully cycled and I am ready to start adding some fish.?

Question

I know that I want a nice mix of small schooling fish and some larger fish. I want to know if I should start with adding the smaller fish, then move on to bigger fish later, or vice versa. Also any suggestions y'all may have on varying size fish that should live fairly peacefully together? I love the neon tetras for my little fish, or maybe some mollies and red wags and have thought about kissers or some dwarf gouramis for my larger fish, but read conflicting info on temperment. Any suggestions, words of wisdom?

Again, I have a 40 gal freshwater, running empty for almost a month, levels all reading in recommended range. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!

I should have added that I put food in the tank periodically to aid in the cycling!

Answer 1

If you have run this tank empty for a month, it is not cycled, it is just a tank full of nice clean water. Of course the readings are in the reccommended range, nothing is happening in the tank. To cycle a tank, you must have a source of ammonia to allow the beneficial bacteria to multiply. Ammonia is their food source.

Here is a thumbnail of the nitrogen cycle: Fish waste and uneaten food decay into ammonia. The ammonia is eaten by beneficial bacteria that turn it into nitrites. The nitrites, in turn, are eaten by a secondary bacteria that turn them into nitrates.

All three of these chemicals are toxic to your fish and need to be removed from the tank. They build up over time and are not removed by the filter. The easiest, cheapest and best way to remove them is to do weekly, partial (30%) water changes. This will keep your toxin levels in the safe range and keep your fish healthy and happy. This is the most important thing you can do to insure your tank stays healthy.

Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates all cause damage to your fish and if left to build up too long, will eventually kill them. Fish will live with high levels for a while and seem normal (new fish added will die within days though) and then suddenly you will experience a "die off" for no apparent reason.

You should have added 8-10 zebra danios to the tank when you first set it up. It would be cycled by now if you had. Do not add neons to the tank at this point, they are delicate little fish and should not be used to cycle a tank. Get your zebras, they are hardy little guys and will look good in the tank when you start stocking it later.

Test your water every few days and when the ammonia starts rising, do a 30% water change. It will rise more than once, and each time it does, do a 30% change. Then the nitrites will rise, when they do, do another 30% change. The nitrates will be the last to rise and when they do, do another 30% change. Sometimes these partial water changes will only be days apart as the toxins "spike." I know, it seems like a lot of water down the drain, but getting rid of these toxins will keep your fish and tank healthy.

Once your tank is finally cycled, you can start adding your other fish slowly. No more than 3-4 each week. Acclimating new fish to the tank is a whole other story, email me and I will give you step by step instructions on how to do that properly to insure they are not killed by pH shock. pH shock kills more new fish than anything else other than poorly maintained water conditions.
8

Answer 2

I once had what I called a hobbyist's "Bible." It was a comprehensive guide written by an expert in the field. It had all the common aquarium fishes, and many of the less common ones, with detailed descriptions and facts about each one, including temperament and compatibility. I forget the name, but you can probably find something similar in most major bookstores, and maybe some larger fish stores.
If you have invested the money and work to start a 40-gallon tank, I would think investing in a book such as this would be a very wise move on your part.
When choosing fish, pay special attention to maximum size. Most fish will eat another fish if it will fit in it's mouth. That's just what they do. Herbivores are the exception, but not many fish fit into that category. Many larger fish will also "bully" smaller fish, chasing them around the tank and keeping them from eating until they just die.
I strongly recommend a 5-10 gallon quarantine tank. When you bring new fish home, house them there for two weeks before introducing them into the larger tank. With a large tank especially, there's nothing worse than losing all your fish to disease and having to totally strip down your tank to disinfect it, and start all over. The quarantine tank greatly reduces the risk of that happening. Buy your fish from a reputable dealer, also, not your local supercenter, if you have a choice. "Mom and Pop" fish stores are the best because they have usually been dealing with the same suppliers for years, and know their sources are trustworthy.
When you introduce the new fish to the community tank, do it after feeding the other fish. Your fish are accustomed to when you come around, usually you put food in the tank. You don't want them to mistake the new fish for food!
After adding new fish, keep a really close eye on the ammonia level in the tank. Until your tank is established, the ammonia level will spike with each addition, and could easily kill all your fish if not carefully watched.
Keep in mind the "one-inch-of-fish rule." Maximum one inch of fish (excluding tail) per gallon of water. That is the expected maximum size, not the size when you bring them home. Overcrowding your tank is one of the worst things you can do, and one of the most common mistakes hobbyists make.
Start slowly, adding only a few fish or one school at a time, quarantine new fish, and get a book on fish species to make sure they are compatible. A book on general aquarium keeping is a must, also.
These are my best suggestions for starting a new community tank. Sorry my answer is so long. Hope I've been of some help. Most of all, just enjoy your fish and have fun! Good luck!

Answer 3

I doubt that you tank has completely cycled,have you tested for Nitrites? The bacteria that convert Nitrites to Nitrates can't start to grow until the first colony has started producing significant quantities of Nitrite to nourish the new colony. You are looking for a rise in the Nitrate numbers to indicate that both types of bacteria are up and running.
When your tank is truly cycled,start by adding a few of the small schooling fish,then wait about two weeks before adding more.
Also when you get around to adding the larger fishes be careful that they are not of a predatory ilk. Some species that are considered peaceful will still eat anything that they can get into their mouths.
Be very careful about overfeeding at first,that kills more fish than any other problem. It's almost impossible to starve a fish,but quite easy to kill one with too much food.

Answer 4

If your tank has been running with pump on for at least 7 days the best thing you can do is get a water test done, either your local aquatic shop will do this or you can buy them for a small amount of money. If this comes back ok or if you have already done this then I would start with no more than 5 medium fish such as gouramis and then move on the tetra as they can be move sensitive to new tanks. After that i would add a coulpe a week or two .

Answer 5

Start out slowly, add only one or two new fish at a time and then wait a few weeks at least to allow them to acclimate. I had a tank with 3 clown loaches in and loved them. They get along with everything and are so comical. We had a dwarf gouramis and a kissing gouramis, but the two fought, so we put the dwarf in a smaller tank. the kissing gourami are fun, but they get pretty big. The opaline gourami are pretty too, and very well natured. If I did it over again, I would stick with the gourami and more clown loaches, they were so much fun to watch. But the key is to start very slow.

Answer 6

None in any respect. Use tiny quantities (a million/4 teaspoon) of ammonia the different day for quite a few weeks. this is why that's extra beneficial, the cycle will take place quicker because you be able to maintain greater stages of ammonia in the tank, (as a results of fact there are no fish to kill),so there will be extra ammonia to nourish the micro organism. This in turn facilitates the swifter production of Nitrites (the by using-made from the help of ammonia), which will nourish the 2nd colony of micro organism that convert Nitrite into Nitrate. back that's often maintained at stages that could desire to kill your fish. you are able to stop including ammonia after approximately 4 weeks and verify for Nitrites,in the event that they warfare 0.0, you're waiting to characteristic some fish. Wait a week or 2 (for the micro organism to regulate) and upload a pair extra fish. do no longer upload a set of fish at one time,the micro organism colonies ought to enhance with the bio-load. good success. wait and notice. one extra component, if the temperature in the tank is at 80 to 80 two F, the micro organism improve quicker,and that they want oxygen to enhance,so attempt to maintain the O2 stages intense.

Answer 7

Id add a few at a time maybe 6 neons.

Your tank will start having ammonia once you put in the fish and the more you put in the faster they will rise.

Answer 8

8 in the coner
is 100% right your tank is not cycled. you have not even started your cycle yet thats why your water is testing fine.
look over his post and follow what is said in it.