Need tips for cycling & fish ideas for 29 gallon fish tank?

Question

I just bought a 29 gallon fish tank and set it up Sunday evening. When we set it up the 29 gallon air pump was not working so we were using a 10. I read somewhere that the tank didn't really need an air pump if it had a filter which it does. We got three zebra danios to start cycling the tank on Tuesday however we noticed that the fish were doing fine for a while and then they started hanging out at the top of the aquarium, shortly after they died. Not sure if this is due to the 10 gallon air pump or what?? The next day we emptied all the water, bought a 20-60 gallon air pump and put a bubble stone in the tank and another bubble thing in an aquarium decoration. I need to know what else I should do and how to cycle the aquarium correctly?
It is my first time owning an aquarium. I also need ideas on fish types to put in an aquarium.. I want molly fish but am wondering what else could go with them? gouramis? catfish? angel fish?

I also heard that mollies like aquarium salt? Will other fish that I add be okay with the salt as well??

My filter is aqua clear brand and it is pretty noisy so I am thinking of replacing it also. Any recommendations?

Answer 1

The only way to know for sure if your dissolved oxygen is correct is to test it. This should be at 5-6 ppm

However I would be concerned with other parameters as well. Here are a few and suggested levels as per your fish:
*Ammonia/ nitrites- 0
*Nitrates- under 50 ppm
*pH- stable (stability is more important than the actual pH)
*KH- 50+ (important for pH stability)
*GH- 100+ ppm (important for electrolytes necessary for proper osmotic function/osmoregulation; see this article: http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-do-fish-drink.html )

Aquarium salt is good for mollies and is a useful electrolyte for other fish is not over used. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons is my recommendation.

As for filters redundancy is important, not just for added filtration and dissolved oxygen, but in case of a breakdown of one filter.

I would suggest a power filter AND an air driven sponge filter. Models of Power filters I would suggest are the Via Aqua M-200 or the Whisper (although Aqua Clears and other can and do work well also). For more about filtration so as to help with this decision, please read this article: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Filtration.html

For much more information and link resources about freshwater aquarium keeping, please read this article: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Basic_Aquarium_Principles.html

EDIT:
I might also suggest this article for in depth information about aquarium cycling:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html

Answer 2

If your filter is noisy, i would check if you have enough water in there, if the waterlevel is not high enough, it won't stop making noise
If you have a hang on back filter, they get jumpstarted by putting water in the filter itself, which cuts down the noise immediately

Your danios most likely died from ammonia poisening, or not conditioned water

I would recommend a fishless cycle, instead with fish

you can use fish food as ammonia source to get your tank cycled

In the end you're suppose to have the following readings
Ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate below 40

Also, yes molly's like to have some salt
I put aquarium salt in my tanks about once a week, 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons, and i never had any diseases in that tank either
http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles.html



Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 3

Sounds like your fish needed more oxygen as they were hanging out at the top. That would have been due to the air pump being too small. I am not sure what type of filter you had tho, so I can't be sure. Any way, starting over is about all you can do. It is not impossible that the fish you purchased had something wrong with them. But with the new pump, you can now be certain to get it right. You will need to add the declorinater and some tank starter from the pet supply store. Follow the directions and allow the tank to cycle for the remainder of the week at least, longer depending on what type of fish you plan on putting in there. Mollies are pretty strong fish, and can also help your tank to cycle. But be sure that you look for healthy mollies.NO white spots. and NO white spots on the other fish they are in the tank with. Sword tails, platys, guppies, will all happily live with mollies. Just watch how many you put in your tank. Don't over crowd it. Figure one 2 in fish for every 1-2 gal of water.However I have added a few more and with mollies and swords had no problems. Gouramis are ok? with mollies but no angels. Gouramis and angels do ok together, But angels are a more delicate fish. You should also get a fish that will live off the algae in your tank and keep it down. Plecostomus, or algae eater. But consider his size when you get him. You must also count him as a fish when you figure your tank size abilities. Also, Plecs and algae eaters can get quite large, and will require more oxygen as they get larger. In a 29 gal tank a 2-3 in Plec or algae eater would do a good job for you. Watch what you put in as far as fish with flowing tails if you decide you want tetras or neon's they tend to nibble flowing tales. Other than that, just wait for the tank to cycle after you put in the starter, and then go to the store and get your fish.

Answer 4

ok lots of recommendations -- for a filter try one with a biowheel -- if you live near a walmart you can get one for cheap -- their house brand (aqua-tech) is made by marineland -- you can get filter cartridges for 1/2 the price at walmart too. you don't need the extra pumps and stuff. its usually better to go up a size when buying the fitler.

does your aquarium have a pungent smell? you can smell ammonia. its really hard to get lethal buildups of ammonia in 3 days. the only way you could have was massively overfeeding the little guys. just feed what they can eat in under 2 mins once a day. if you feel like its not enough add a leaf of some kind of salad green that has been boilded for a couple mins. anything from lettuce to spinach to parsley works fine.

you really don't need additional air if you have a good filter.

try using a beneficial bacteria product. i don't use it per directions - -just after i add cycling fish. you can also get ammonia chips if your water smells. just put some in some old pantyhose or a fabric bag (they sell them for this purpose a the pet shop but they cost a small fortune for a little cloth bag). drop a little packet of them in the empty part of your filter.

make sure you start doing weekly cleanings with gravel vacuums and 20% water changes right away.

as for the little dead guys -- are you transporting them in a hot car in the summer? transport is very stressful and in summer/winter extremes its best to do it in a cooler or something. i have an insulated lunch sack that works fine.

i like gouramis -- you can't go wrong with gouramis. you could mix some pearl gouramis with some angels and have a really nice tank. angels don't mix well with really small fish -- they tend to be agressive. unless you love catfish i don't suggest them -- most people have preconcieved notions that catfish somehow clean their aquariums and they don't -- they need special food that will sink that they can eat -- you keep them like any other fish AND you still have to clean your aquarium yourself. shoals of catfish can be a lot of fun. most of the small ones prefer to be in shoals.

mollies are really better in brackish -- they are a more succeptible to fresh water bacteria that the salt will kill. angels and catfish are both sensitive to salt. there are some great brackish fish but they are all big fish -- triggers, scats, monos won't fit in 29 gallons.

i have a 20 gallon tank with 1 male betta, 2 pearl gouramis, 4 sunset honey gouramis, a school of rasbora. all very hardy easy to keep fish.

Answer 5

A simple sailfin gibbiceps AKA an algae eater. These are the best fish. They cost about 5-8 euro. They eat the algae. They live for up to twenty years when cared for properly. They make great tankmates for other peaceful fish. They tolerate bad water conditions and can withstand various ph levels. They are the ultimate fish to have. A long with them you can throw in 2 female guppies and a male guppy and you'll have loads of babies before you know it. If you feel you have too many baby guppies you can sell them back to small pet shops for some extra cash. Hope I helped! By the way you need a heater for these types of fish.

Answer 6

Air pumps are really just a decoration so getting a bigger one won't do anything. Try reading this on cycling your tank:
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php
Make sure you have a gravel vacuum for doing partial water changes and never empty out the whole tank as t will stress the fish and kill your beneficial bacteria.

Answer 7

You need an airpump to have your oxygenation running in your tank.. that's why your zebra danios didn't last however regarding in cycling, you have to use an aged water before putting it in the tank or use anti chlorine..then after that put there your decorations and let it run for 1 week after that check the ammonia levels to be sure that it is kept very low.. then you might try getting some fish you might go for a peaceful community tank like swordtail,guppy, zebra danios and tetras as well. well i hope this helps you Goodluck!

Answer 8

You really don't need to pre-cycle a tank.
If you have any friends with fish tanks ask them for the water they take out of the tank when they clean. By adding old water you will be transferring bacteria and the likes to your tank. You can also cycle the tank by this liquid solution. Usually you need to ask for it because it needs to be kept in a fridge, usually in the back. Usually only mom-n-pop places carry it. Another way to cycle your tank is to add fish food, without fish. The fish food decays and turns into ammonia--which feeds the bacteria in the filter--which begins to cycle your tank.

when stocking your tank remember that commercial pet places are just trying to sell things, they usually do not tell you the entire story about their fish.
stay away from
chinese/siamese algae eaters--aggressive annoyances in the tank
plecos--tank buster!
If you get gourami you can only get one, in adulthood they will fight for territory and may kill each other. Gourami and betta are in the same scientific family so they will fight!!
Oscars get BIG!!!

other great accessories include the suction cup clips--fish love to eat lettuce and spinach from these things. lee's feeder cone--great for feeding your fish things like bloodworms.