What fish can I use cycle my freshwater/tropical aquarium?

Answer 1

A fishless cycle would be much better, but if you insist on risking fish to cycle your tank, Danios, Barbs, and Goldfish are the best options... :*( Also, you can use shrimp like Ghost Shrimp, Amano Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp, Bamboo Shrimp, or Singapore Shrimp... They will be just as entertaining, and can later be used as fish food if you don't want to keep them (they make great pets though...).

Soop Nazi

Answer 2

Fishless cycling is a better option. You'll obtain the same end result and no fish will be subjected to possible death by water toxicity. Also, if you can get some gravel or filter media from an established tank, your cycling time will be decreased somewhat.

Fishless Cycling information:
http://aquamaniacs.net/forum/cms_view_article.php?aid=31
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycling.php
http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/how_to_do_a_fishless_cycle.html

If you decide to cycle using fish, then mollies, white clouds, zebra danios, cherry barbs or tiger barbs are good choices. I don't recommend using feeder or any other type of goldfish because they tend to survive the cycling process. Then you're "stuck" with goldfish that can reach lengths up to 24". They'll need to be in a tank containing 10-15 gallons of water per fish or moved into a pond!

Hope this helps and Good Luck!!

Answer 3

Goldfish and tropical fish produce different types of bacteria, so you would NOT want to use a goldfish to cycle your tank. Since you are going to be setting up a tropical fish tank (tetras, platys, mollys, etc.) starting with a pair of platys is usually a good bet. Again, remember there is a rule for how many fish you can have in your tank for tropical fish as well. You want 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. If you have a 20 gallon tank you could have 20 INCHES of fish...not 20 fish. Make sure you know the adult size of the fish you are buying so you can keep track of their home.

There are also products out there that can help your tank cycle without the chance of loosing a fish. Go to your local pet store a see if someone can find you such a product. Products such as Stress Zyme typically have live bacteria in them and can help your tank along.

Keep in mind once you have cycled your tank that a crowded tank is stressful on the fish. If a 10 gallon tank has 20 fish in it that are all 2 inches fully grown--that would be like living with a family of 10 in a 1-bedroom apartment. Someone is gonna "kill" someone!! LOL!

Hope we helped. If you have any other pet questions at all--feel free to ask!

-Tidy Tanks-

Answer 4

I agree with Chris that Tiger barbs are an excellent choice, I've used them before. They are quite hardy and durable. Danios, and white clouds are great choices as well. They can tolerate quite easily a wide range of water conditions that would otherwise kill any other fish. If you keep an eye out on your water readings, you can prevent the levels from reaching a point to where it is debilitating and harmful to your fish. It's a natural part of life, not much more different then when humans evolved out of an ice age with different climates. As fish evolve as well, your liable to find more and more fish that can tolerate conditions that in the past they wouldn't. I will not say that I concur that a fishless cycle is better nor easier, but I will say it is another option. I think if some others come around with responses, you'll find another great option, provided you have access to it, is to simply use filter media of a tank already established. This gives you live cultures of all strains of bacteria, and when the fuel source is present, in excess of what they can oxidize, it will then grow much faster to the size you need, and then you are all set.

Answer 5

Zebra Danios work best for tropical fish cycling.Make sure you change 20% of the water daily so the ammonia and nitrite levels don't beome toxic for the fish.All of the water changes will slow down the cycling process,so be patient and make sure the cycle has completed before you add more fish.

Answer 6

ive had fish tanks for over 15years and ive in no way technically did a suited cycle.what i do is each and every 3-4days i visit empty out some water using a hose pipe and syphon technique and then changing with sparkling faucet water as long as you do no longer take greater then a million-2gallons in line with time you will continually have a solid stability of nitrate unfastened water. yet right this is a robust basic hyperlink

Answer 7

i have alwaysed used tiger barbs. As they are fairly cheap and very hardy.

They are often over looked when it comes to cycling, but they can handle wide range of temps and hardy enough to handle the stress of cycling.

Answer 8

I really, really encourage fishless cycling. It's, clearly, more humane, but it is also cheaper, less work and a little faster as well.

Answer 9

zebra danios or u can try those feeder goldfish