Coryd55

What could a fish tank with my listed below stock (except angels) go without for 19 days (Dec 6 - Dec 25). My mom wants me to have some stuff under the tree but we cant think of stuff it could go without for almost 3 weeks.....

Anything?

COBettaCouple

unfortunately, i think it would all be needed.

Chief_waterchanger

Your mom should get a very very tall tree.. Just kidding.

All the stuff is probably needed, but she could have "santa" wrap them on Christmas Eve (nets, fish food, thermometer, filter if you wanted to clean it or have the wrap be a soaking mess , etc) and by the time you rush down stairs eager to see what "Santa" left you, everything will be just fine.

As far as making the tree look well populated with presents...you could suggest to her to wrap empty boxes, or wrap a box and inside have a card saying, "Go to <whatever room as the fish stuff> to see your present(s)"

It is hard to mix populated fishtank and traditional under the tree present opening.

tkfury

About how long will the cycle take? Can't the decorations be added in first before its about time to add the fish? How about giftcards to the pet store for the actual fish, food, last odds 'n ends you didn't think about?

Butterfly

How about gift certificates for extra nets(can always use more than one), extra food etc.
Carol

Coryd55

Yea well this is kind of my WHOLE birthday AND Christmas so I dont think I can get EXTRA stuff lol =). Dino/CWC are giving me a pre-established filter with the tank so it won't need to cycle.

Kevin

it will need to cycle, it just wo'nt take near as long...maybe 1-2 weeks

Coryd55

Could I keep the fish in there while it cycles?

Kevin

as long as they are hardy fish...and just go with 1-3 until it has been cycled for a week or so
i'm not sure which of your fish are hardy, maybe you could get 2 zebra danios...let them cycle the tank, and then trae them in for cherry barbs?

Coryd55

Well I'm getting the fish the same time as the tank.....Getting them from CWC and Dino so I can't really do that. I'm gonna have to hook it up ASAP and I guess have no choice except to put the fish in??

COBettaCouple

you can use Prime to treat the water and do more frequent water changes and water testing to keep the ammonia and nitrites as close to 0 as possible. Some live plants will also help with keeping the nitrates under 20, 5-10 on nitrites would be good. The best time to test the water would be at least 24 hours after a water change and the API master FW kit is the way to go there.

Chief_waterchanger

Any of the fish you get from us should survive the short time period it will take the tank to catch up with good bacteria. Anytime we have to quarentine fish we pretty much setup a new tank with the old filter material and the fish usually recover nicely (from whatever it was that caused them to be quarentined).

(It is not suggested to put fish in to a tank until fully cycled for most people, because honestly most people do not properly care for their fish, but Cory has been very diligent in his homework on learning to care for them, through private messages. )