Freshwater Fan

Hello All,

I just started my tank 2 nights ago. Last night I added Fish. I did not learn about cycling until just now. The staff at petco simply told me to wait 24 hours and put fish in.

Here are the tank stats

Amonia .5ppm
nitrate 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
pH 7.1

I have 12 fish in this 55 gallon tank. I have 5 gouramis, 3 catfish, 3 shark, and one algae eater. They are all small/young. They seem to all be very healthy and alive.

I just did a 10-15% water change to aide in the cycle of the new tank.

What levels should my nitrate and nitrite be? I need a cliffs notes aproach to this if at all possible. I have been using water conditioner as well. I just want to know what i need to do to ensure the vitality of this new tank. I am very excitied to see them grow.

Thanks for helping me out.

Amanda

The cycle hasn't started yet. That's why there are no nitirtes. You'll need to do 50% water changes DAILY to keep all of the levels down. What types of catfish & sharks? And algae eater. Chances are all of these will outgrow a 55 gallon tank. And most sharks cannot be kept with others of the same species-besides balas. And balas get HUGE. Is the algae eater a pleco? A common pleco can reach 2 feet! Much too large for a 55 gal.

Christian Patti

Do large water changes every day and use Prime water conditioner during water changes. This seems the recommended advice of most here when people end up doing a cycle with fish.

Ideally nitrite should be 0, ammonia should be 0 and you should show nitrate levels

If possible maybe try returning the fish.

nemo addict

with this many fish in such a small tank you will have nitrate problems you have over stocked and putting a algae eater in a new tank is not good as it will not have food for a while unless it eats wot you are feeding your fish ,
with so many fish when your tank cycles you run the risk ov killing a few as your tank cant hold the load so i would rehome or return some of the fish to store indefinate and ask if they can hold the ones you wont then dose tank and check that tank has cycled
then put your stock back in

Freshwater Fan

it is a pleco. It is about 6 inches right now. But how can all of these fish get so big in a 55 gallon? wont they grow to accomoadate the tank and surroundings? I forgot the names of the sharks but I will describe them.

The sharks have red fins and grey bodies. They move very sporadically.

The catfish are acutually sharks I think. They are very svelt shiney and wag their bodies. They have whisekers but the rest of the body looks like a shark.

So are you saying a pleco cannot be put in a tank of 55 gallons? Are these fish only for super sized aquariums? I don't quite understand.

Amanda

NO, that is the biggest fish keep myth! The fish will keep growing until they no longer can. Large fish kept in small tanks will usually die - or have a shorter life. Those are Red Fin Black Sharks - Only ONE can be kept in a tank! They get VERY aggressive towards eachother as adults. A COMMON pleco cannot be kept in a 55 gal. They're best in 100 gal. +

Freshwater Fan

wow- i am very upset right now, petco really did not tell me the right thing to do. Now I am may harm the fish.I am going to hope for the best. So, I will do 40-50% water changes, ( will not be vacuuming the gravel though) DAILY for the next week or so, Am I correct?

Amanda

Those sound like Colombian Black Fins. They get HUGE. Need a 100 gal + tank also. They also need salt in their tank - they are a brackish fish.
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile63.html

Amanda

Everyday. You will first see an ammonia spike - then a nitrIte spike. Both are LETHAL to the fish. Then there will be a nitrAte spike. Keep doing 50% water changes until all of this happens and the ammonia & nitrite are 0. The nitrate should be 10-20. It is probably best to return all of the fish. There's a good chance that none of them will survive the cycle & most of them cannot live in a 55 gallon tank. The RFBS will kill each other when they get older. And the columbian sharks reach 14+ inches! Not to mention the pleco that will reach 2 feet.

Devon

Welcome to FishLore!

There are several types of pleco, and each type has its own average adult size. So plecos in general are not just for super-sized aquariums, but common plecos sure are... that is one big fish.

The main concern with overstocking is not that the fish's body is too big for the tank (though that also is a factor). The most important deciding factor on tank stocking is how much waste each fish will produce at its average maximum adult size -- you must always plan for when they're grown! For instance, an average goldfish needs 20 gallons of water to itself, and then 10 more gallons of water for each goldfish after that. It seems preposterous, as most goldfish don't get gargantuan... 30 gallons for 2 fish? But when you look at what an incredible amount of waste they produce (they're notorious poopers!)... you see why you need all that water. Fish waste contaminates your tank water with ammonia, which of course is highly toxic to fish. The less water and the more waste, the faster the ammonia builds up... and kills your fish. So it's very important to be sure that the tank can handle the waste -- or bio-load -- that your fish are producing.

Freshwater Fan

okay- so what are the best fish to keep in a 55 gallon tank?

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore..as most have said, its the cycle thats very important at this stage...you maybe overstocked but getting the tank cycled is first priority...if you can get some conditioner called prime, it locks down the ammonia for 24 hours until your next water change..which as most have said, should be daily 50% ..the prime goes right in the tap water that you put into your tank...I think your catfish are pictus catfish and are cook critters and fun to watch...all the fish you have are very senisitive fish and will need the prime and daily water changes to survive...goodluck and patience is going to be your best friend at this point..it could take weeks to cycle with fish

Amanda

The gouramis are fine. Although I would only have 2 - they are VERy territorial. Depending on the species, they can get pretty big too. Tetras do very well in 55 gal. As well as cichlids. I have an african cichlid tank that is 55 gal. But A LOT of research has to be done before anyone buys fish. The best thing to do is go to the store, write down the types that interest you, and let us know here. There are many people that can give you some ideas & let you know what works & what doesn't.

Freshwater Fan

Thank you all for yur responses. What I will do is dfo the 50% water change daily for 2 weeks, get the prime conditioner tonight. How long would it take for the pleco and sharks to grow to be too big for the tank? I may want to keep them to avoid the hassle of bringing them back to the store and fighting with them them that they did not set me up correctly. I definitely should have researched bere getting an Aquairum started. Well, lets try to make the best of what we have at the moment.

Amanda

Do you have any local fish stores - not chain stores - in your area? They usually will buy fish for cash or store credit. You're also better off going to a non-chain store as they USUSALLY (not always) give better advice & have healthier fish. The longer you keep them, the more attached you'll get. Plecos give off a large bio-load. What type of filter do you have? It may be a good idea to over-filter your tank b/c of the overstocking issue.

Freshwater Fan

So what WASSupposed to do that I did not? How do i cycle without fish? Doesnt there need to be a build up needed from the fish themselves? How would the water prime itself withut the fish?

Amanda

No, you can add straight ammonia to do a fishless cycle. Then you keep tabs on the nitrite & nitrate levels.

Shawnie

If you are going to return any, do it soon as they only allow returns for so long usually...the growout rate for a common pleco isnt that fast but his waste is still constant..a bala, if thats what it is, grows a bit faster ..be prepared as it could take longer to cycle..one never knows.took me 9 weeks with fish in my 75 gal ..but you are well on your way with alot of help...

Amanda

I had to return a common pleco that I unknowily bought at Petsmart. My LFS traded it for a clown pleco - which stays 4 in.

nemo addict

fishfood

Amanda

Be careful as most fish food releases phosphates as it breaks down - then you have another problem on your hands.

Freshwater Fan

I havea an aqueon 55. Is this enough right now?

Devon

I use clippings off aquarium plants (regular pruning of dead leaves, etc, decaying plant matter), and snails. A few mystery snails can put out quite the bio-load, and I find they don't seem to care one bit about the nitrogen cycle. They just cruise around and poo all over the tank, I recently cycled my 10 gallon tank fishless using 2 snails, a rotting plant, and some well-seeded sponge filter. I added some leftover brine shrimp that my fish didn't eat all of one day. Took me less than 2 weeks from start to finish.

Amanda

That filter is for a tank MAX on 55 gal. - so you're pushing it with being overstocked right now. I'm not sure if another filter is called for in this situation. Hopefully someone else with more knowledge on over filtering will be along soon. It's never a bad idea to over filter - it can't harm the fish - only help.

nemo addict

i would add another filter till stocking levels are down , but be sure to clean often as filters can become nitrate factories themselfs

Devon

I'm basing the suggestion for a second filter solely on the divided tank aspect -- all the junk that would go in through the intake is often trapped on the other side of a divider, and usually the section furthest from the filter gets much less filtration than the other side. The only remedy I can think of, is to have an intake on each end.

Freshwater Fan

I went to petland last night and I must say that the tanks were much better kept, the fish looked much more vibrant and alive, over healther in apearance, and the staff were "fish nerds" (to be taken as a compliment) They seemed to really know there stuff. PetCo is in a haze compared to them. I think I Will be going there from now on.

As far as my water quality is concerned, pH 7.2, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, Amonia 0.

I am considering NOT doing the daily water changes for 2 weeks thing and change the water once I see the amonia level start to rise. ( I will check it daily) I figure doing it this way will aid in propogation of helpful bactieria.

Amanda

By not doing water changes - if there is an ammonia spike (and there will be), your fish will all die. Cycling with fish can take weeks - that's why most people do a fishless cycle. I would still recommend taking the fish to your lfs and selling them to the store. Then when your cycle is over - you can re-stock wil fish that are better suited for a 55 gal. tank. It's in yours and the fish best interest.

Freshwater Fan

Okay- i will do the water changes. Also, My amiona is at 1. I forgot to let the test stand for a few min. So just remind me again? 10% EVERY DAY for 2 weeks right?

Amanda

50% EVERYDAY for however long it takes for the cycle to complete. It took one of the members here 9 weeks to cycle with fish.