Wavestrider

Sorry for the newbie questions but I want my first tank to go smoothly as possible so I was wondering if some people could answer my questions.

1. How many fish could I fit in my 16 gallon tank? I was planning for 6 zebra danios and an algae eater (not sure if there is one small enough though, if not then surely I could fit more fish right?). After that would there be room for anything else? Any recommendations if so?

2. I know to get the nitrogen cycle going by putting in a pinch of food every 12 hours but how often should I be checking the water levels?

3. Finally, should I be concerned with the bubbles that were on the glass? I kinda dispersed them with my hand and they haven't come back but I'm wondering if that was a sign of bad water or not. I put in the decontaminator but maybe I missed something =/

Thanks for any help and your time.

Shawnie

Hi wavestrider..welcome to fishlore!

Dont be sorry for the questions..the ppl here are amazing with helping everyone...

Read this link to learn about the nitrogen cycle... http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm its great and useful information..I wish I had it before I had fish!!

The bubbles that you describe sound like the tank was cold and the water you put in it was warmer than the tank....

That link above, will answer 90% of your questions, not to mention the experts here will do 100%...goodluck!

sirdarksol

Welcome to Fishlore!
Don't apologize for asking questions. Most of the time, new members (myself included) come on because they didn't ask questions soon enough.

1) Guideline for small fish is 1" of adult fish per gallon. Zebra Danios are 2" apiece, so that's 12" worth of fish. Algae eaters generally don't fall in the guideline, as they produce more waste than most fish of their length, but you could probably do a small pleco. A bristlenose would be okay. A few otos would work, but you'd want to add them long after the tank was established.

2) Once a day.

3) Nope. Tap water comes out with a lot of oxygen (due to the little screens over the faucet). This was probably just the air settling out of it. I've seen it in most of my tanks when I first filled them. I would be concerned if this just happened randomly after the tank was set up, though.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Wavestrider

Thanks for the help! Two more questions and I should be okay

1. Should I check my water levels every day even after the nitrogen cycle is completed?

2. Do the sticker-like thermometers that go on the outside of the tank work well? I ask because my water felt pretty cold so I checked the thermometer and it didn't change at all. So, maybe I just have a broken thermometer or heater.

Once again thanks for the help and your time.

Peterpiper

Hi Wavestrider, and welcome!
Once the cycle is completed, water testing is done once a week before the water change. Its a good idea to write down the reading each week, this will help to see if nitrates are rising etc.
I dont use the sticky thermometers, so no comment

wkinne02

IME, The effectiveness of a sticky thermometer depends on the thickness of the glass. I have one a 10g tank that works perfectly. I tried one on a larger tank (with thicker glass) and it didn't really work at all. The glass on my 10g is about 1/8" thick.

sirdarksol

76-78 degree water will feel cool to the touch, as our skin is quite a bit warmer (some people will not fit this. It has to do with circulation near the surface.) 80+, to me, feels lukewarm.
I would suggest getting one of the hang-on or sinking thermometers. They cost about $2 usually, and are far more accurate. I use the stickers as a quick glance, and the normal thermometers to do more thorough checks.

Wavestrider

Thanks for the help everyone. I got another thermometer and it works like a charm. Now all thats left is to wait for my cycle to finish

wkinne02

That's the fun part...the waiting, the testing. Be forewarned that it can be frustrating (a beautiful tank, set up and running, with no fish), but it is worth it in the end. Besides, you can use the time to do your research and figure out exactly what you're going to do with it when the cycle is finally finished.