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November 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Quote:
Originally Posted by iloveengl  I suggest male gups in 2-3. More than that and they can get feisty, but they do like to have a buddy of their own kind. Platys and balloon mollies are also nice fish that do well with a friend like them, but don't need a school.  Congrats on the new tank - it sounds like it's gonna be really pretty!
Remember that whatever fishies you add, only add about 2-3 fish every two weeks, otherwise you may overload your new cycle. 
That thermometer sounds like the stick-on kind; those really aren't very accurate. I suggest buying the "real" kind for a few bucks because they'll give you a much clearer and more accurate reading. | I'm going to have to, with the greatest respect, disagree with some of this. I was told when considering a molly that they have a very high bio-load, and in your small tank, you really have to consider this as a factor. I think you can get a molly, but then you should be very careful not to overstock.
And don't add only 2-3 fish every two weeks with the SafeStart. I did this, and when the TSS did not work, I came back on here, posted what had happened, and was told that 2 fish weren't enough to get the TSS really going (they didn't produce enough ammonia, so the bacteria from the bottle died off). TSS is made so that you should add your fish at the same time as the TSS. Tetra will tell you that you are supposed to stock your tank and add the bottle at the same time. If I were you, I would decide on the fish, make sure they are compatible with one another and they are what you really want, and then add them and the TSS at the same time.
Unless you want the neon tetras. I do, and so I bought other fish. After my tank has been established for about 2 months, I am going to take some of my fish and give them to the LFS, and then buy the neons. But only after I have an established tank. | 
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November 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Bum
| so if i got 3 guppies and 3 plattys would that work? could i get one more that does well on its own? or two? | |
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November 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| I think 3 guppies and 3 platys work fine. If you like the idea of the ghost shrimp, you could do the 6 fish now, wait a few weeks, and then add the shrimp. If you only want fish, I think you could go with 3 guppys, 3 platys, and maybe 1 molly. I'd stop at that if I were you.
I like the guppys best because you can get each one a different color. It lets you tell them apart easily, and you get a very colorful tank. The mollys do get a bit bigger, I think, and also have a heavier bioload, so I definately wouldn't get more than one.
Another option is to get the 6 fish, wait till your tank is cycled, and then add an oto catfish. They stay small (2 inches) and help clean your tank. The care sheet says they like schools, but I think I read somewhere that they do fine on their own or with just 1 buddy. | |
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November 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Bum
| Quote:
Originally Posted by iloveengl
That thermometer sounds like the stick-on kind; those really aren't very accurate. I suggest buying the "real" kind for a few bucks because they'll give you a much clearer and more accurate reading.
| I heard that the liquid Crystal thermometers (the sticker kind) are fairly accurate, because they don't have to be calibrated, like other thermometers (electronic ones).
The only time they are inaccurate is if your glass is really thick. Quote: |
I have this thermometer that came with my heater... it looks like it sticks to the tank some how... but do i tape it on? or stick it to the outside? front? back?
| With the instructions that came with my tank, you peel off the back, like a sticker, and stick it onto the tank, farthest away from the heater.
I stuck mine on the side instead of the front so it is out of the way, really where ever you want to put it so you can read it.
BTW, I'm not saying that other thermometers are bad, and these are the best. I actually don't know (new here too!). This is just what I have read. | |
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November 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| In my opinion (and from my experience with livebearer tanks), 2 balloon mollies would fine for a 16g tank; their load is comparable to piggy guppies, unlike larger normal or sailfin mollies. I have cyled three tanks with TSS from 5g-55g and from my experience you can still overload the cycle by adding too many fish at once. It is meant to instant cycle and you do need ammonia present, but similarly to a newly cycled tank, too many fish at once can lead to a mini-cycle.
To clarify my obscure phrase from earlier, I was referring to the glass tube thermometers - nothing to calibrate and quite reliable. When I had the sticky kind, I thought they were difficult to read and did not give accurate readings compared to the glass tubey kind. When I compared the two, the strip was off by three whole degrees. Maybe I had bad strips, though. | |
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November 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Quote:
Originally Posted by iloveengl I have cyled three tanks with TSS from 5g-55g and from my experience you can still overload the cycle by adding too many fish at once. It is meant to instant cycle and you do need ammonia present, but similarly to a newly cycled tank, too many fish at once can lead to a mini-cycle. | Really? Good grief. There is no consistency in people's experiences!!  
Last edited by mommybaby295; November 6th, 2009 at 04:44 PM.
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November 6th, 2009
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| | Moderator
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Originally Posted by mommybaby295 Really? Good grief. These is no consistency in people's experiences!! | Nope. What works for one may not work for another. There are many variables in this hobby. You take what you can from people's experiences and tweak it to what works for you and your fish. | |
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November 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I think that's the best part about this forum - loads of people with loads of different experiences so it gives a good overview of the possibilities. ...Though I suppose that can be frustrating to the OP if he or she needs a specific answer.  BTW, we'd love pictures of your new fishy babies whenever you get a chance.  | |
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