Fullofit343

So i set up my 55 gallon and let everything run for 2 days. A friend of mine gave me 2 iridescent sharks they needed to get rid of so i'm using those to cycle the tank. The other thing is i had my black knife in a tank with my oscar who was getting very aggressive. he was attacking the black knife constantly and even ripped up the ribbon like fin underneath it. so in order to save it i put him in the new tank also. i know that wasn't the best idea but the pH and ammonia levels in the new tank were both perfect and still are. While i know these aren't the best fish to cycle a tank with my question is will they do the job? I know they could die because they aren't very hardy fish but with that aside will they be ok to start the new tank?

Shawnie

you are severely overstocked and the cycle is going to take a LONG time with daily water changes and those fish..and keeping the ammonia and nitrates down with those type fish in a 55 gal is going to be almost impossible...the oscar alone is all that should be in a 55 gal

agabr123

i agree 100%....if you want to keep all of those fish you're going to need a 100+ gallon tank and even then i'm not sure. the black ghost knifefish are pretty incredible and interesting fish, but unfortunately most aquarists just don't have the space to keep them...

Lucy

Honestly, I can't say any fish is good to cycle a tank. A fishless cycle would have been less stress and work for you and healthier for the fish.

Do you have a test kit? At the first sigbn of ammonia it'll be a good idea to begin daily water changes of 50% until the cycle is complete.
It's going to be a lot of hard work with a larger tank, but in order to save the fish, it's something this'll detox the ammonia for 24hrs between water changes.

Good luck.

Amanda

An ID Shark needs 300+ gallons for one. They can reach up to 4 feet in length. One person I spoke to had to get a 900 gal. tank for their ID shark before it passed away at 10 yrs. old.

Fullofit343

They aren't in my 55 gal right now. Right now all i have are 2 iridescent sharks and a black ghost knife in the 55 gal. the black ghost knife is only about 4-5 inches and the oscar is only about 2 inches at most

Amanda

An ID Shark:

Fullofit343

everyone you need to understand that all these fish are tiny at the moment. while i know they get very large that's not going to be for quite a while. the ID sharks are only about an inch, the black knife is only about 4 inches and the oscar is only 2 inches.

Shawnie

but their bioload is much larger...

agabr123

we understand, but even now the bioload is way too large for your tank (especially the 10 gallon), and fish grow very quickly, in six months they will both have at least doubled in size, and probably more so. if you want to keep them you really need to be prepared to move them within a couple months.

Lucy

The only thing I know about these fish is their waste creates ammonia even if they're small. Ammonia is toxic to fish.

Amanda

Plus, the longer they're in a small tank, the more their growth will be stunted.
And this if painful for the fish & will shorten their lifespan.

Fullofit343

so what everyone is saying is the bioload of 2 1 inch id sharks and a 4 inch black knife is too much for a 55 gal tank?

agabr123

basically, yes. although they are small now, the bio load that they have is much larger than say....a dwarf gourami who is only two inches as well.

Amanda

We're saying that because although they are only 2 in. they grow into LARGE fish. And they're bodies are working to grow & produce large fish. Instead of say, a tetra, who is 2 in. and full grown.

Fullofit343

So what does everyone suggest i do. The bioload is too much in my ten gallon tank as is so if i put the black knife back in that tank the bioload is going to be way too much and the oscar will start picking on him again. The store won't take back the black knife and i can't get rid of the two sharks.

Amanda

There's no LFS near you that you could take the IDS to and get store credit or a trade?
If not, then your other option is to get a larger tank.

Fullofit343

no. they won't take the fish from me. I literally just purchased my 55 gal about a week ago. i can't go and buy a bigger tank now.

Amanda

You can try Craigslist.com
They have cheap tanks, or maybe you can post the IDS.

agabr123

post the fish on aquabid.com or here in the buy, sell, trade forum or on craigslist if your LFS wont take the fish

Fullofit343

so what should i start my tank with?

agabr123

the 55? well aside from the BGK, what kind of fish do you like?

Fullofit343

i don't like anything simple. i'm not into the tetras and what not. i plan on going with different types of cichlids after the tank is established

agabr123

you can have a really nice cichlid tank in a 55, unfortunately i'm not very familiar with the different types of cichlids and which ones work and which ones don't, but there are a lot of really great resources that you can use as well as some very knowledgeable people here as well

Fullofit343

but cichlids are hardy enough to start a tank?

capekate

Hi
If you still have the Oscar, the knife fish, and the ID sharks, I dont think you can start the tank with anything.
For now, my suggestion would be to put these fish into the 55g and out of the 10g. They may be very small right now, so you can get away with it. Hopefully as time goes on you will find someone who can take the ID Sharks & the GKF off your hands. With that done, and only the Oscar left you may.. and I say only may get away with the one Oscar in your 55g tank with no tank mates.
If this is impossible, as you posted earlier that you cannot return the sharks and you can not buy a larger tank then these fish will end up running their course and may last for awhile but may not have long lives.
This is another example of why it is so important to research your fish first before buying them. When you find out they are not compatible you are some times out of luck with what to do with them.
With the current situation you are in I would not even be thinking about adding any more fish til you are able to get rid of the ones you have.

Fullofit343

So here is the next question. If i was able to find someone to take the 4 fish (the bgk, sharks and oscar) how many cichlids could i put in a 55 gal tank and can cichlids be used to start the cycle for the new tank?

Mike19

Assuming you get rid of the four fish, A species only cichlids tank can be established although i would advise that no fish should be used to cycle, its more costly and takes longer to fully cycle when using fish.

Fullofit343

right but my question is how many cichlids could i keep in the 55 gal tank?

capekate

That is a big IF question... First thing, you should never use fish to cycle your tank and I would not suggest any to do so with.
Secondly I would wait til you have found homes for your current fish and your tank was cycled before suggesting new fish. How many you can have in the tank will be determined by the size of the fish and what kinds of cichlids you like. Now is a good time to do some research, check out photos, information and requirements of fish that you may like to keep in the 55. In the meantime, with the fish that you already have, you can be doing those daily water changes, and watching for that tank to cycle and work on finding new homes for them.