Fish Girl

I've had my 8 gallon tank for two weeks now and tomorrow I'm going to add my first fish - six zebra danios. I've been usin Aquasafe and Cycle in the water. I was wondering, is there anything else I should know/do before I add the fish, and how do I add them? Many thanks.

slider

Hi Fish Girl, six could be a tad too many to add in one go......it could overload your filter and may start a new mini cycle, if your tank is cycled.
Your ammonia and nitrite should be zero before adding fish, in my opinion.
When i add fish i allways ask the pH of the shop water,* then i float the bag in the tank for about an hour to match the bag and tank water temps, if the pH of shop is different to mine i add very little but frequent amounts of tank water to the bag as not to shock the fish, then i gently release the fish in to the tank trying not to get too much of the bagged water in to the tank. I then leave the light off for 24 hrs and don't feed for the same time either.

Hope this helps and good luck with the new fish*

vin

I'm still new to this hobby and have my own issues with cycling my tank - but - From what I've read, Cycle should help to neutralize the ammonia and nitrite toxicity. And I've also been reading that if you're adding fish to a tank still going through a cycle , it's best to start out with 1/2" of fish per gallon of water. (so if you have a 10 gallon tank, start out with 5" of fish) A fish is measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, not to the tip.

When considering the length of the fish, consider the full grown adult size, not the immature size.

Adding the water to the bag is essential no matter what the pH of the tank in the shop as your water will almost ALWAYS differ from that of the place where you bought the fish. By adding the water from your tank to the bag it helps the fish to acclimate to your water conditions.

Just my .02 cents worth.....

Isabella

Slider is right. Adding your tank water gradually (and by little amounts at a time) to the bag with fish is a very good way to acclimatize your new fish. Also, maybe try buying 1-2 zebra danios at a time. If you add all 6 of them at once to an 8 gallon tank, your nitrite (and ammonia at worst) could rise very quickly and kill your fish. But when you stock your tank gradually, then there is enough time for bacteria to build up and support all of your fish's wastes. You could be adding 1-2 danios every week.

Besides, just a personal thought. I think an 8g. is too small for zebra danios. This is not to discourage you - it is totally up to you what you'll do. But from what I know, they're really fast swimmers and they need a lot of space to accommodate their temperament. I would say, at least a 20g. is good for fish like zebra danios. It is true that they're great beginner fish (as are white clouds) but I believe their temperament should also be considered when buying them. You wouldn't want to be trapped in one small room your entire life, would you? Please don't treat this post negatively Like I said, it's just my opinion. You're free to do whatever you want My intentions are to help you

fish_r_friend

danios are awesome first fish just don't over stock or they will start dieing fast