Ammonia In Newly Cycled Tank

So I have a newly cycled tank doing 2ppm-3ppm in 24 hours and my question is about how many fish do I stock to maintain my biofilter?
I went for 10 neon tetra, will that be sufficient to keep a good population of bacteria?
Planted moneywort 50-55 gallon.

I think it will be enough, been 55 or so hours and every test I do shows no ammonia and 10-20 (hard to tell with the very similar shades of orange) Nitrates. I just hope its enough ammonia to keep the bacteria from having a die off?

 

Welcome to Fishlore

The nitrite converted to 0 as well?

I would say you're definitely converting more than enough ammonia to add the 10 neons all at once.

 

Hi, welcome to fishlore

I wasn't exactly sure what you were asking...but the tetras probably wouldn't be the same as 2-3ppm ammonia in a 55g. Usually when people are processing 4.0ppm in 24 hours they can pretty much stock their tank. Yours was a little lower but since you've seen no ammonia or (nitrites?), maybe wait a day and add in more fish.

 

Thank you!
Yes my tank was cycled for two weeks before I added fish, nitrites never did show but I may have just missed it as I certainly got nitrates. Been cycling for over two months and when I was finally processing my ammonia in 24 hours I had to go away for two days so I just kept dosing with ammonia (up to 4ppm the day I left, was gone when I came back) until I had been back a week just to make sure my leaving didn't mess it up. So certain that my bacteria were doing well I did my water changes and added the Neons three days ago, I thought that 2-3ppm should be good for 10 neons too. Was sure that they are not too bio heavy for my cared for bacteria.

Anyway all is going well with my bidaily water tests but my (probably unfounded) worry is that I see no change in nitrates. They are still at the same 10ppm light orange that they were the day I added fish so I was just hoping that the little Neons were adding enough ammonia to the system as I somehow thought that my nitrates would go up steadily as it did when I was cycling. I used to see the orange get darker with every ammonia dose until it went nearly red, then I would change water. Obviously now with fish I would change water when it got closer to 20-40ppm(darker orange). But it may just be that they are adding less then the 2-3ppm ammonia that I was used to seeing get converted into nitrate. I'm new to all this so the change in my water testing routine is worrying me a bit.

As long as they are adding enough waste that it won't cause my carefully cultivated bacteria to die off I am happy with my school of neons until my preferred fish store gets in their new shipment of guppies in a week or two. There are lots of guppies around but they are always in stores with dead fish so I would rather wait to add more fish until I can get them from the store I know deals with happy fish.
Hoping to add guppies and corydora in batches, three a week I am thinking?, until I end up with a group of 10 guppies and 6 cory to add to my 10 neons.

Summery: Enough ammonia being expelled by 10 neons to keep my 55 gallon tanks bacteria happy?

And while stocking should I go for 3 at a time?

 

Have you ever tested your tap for nitrates? Might explain why the nitrates barely move but then of course 10 neons in a 55 gallon isn't much of a bioload.

I think 3 guppies at a time is good and since corys like to be in shoals, I'd think adding 6 corys at once is fine.

 

Yes I have tested my tap water, but not for a bit over a month. They all came out at 0 and ph 7. No ammonia no nitrate or nitrites. I tested it three ways, out the tap, once it has sit for 24 hours and with the tap water conditioner in it. Not that this should make a difference but the water here is super soft, like one drop and its already yellow, never see a bit of blue, so I have put some corral sand into my filter and its upped my kh to three drops in the aquarium. I just did that so that my ph is a bit more stable.

Oh good! I was hoping I could add the corys all at once, I hear that they are much happier in groups.

 

The bacteria will grow to match the bioload of the fish you have. So, I would do a water change right before you add the next batch and then monitor parameters the next few days to ensure there are no spikes.

 

Okay sounds good, I was a bit worried about something I read that said if too many of your bacteria die it can cause problems, something about them decomposing can cause spikes though they are so tiny I am not sure that's true. But I'm a few days into my new fish being in and I test a few times a day, haven't seen any badness so I am feeling better.

I will take your advice and when I get around to putting in a new batch I will do a water change and keep up with the testing.

Being a new owner I am really thrashing that testing kit! I bought it about two and a half months ago and am halfway through the ammonia testing chemicals.

 

Haha. I know what you mean.. you definitely will get the most use out of it during cycling and after adding new fish. I hardly use it anymore since I'm done stocking my tank and know where my nitrates get to before a water change.