First Ever Fish Tank!! Any Advice Welcomed!!

Ok guys this is my first ever post. I stumbled across this website by accident and I am blown away by the togetherness and people willing to help each other in this community! I've learned so much in the short time I have been on here looking through other people's posts and thought it was time for me to write my own so hopefully you can help me out.

As stated this is my first ever aquarium that me and my wife have ever had so we are kind of learning as we go and any type of advice and input will be greatly appreciated.

THE TANK- 36 gallon bow front aqueon kit that came with heater filter light and lid.

We got the tank and set it up around Feb 25th and let it run for just over a week. Not knowing about the nitrogen cycle, we went out the very next weekend and bought 3 sterbaI corys, 3 peppermint tetras and a clown pleco.

As you can imagine, a few days later we started losing fish. I did some research and learned about the nitrogen cycle and felt horrible about doing that to those poor fish. I am now down to the pleco and two corys. After my deaths I did a 50-60% water change and went out and got the API master test kit to monitor my levels. I also got a dose of marineland bacteria boost. I also have been treating the water with prime when needed and using neutral regulator about once a week to keep my ph down.

Since the realization of the nitrogen cycle I have been monitoring my level daily and I have had consistent readings of 0- .25 ppm of ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites and nitrates, and around 7.4-7.6 ph.Temp ranges from 76-78. I was concerned about such low readings across the board so for the last 5 days have been using stability to kick start bio activity.

So a couple of questions that I have are:

1. How long does it take to cycle and am I making any progress

2.Do I need to increase my bio load for that size of tank to help(been nervous since murdering my first few fishes lol)

3. Do clown pleco HAVE to have driftwood to be kept alive and healthy?

4. My end goal is to have like 4-5 corys, 4-5 harlequin raspboras, a dwarf gourami, a blue ram, 3-4 peppermint tetras(hy511) and the pleco. Is this an ok rundown that will work in my tank?

5. Is my tank decorated ok for everything that I want?

Sorry for the novel folks, just want to be thorough. Thanks in advance again for taking the time to help a fellow enthusiast that is ready to learn and super excited about this new hobby!!

 

Hi,welcome...and without going into specifics ....to answer your questions....
1) can take anywhere from days to weeks to cycle a tank...unfortunate for the losses but gut is the ammonia read is build up
2)you do not need to 'increase your bioload'....the tank will do that for you...why u add species in smaller increments to start...
3)driftwood is another source of food and refuge for plecos...
4)not impossible for your stocking plans...
5)is your tank decorated okay...yes....for everything you want ...hm?

 

Thank you for your input! When reading very low levels like this across the board, how often would you recommend water changes?

Also, I'm assuming then I can get by just feeding the pleco algae wafers and things like zucchinI and cucumbers?

 

Your tank should have some low numbers. You should have no ammonia, no nitrates, like 20 nirates? (Someone correct me if I'm wrong) temp should be about there actually and ph seems good for the fish you are housing

 

First off love the pirate ship

Second, it looks like you may just be starting to cycle. I know you read up on it, but you will see Ammonia, then as that decreases you'll start to see Nitrites rise, then those should go down as Nitrates rise. A cycled aquarium should have a reading of A-0, Nitrites-0 and Nitrates <20ppm.

 

Thank you both for the input, I will keep testing diligently. Do I need to add anything to the tank to help bacteria grow better or add more fish so the bacteria has more ammonia to eat?

As for the tank decor, that was all my wife so I can't take credit for that lol. But thank you!

 

Thank you both for the input, I will keep testing diligently. Do I need to add anything to the tank to help bacteria grow better or add more fish so the bacteria has more ammonia to eat?

As for the tank decor, that was all my wife so I can't take credit for that lol. But thank you!

Don't add any additional fish. While you are still building your bacteria colony you don't want to increase the ammonia since you won't have enough to take care of it. I know there are products out there that you can use for adding beneficial bacteria, TSS, Seachem Stability and others. I have so many tanks with established bacteria colonies I can pull from I've never had to use those but hopefully someone else can comment on that for you.

And your wife has good taste

 

Some people will put fish food in and let it sit to build bacteria. I just put in TSS and waited 24 hours and then started dosing stability for 7 days all while having my fish in the tank

 

Some people will put fish food in and let it sit to build bacteria. I just put in TSS and waited 24 hours and then started dosing stability for 7 days all while having my fish in the tank

Adding fish food works but isn't needed here since there are already fish in the tank. But yes, fish food in an empty tank works to start the cycle process.
I have heard good things about TSS and Stability both.

 

They do wonders

 

Well that is good to hear. I don't use them so I can only comment on second hand experiences, which I prefer not to on things like this. I like to let people who have first hand knowledge speak, so to speak.

 

Since I've already started stability and on day 5, should I stop and do TSS? Then start it back?

 

Since I've already started stability and on day 5, should I stop and do TSS? Then start it back?

From what I've been reading just keep up with Stability. Watch your water parameters, do daily water changes and post back here with any questions or concerns Also if you aren't already you can use Prime with your water changes as the dechlorinator and it will also detoxify the ammonia and nitrite for 24-48 hours which will help your fish through the cycling.

 

Clown plecos NEED wood in their diet! They will actually feed on wood more than vegetables, but the other foods you suggested will be eaten aswell. Driftwood is a food source for all Panaque sp, including your clown pleco. It's definitely a necessity.

 

Clown Plecos in particular are HEAVY raspers of driftwood. You can also get cholla wood.

 

Welcome to the forum. I think many new fish lovers have been caught by "THE NITROGEN CYCLE", myself included. I've been lucky though as we have a product in my country which is fully organic and it will kick start a new filter and protect the fish from ammonia, etc and helps the water health. I'm sure you will get through it and be happy happy aquarium owners. Enjoy it...

 

Thanks everyone!

So will a long rod piece of cholla work? I don't have a lot of space to work with with all the other decor my wife picked out but I could probably stand one of those up in the corners.

 

Thanks everyone!

So will a long rod piece of cholla work? I don't have a lot of space to work with with all the other decor my wife picked out but I could probably stand one of those up in the corners.

Yep. Small enough to put anywhere in the tank If you don't have room or want to do a lot of driftwood cholla wood is great for that.

 

Excellent! What about all the other fish I want to end up with. Do you think they will all work in the tank together? And it won't be over crowded will it?

 

I think it may be a bit over stocked but it's not horrible, it would just need extra watch to make sure levels stay where they are and there is no fin nipping, with a 36 it's all about the bio load, just be careful

 

For the cories, rasboras and tetras you want at least 6 (and probably 1 school for the top dwellers). They are all schooling fish and will do better in groups of 6 or more. I personally would just go with the blue ram and skip the DG. They are known to be sensitive, and can be fine for a time and then just drop on you (they also have a "disease"/syndrome named after them). With a GBR, however, they prefer much warmer temps than a lot of fish. Your clown pleco should do ok @ 80 degrees, with the GBR but that is at the high end for the rasboras and this will affect their life span. I would suggest replacing them with Cardinal Tetras if you don't go with the Peppermint Tetras, which are ok in the higher temps.

Something like this:
1 GBR
6+ Peppermint Tetras or 6+ Cardinal Tetras
6+ Cories (someone else will have to comment on the specific types that handle higher temps- may be a little warm for sterba cories but someone with more cory experience should know)
1 Clown Pleco

 

SterbaI cories will be fine at that temperature.

 

SterbaI cories will be fine at that temperature.

Thank you!

 

Welcome to the forum!
Another vote to continue with Stability and Prime.
As for your final stocking I would wait & see. Two schooling fish may look too crowded. You might get more visual impact from one larger school. One of the benefits of slowly stocking is you can change your plan slightly as you observe the tank.

 

Hi, welcome to the forum, it's really important too know all the technical stuff but you want your tank to be aesthetically pleasing, with maybe a small touch of whimsy, which is what I've done with my first of two tanks
P.S. please excuse the snails, they are not welcome.

 

Tank looks great I too got the fish keeping bug before I learned all I should know and lost a few fish in the process. What's important is that you do the best you can from now on, and learning about the nitrogen cycle is doing just that!

Your tank is in the very beginning of the cycle and it may take a month or more. During this time you are trying to build your colony of beneficial bacteria. For this reason it is best to avoid water changes when possible. You want ammonia to build to start feeding that bacteria. IMO, you should not change water unless your ammonia levels are above 2ppm. In that case, do small changes, only enough to bring your ammonia below 2ppm. In the meantime, keep dosing with Prime (using the formula provided by AngelTheGypsy, but you may use more if your levels are high) every other day, this will make the ammonia and eventual nitrites safe for your fish. I know you've been reading, so just keep testing and dosing with Prime, your tank will eventually cycle with the fish you currently have. Wait until that is done before adding any more fish

Edit: I agree with AngelTheGypsy in that ideally, you maintain very low ammonia levels in your tank being that fish are already in there. My mistake in suggesting 4ppm, I have edited the original post to reflect 2ppm because this is what worked for me when I had to do an emergency fish-in cycle in the past

You will have to have some ammonia for your cycle to get going. Prime is safe to use at up to 5 times it's normal dosage. Several years ago I made the same mistake of buying a 10 gallon and immediately stocking it with two fantail goldies. One died the very next day I got some good advice about the nitrogen cycle and allowing the ammonia to get to 2ppm while dosing with prime, and my other original goldie is happy and healthy (in a larger tank!) to this day.

 

With fish in the tank you do not want your ammonia to get to 4 ppm.

When using prime and stability use the following formula to cycle. It may take a little longer but it will keep your fish safe

If ammonia + nitrite add up to less than 1 ppm, dose prime and stability for entire tank volume and test again in 24 hrs.

If ammonia + nitrite is higher than 1 ppm, do a 50% water change and dose prime and stability for tank volume. Test again in 24 hours.

Repeat these steps until you see ammonia and nitrite at 0, with a reading of some nitrate. If nitrate goes above 20, also do a 50% water change.

At this point you can slowly start adding fish, 3-4 at a time, at least a week apart, to avoid a minI cycle.

The reason why this works is because prime, in addition to removing chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals, also detoxifies ammonia and nitrite up to 1 ppm for 24 hrs. This keeps the fish safe while still leaving ammonia and nitrite to feed your bacteria.

I also have a 38 gal bow front (just a little taller than your tank) and am planning similar stocking. If you do 2 mid level schools, I would choose just one of the DG or the Ram. If you choose both the DG and the Ram, I would only do 1 mid level school. I would also do at least 6 in each school, more depending on the fish. You could also do a pair of the rams, or 2-3 honey gourami as they are peaceful. You actually have lots of options!

Cory Aeneas (bronze or albino) or sterbaI cories like warmer water, the others like cooler water. Also for your cories, only do one species

By the way, LOVE the pirate ship, and welcome to Fishlore!

 

Your tank should have some low numbers. You should have no ammonia, no nitrates, like 20 nirates? (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

Those should be the readings once the tank has finished cycling. During the cycle, ammonia and nitrite will spike... this is necessary to establish a colony of beneficial bacteria, but it is very harmful to fish.

 

I can't express enough to you all how grateful I am for all this wonderful info! Still blown away by the amount of feedback and support from this forum! I will take everyone's feedback to heart and hopefully my tank will be where it needs to in a little while.

Another question, if I do two schooling mid level swimmers do raspboras and cardinal tetras cohabitate? And would they shoal together?

 

They will swim together, yes, but you would want to do at least 6+ of each. It makes them feel more secure and keeps their stress lower, which translates to less disease, healthier fish, and more activity! (All that is good for you! )

 

From what I've been reading just keep up with Stability. Watch your water parameters, do daily water changes and post back here with any questions or concerns Also if you aren't already you can use Prime with your water changes as the dechlorinator and it will also detoxify the ammonia and nitrite for 24-48 hours which will help your fish through the cycling.

Agree with all of this except daily water changes. Prime will protect your fish, so there's no need to do water changes, which will only dilute the food available to your bb (beneficial bacteria)

 

Agree with all of this except daily water changes. Prime will protect your fish so there's no need to do water changes, which will only dilute the food available to your bb (beneficial bacteria)

True. If you are using prime you can do water changes less often, every 48hours is generally good. If you are not using Prime you will have to be much more careful and may need more frequent water changes (or pick up some Prime )

 

True. If you are using prime you can do water changes less often, every 48hours is generally good. If you are not using Prime you will have to be much more careful and may need more frequent water changes (or pick up some Prime )

If you're using Prime, I still think a water change every 48 hours is really overkill and just slowing you down. It's important to dose Prime correctly though, and in proportion to the level of ammonia in the tank. Here's some info from another recent thread that may be helpful to OP re: Prime:

DOSING:
Once you know how much ammonia is in your water, you can dose the right amount of Prime to neutralize it. The rate is 2 drops of Prime per 1ppm of ammonia per gallon, or for larger volumes 1ml per 10 gallons. [So, for example, of you have a 20 gal tank with 1ppm ammonia. you would need to add 2ml of Prime. If that 20 gal tank had 2 ppm ammonia, you would need to add 4ml of Prime, etcetera. (If you have less than 1ppm ammonia, you can adjust the dosage down from 2ml, but honestly you don't need to, it will not harm your fish or your tank at all)].

MEASURING:
Each "thread" of the Prime cap is equivalent to about 1mm of liquid. If you haven't already, do yourself an enormous favor and pick up a plastic syringe like this for a couple of bucks. (It will make your fish keeping life a lot easier, I promise). Use the syringe to precisely fill the cap with Prime to get the correct dosage.

ADDING:
Prime's ammonia/nitrite/nitrate neutralizing effects only last from 24/48 hours, which means that as long as you are detecting ammonia in the tank, you should repeat the dose of Prime every other day at roughly the same time (or every day if your fish show any signs of distress). You can add the liquid directly to the tank, but it's better to mix it with some tank water and pour that in.

 

You can dose prime up to 5x the suggested dose (1 mL per 10gal) to bind more ammonia. However this will affect the amount of oxygen in the water, possibly being detrimental to the fish. It is safest to keep ammonia and nitrite under 1 ppm with fish in. When they say it lasts 24-48 hrs, that means it's not guaranteed to work for 48, so most dose every 24.

However daily water changes aren't necessary unless your water parameters are dangerous to the fish. Depending on your bioload, you may can go several days without a water change if your parameters are still safe.

 

You can dose prime up to 5x the suggested dose (1 mL per 10gal) to bind more ammonia. However this will affect the amount of oxygen in the water, possibly being detrimental to the fish.

I hadn't heard that about oxygen, AngelTheGypsy, thanks! Increasing oxygenation is always a good idea while cycling in any case, it speeds the process (as does increasing the temperature a bit). Good idea to throw in an extra air stone!

 

Thanks for the great information Jennywren & AngelTheGypsy . With all the conflicting information available to us it can sometimes be hard to decide the best way to go. You two seem very well informed on this subject and I will take all the information you provided to heart.

 

So if you aren't doing daily water changes and dosing with prime, would having a few air stones help keep the oxygenation of the water up from it being taken away due to higher doses of prime?

 

Patience is a virtue especially when you are new to fish tanks. Take your time and research as much as you can and ask question.

 

The air stones don't actually put oxygen in the water; they increase the gas exchange at the surface. That said, they can't hurt.

My opinion is that with your (low) bioload you shouldn't have to do many water changes. You have enough water volume to keep from having large spikes happen quickly. You're actually in a good place. Before affordable test kits were available people had to start with a few fish and just wait a few weeks and add a few more...

I would just test once a day to keep an eye on things. If your ammonia or nitrite get high, do a water change.

Sorry if we (I) bombarded you with a ton of info all at once. I was once clueless and have learned a LOT since, mostly from the people here on this forum.

 

You would only be overdosing Prime if your ammonia or nitrites were Over 1.0 and you could Not do a water change.
An air stone is optional.
If you are able to do a water change when ammonia plus nitrites is = or > 1.0, then the regular dose of Prime (which is supposed to bind up to 1.0 ammonia/nitrites) should be sufficient.
I empathize with how conflicting the info can seem. My LFS thinks I am sort of nuts for doing weekly water changes, but this way I know my water is not building up harmful waste products & I hope my fish will be healthier. Keep asking questions! I have found this a great place to learn...