new fish while cycling

is it still ok to be adding fish during the cycling process as really need more corys for the one we already have if not how long is it advisable to wait ??

 

No its not ok.....fish dont handle the cycle process very well ...keeping the ones you have alive during this process, will be a chore as cycling with fish is rough on the owners as well...(been there a few times)

 

ok thanks shawnie roughly how long will we have to wait ?

 

getting your test kit as suggested, and your prime water conditioner, I would say probably 5-7 weeks in that size tank..once you see the ammonia or nitrites start climbing, you NEED the daily water changes with the prime so your exisiting fish wont die...the prime will keep them safe for 24hours until your next water change...please write that down as the LFS will talk you into a ton of different things to make money off you..all you need is prime, and an api LIQUID master test kit..the strips arent reliable and wont help you much

 

ok will do thank you

will our stress coat we already have do as a prime or should we buy another ?

 

Stress coat is a water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals.

Prime (by Seachem) is a water conditioner that does all of those things, PLUS is detoxifies ammonia and nitrites and nitrates for 24 hours at a time. That's why daily water changes with Prime. You basically change water when the Prime wears off, so your fish have minimal exposure to the ammonia.

 

stress coat is great as a conditioner..but it wont help with the ammonia and nitrites that are going to show up in the tank very soon...the prime will detoxify the ammonia/nitrites for 24 hours until the next water change...thats what you have to worry about as they are poisonous to fish

 

ok great will start tomor by changing some of the water and doing the tests thanks

 

Neon tetras have to be put into a well established tank. The will not survive a tank cycle. I would see if the place you got them from will take them back for some credit. Even if you don't get a full refund it will be better then dead fish. Part of the problem is that you will have to change the water so often to keep levels low enough that it will take a very long time to cycle the tank, and I still don't think the neon's will survive. I started to cycle a 75G tank with black skirt and white skirt tetras (hardier then neon's) and after 8 weeks I was still in the beginning stages of the cycle with no nitrites and no nitrates and ammonia stayed below .50. If you keep the ammonia low enough to keep the fish alive, it will be very slow to establish good bacteria. I finally ended up using TSS to cycle the tank.