Worried Abt Canister Filter Media

Hi,

I have set up a planted tank 29 gallon , I have use control soil as substrate and added hygrophilla and anubias plants...

But I am worried abt my filter media, I have a sunsun 302 , I have added the foam along with ceramic rings that came with it and purigen at bottom tray , the middle tray has AquaClay Filter Balls , foam and top tray again has ceramic rings and foam ...

Will this be enough to cycle the tank and add more bio load, from what I found on internet about aqyaclay bio balls was some very high praise , same for purigen, but not so much for ceramic rings ...

I have no money left now , can you guys tell me if the filter media is going to be enough ...

I will check for water parameters 10 days from now as its the 4th day of filter ...

Any advice will be immensely useful ...

Yours
Bobby

 

Welcome to FishLore!

I would think so. I have a Fluval 306 on my 46g and all it has is course sponge, ceramic bio rings and carbon. Same with the AquaClear on my goldfish tank

This is the first I've ever heard of ceramic rings not being good. From everything I've read, they are one of the better media for housing bacteria due to their being so porous.

 

jdhef - thanks for the reply, as you know I was looking for ceramic bio rings and came across a video where only fluval bio rings absorbed the fluid , other did not , I can only hope now that the chinese made bio rings absorbs at least 10% of what fluval does ...

I am counting on the aquaclay balls to keep the beneficial bacteria there ...

Can you please tell me how many fish I can have in a 29 gallon when the filter is fully cycled, I have one danio and one small variety of gold fish the size of danio currently ...

Thanks again ...

Bobby

 

Welcome to fishlore!
What kind of goldfish? Single tail or fancy tail? Then I would add more danios before doing anything else.

 

Can you please tell me how many fish I can have in a 29 gallon when the filter is fully cycled, I have one danio and one small variety of gold fish the size of danio currently ...

The answer to that question is dependent on what fish you want to keep. Goldfish generally should not be mixed with other fish, so you'd probably be better off choosing between gold fish or another type of fish.

If that gold fish is a fancy (i.e. fantail, black moore etc) you may be able to put one more fancy in with him, but may people would say adding another fancy would be overstocking. I have one fantail in a 25 and I really wish he was in a 29. Of course if it's a common gold fish, it really needs to be in a pond

Danios are schooling fish and really need to be kept in groups of at least 5. If you rehomed the goldfish, you could probably put about a dozen danios (or glofish) in there. Or you could put 5 danios and a small school of something else. I'm not real good on stocking advice, since I've kept primarily Rainbow Fish for the last 8.5 years, but maybe Anders247 or TexasDomer will see this and give some suggestions. They are both pretty good with stocking options (as are many other members)

 

Sarah73 jdhef - thanks a lot, its a long body fish , not fancy one , I do not like too many fishes , but as you suggest danios do pick on the gold fish , the single danio did bother the gold fish a lot but now they get along ok, except for feeding time when danio tries to stop the gold fish from feed but to no effect ...

If I can keep 10 more fish that can adjust with these 2 existing fish , that will be great ...

And about the ceramic rings, do you think these not too great ceramics rings will do the job or only the fluval biomax are the best ...

Thanks
Bobby

 

Sarah73 jdhef - thanks a lot, its a long body fish , not fancy one , I do not like too many fishes , but as you suggest danios do pick on the gold fish , the single danio did bother the gold fish a lot but now they get along ok, except for feeding time when danio tries to stop the gold fish from feed but to no effect ...

If I can keep 10 more fish that can adjust with these 2 existing fish , that will be great ...

And about the ceramic rings, do you think these not too great ceramics rings will do the job or only the fluval biomax are the best ...

Thanks
Bobby

That kind of goldfish gets 1 foot. You will need to rehome him sooner or later. If you keep 10 more fish...? What do you mean? You will need to add more danios since they are a schooling type of fish

 

I would think the ceramic rings would be fine

 

Sarah73 - OMG one foot , but the LFS said max 3-4 inches , I was saying like I have a 29 gallon planted with only 2 fish so may be if once the tank is cycled if I can add 10 more it will be great ...

Bobby

jdhef - that is a relief , thanks a lot ...

Bobby

 

LFS don't know what they are talking about most of the time. They only want you to buy their fish and supplies.

 

Oh , so now I have to return her I guess, but the LFS might just flush her ...I will think abt it ..

Bobby

 

Really? Then don't return to the LFS. Do you have a friend or someone you know that has a pond? Or can you upgrade to a 55?

 

I agree, I would definitely rehome the goldfish. I would hope your LFS wouldn't flush her though.

After you rehome the goldfish, you have room to add more fish! Danios need to be kept in groups of 6+. What about this stocking?

8x Danios (all one species, so if you have zebra danios, add more of the same species)
8x Black skirt tetra (or white skirt tetra!)
10x Panda cories
3x Male platies

 

TexasDomer - really can I add that many fish, my tank is 30 inch in length , 12 inch wide and 18 inch tall, I was told by LFS to be 29 gallon ...

And can I add them all in one go ?

Thanks again ...

Bobby

 

I think so!

If you'd rather stock with different species, you can. I would go to your LFS and make a list of the fish you'd like. Post that list here, and we can help you stock your tank with fish from that list.

 

TexasDomer , so now like after a month or so when ammonia is 0 and other nitrites and nitrates are ok I can just add the fish in one go, will the filter be able to handle it, just want to be sure before I do it ...

Thanks

Bobby

 

Nitrites should be 0 in a cycle tank as well. You can return your goldfish now and add a few more danios and at the same time add a bottle of Tetra Safe Start Plus. Follow the directions on the back of the bottle. After two weeks, you can do a water change and start adding your other fish slowly.

 

ok, thanks