couple questions on fish compatibilaty and cycling?

by on May 15, 2010

1. i know hοw tο cycle a tank bυt i want tο know іf i саn take mу 3 zebra danios out οf thir 14 gallon tank аnd cycle mу 10 gallon tank wіth thеm fοr Medifast Coupons a month аnd thеn рlасе thеm back іn thеіr 14 gallon
2. dο уου lіkе thіѕ stocking? 1 betta 3 swordtails аnd 3 cory caatfish, i hаνе never hаd аnу luck wіth otos ѕο dont even suggest those, аlѕο i dont really want shrimp οr snails.

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

andrew May 15, 2010 at 8:03 pm

You could do that, but i always suggest doing a fishless cycle. You can read up on how to do them online. Also, you are going to overstock your 10 gallon tank. A ten gallon tank only holds abound 8 gallons of water. That means that you should have no more than 8 inches of adult fish. When you plot out your tank, make sure to keep in mind what size your fish will grow to.

RockstarMonday May 15, 2010 at 8:42 pm

1. using fish to cycle your tank has become an ancient and outdated method, and is NOT reccomended. If the ammonia spikes, while going through the cycle, doesn’t kill them, their gills and fins could be permanently hurt. It’s nearly cruel. Go for the Fish-less cycle.
2. I do not like that stocking.

Initially, your zebra danios and the corycats you want to get are both SCHOOLING fish. 3 is NOT a school, it is a trio. For ANY schooling fish to be completly comfortable and pleased it must be kept in a genteel sized assemble of 6-8+

Following, 10 gallon tanks are tiny, and its BETTER to have an understocked tank rather than an overstocked one.

A BETTER stocking would be: 1 male betta and 6 pygmy corydoras. This is a fully stocked 10 gallon tank, btw. Besides, since livebearers have nippy tendencies, it’s best not to risk maintenance them with bettas. It can be done… But I especially wouldn’t do it in such a tiny tank.

Remember…

OVERSTOCKED TANK = UNHEALTHY/UNHAPPY TANK

I ♥ animals! May 15, 2010 at 9:24 pm

1.) if you already have a tank, no need to cycle: Just add some water and gravel from your current tank to the new one, test water as you would for a cycling tank, and once water is right, then bravo! You just did the simple way to cycle a tank.
2.) That tank (if it is a 10g, wich i am guessing it is) is overstocked. Swordies grow too huge, they have much too flashy colors so the betta might see them as rivals, and you don’t specify what kind of cory you want. Some types of corydoras can grow 6″! Some other thoughts are…..

1 dwarf gourami (2″)
5 white cloud mountain minnows (1″-1.5″)
2 peppered corys (2″)

or

1 betta splendens (2-3″)
5 harlequin rasboras (1.5″)
2 skunk corys (2″)

or

1 betta splendens (2-3″)
2-4 african dwarf frog (make sure they are dwarfs!! 1″)

or

2 platys (close relative to the swordtail! Grows much much less vital though, 2″)
2 guppies (2″)
2 panda corys (2″)

or

7 neon tetras (1″)
3 pygmy corydoras (1″)

Previous post:

Next post: