New fluval edge - need cycling & stocking suggestions
- Thread starter Alex2290
- Start date
Here's the link.
Sponge Filters for aquariums
In the end you get a regular sponge filter for about the same price as bacteria in a bottle, plus you're automatically cycled.
Edit: OR you could steal a zip-lock baggie full of substrate from the LFS you work at and some pre-cycled filter media.
Sponge Filters for aquariums
In the end you get a regular sponge filter for about the same price as bacteria in a bottle, plus you're automatically cycled.
Edit: OR you could steal a zip-lock baggie full of substrate from the LFS you work at and some pre-cycled filter media.
Filters are changed daily?! Then, no, it wouldn't help. I'd maybe go to a different store where they don't change their media daily. It normally takes 4-6 weeks to get the beneficial bacteria built up enough to consider a tank cycled, so changing out the media daily would just screw with your cycle big time (in fact, your tank would never cycle).
I have one tank that is permantly split (5 gallon and 10 gallon sides, wall of glass siliconed in place), and with shrimp in the 5gallon side, and the CPDs on the 10 gallon side, they pace back and forth and rush the glass, trying to get them. Had to move the shrimp to another tank and put a blackworm culture in the 5gallon side. They still try to eat the worms, but the worms can't 'see' them so are not stressed out.
A 'pack' (my hubby's term) of 6 of them have killed shrimp over 4" long overnight. They harrass the shrimp non-stop and flip them over and start munching on legs. Not a pretty site!
Now the Chili rasbora are fine with shrimp, have not seen them messing with shrimplets either.
A 'pack' (my hubby's term) of 6 of them have killed shrimp over 4" long overnight. They harrass the shrimp non-stop and flip them over and start munching on legs. Not a pretty site!
Now the Chili rasbora are fine with shrimp, have not seen them messing with shrimplets either.
Oh wow... That means CPDs are probably out, since I would really like to have 2-3 shrimp. Chili rasbora are kinda ugly compared to the CPD. Just saying. 
Probably nothing to worry about, but I have soft water in my house and I used that for the tank. Is there anything more I should do to the water other than use conditioner to get rid of the chlorine?
Probably nothing to worry about, but I have soft water in my house and I used that for the tank. Is there anything more I should do to the water other than use conditioner to get rid of the chlorine?
I've never seen any of my CPDs nip each other's fins.
This is how the males 'fight':
Sorry for the crappy footage, but I didn't know how to use my camera very well back then. They basically circle around each other and 'slap' their opponent in the face with their tail. Whoever gets dizzy last (that's my theory anyway) rushes off to a chunk of plants and a female or two will follow him to spawn.
This is how the males 'fight':
Sorry for the crappy footage, but I didn't know how to use my camera very well back then. They basically circle around each other and 'slap' their opponent in the face with their tail. Whoever gets dizzy last (that's my theory anyway) rushes off to a chunk of plants and a female or two will follow him to spawn.
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still looking for Edge suggestions?
if this will be FW and you want to not spend too much money on it, I would rule out just about any attempt at live plants. I mean you can try to support somethign a hardy as hornwort with those awedul stock halogens, but i bet youll just get algae outcompeting the hornwort anyway >_< But it doesnt hurt to try at least.
If you spend some money on a better light for the tank then we're talking planted, but otherwise try to get a nice hardscape with driftwood and lots of rocks. good sufaces to support the nitrifying bacteria btw...
Ok most of the time live shrimp need live plants to live their lives in peace of mind (because they will find things to eat on the plants). if you got some sort of live plant going on like hornwort, they'll like that. better yet do a hards cape with java moss. they'll love you and java moss will probably grow in those stock lights...no guarantee though.
So some recommendations are about 5 red cherry shrimp to start, if you have never kept shrimp before. bee shrimp and crystal shrimp i would recommend if you can keep them at their water requirements since they arent as adaptable as cherry shrimp.
dont know what else you would keep in a tank like this that does eat shrimp...maybe a school of 5 green neons, but thats pushing the bioload probably...bettas will eat shrimp and so would ADFs...cant think of much more...endlers? 3 endlers...might be too much, idk. you can get an interesting snail i bet and keep that with the shrimp...
I am sorry i cant think of much else right now (i'd do this tank as SW, lots more options)
if this will be FW and you want to not spend too much money on it, I would rule out just about any attempt at live plants. I mean you can try to support somethign a hardy as hornwort with those awedul stock halogens, but i bet youll just get algae outcompeting the hornwort anyway >_< But it doesnt hurt to try at least.
If you spend some money on a better light for the tank then we're talking planted, but otherwise try to get a nice hardscape with driftwood and lots of rocks. good sufaces to support the nitrifying bacteria btw...
Ok most of the time live shrimp need live plants to live their lives in peace of mind (because they will find things to eat on the plants). if you got some sort of live plant going on like hornwort, they'll like that. better yet do a hards cape with java moss. they'll love you and java moss will probably grow in those stock lights...no guarantee though.
So some recommendations are about 5 red cherry shrimp to start, if you have never kept shrimp before. bee shrimp and crystal shrimp i would recommend if you can keep them at their water requirements since they arent as adaptable as cherry shrimp.
dont know what else you would keep in a tank like this that does eat shrimp...maybe a school of 5 green neons, but thats pushing the bioload probably...bettas will eat shrimp and so would ADFs...cant think of much more...endlers? 3 endlers...might be too much, idk. you can get an interesting snail i bet and keep that with the shrimp...
I am sorry i cant think of much else right now
(i'd do this tank as SW, lots more options)
oh right, ghost shrimp is another one that you can keep, but dont keep them with other shrimp. they tend to be aggressive. amano shrimp is another type i can think of, theres also something called the claw shrimp or red claw shrimp or something...
If you want to expand your live plant choice, upgrade your lighting. T5 is probably best.
look for small T5 fixtures that can fit on this tank. I'll try to find a link for you of someone with a setup like I'm talking about, its SW but the light can run just daylight bulbs which is what you need, you dont need the actinic 420nm-460nm bulbs...
If you want to expand your live plant choice, upgrade your lighting. T5 is probably best.
look for small T5 fixtures that can fit on this tank. I'll try to find a link for you of someone with a setup like I'm talking about, its SW but the light can run just daylight bulbs which is what you need, you dont need the actinic 420nm-460nm bulbs...
cant find the link, but heres some inspiration:
The official EDGE thread - Page 34
you will want to go through the entire thread.
The official EDGE thread - Page 34
you will want to go through the entire thread.
Ghost shrimp are aggressive and opportunistic. I put a RCS in my tank and it was eaten within 2 days by my ghost shrimp. I'm thinking about removing all my ghost shrimp and replacing with malawa shrimp - they apparently do a better job a cleaning algae off plants then ghost shrimp do.
Also, If you were adding driftwood that came from a cycled aquarium then it is possible it will speed up the cycle in your fluval since the bacteria would have colonised the surfaces of the driftwood. This is all dependent, however, on if the diftwood was previously colonised, if the driftwood was allowed to dry out when switching tanks, and if the bacteria had a constant food source (ammonia) once the driftwood was placed into the new tank.
Have you looked into cherry spot rasboras? I have some in my 18g and really like them.
Also, If you were adding driftwood that came from a cycled aquarium then it is possible it will speed up the cycle in your fluval since the bacteria would have colonised the surfaces of the driftwood. This is all dependent, however, on if the diftwood was previously colonised, if the driftwood was allowed to dry out when switching tanks, and if the bacteria had a constant food source (ammonia) once the driftwood was placed into the new tank.
Have you looked into cherry spot rasboras? I have some in my 18g and really like them.