Cycling question

[abbott98]

Hello All! I'm new here... (which is why I posted in the newbie section) !
I had several tanks years ago, when we moved I got rid of everything, and I just recently bought a used 55gallon, and I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I could use some help.

My first question is about cycling.
First of all this tank was setup when I picked it up it has 3 very large goldfish in it. (BTW I have the 3 goldfish in it now) Prior to me picking it up it was very nasty with lots of algae, the guy cleaned it and when he took it down for me to take home the filters were completely green from where he had cleaned it... I did not change the filters but just rinsed them off a smidgen only because it looked like they may have been a little clogged there was so much algae on them. I have not seen a spike at all, it has been setup for a few days now, all levels look great, is it possible that it won't spike and I'm safe to start adding fish????

Thanks in advance...

 

[Denther]

Goldfish are coldwater fish meaning they don't need a heater. Tropical fish on the other hand do need a heater. I don't know what kind of fish you are wanting to add but it has to be coldwater since you can't mix tropical and coldwater.

As for cycling. I'm kind of a newbie myself so I'd hope for a response from the more experienced forumers here.

Welcome to MFT!

 

[frankenfish]

it sounds like its already cycled. but i wouldnt add anything else to the tank with the goldfish. maybe a few snails. like denther said. goldfish are coldwater fish. and your also pretty fully stocked with the goldfish. if your going to get rid of them let us know. a 55 gallon tropical can be really cool.

 

[abbott98]

Guess I should have added my plans with the tank. Yes I am getting rid of the goldfish, I will creating hopefully a Tropical Community. I'm so excited to get them started I just don't want to wait!!!! Although I know it is best to wait, or else I will kill all of my fish!

 

[pateceramics]

Actually, if you have your plans all set, then as soon as you find a new home for the goldfish you can leap into action. Your tank will be cycled from the goldfish, so you can put more fish in right away. If you wait too long before putting any new fish in, the cycle bacteria will start dying off and you will need to go through the cycle all over again. You can feed your bacteria with fish food/ammonia for a bit while you are fishless to stop that from happening. See the fishless cycling post on this forum for ideas about how much to feed. I think it's a "stickie" somewhere.

 

[IThinkTherefore]

Cycling links in my signature

Welcome to MFT and best of luck!

 

[1077]

I might try and determine what the water you will be using for water changes is like with respect to ph ,gh,kh This will help you select fish that will do well with the water you have.They make test kit's that can provide this information, or perhaps local fish store would be willing to test the water for you if you were to bring them a sample.
Some fishes enjoy hard alkaline water like mollies,guppies,platy's,and swordtails, and many of the tetra's for example, prefer soft acidic water so would not be a god mix if the longterm health of the fishes is a concern.
Selecting fishes that share similar or same water chemistry ,temp ranges,and compatibility with other fishes that you select will make for an enjoyable expierience for both you and the fishes.*thumbsups

 

[zedcleaningservices]

Rather than getting rid of the goldfish, my fish store said that the goldfish would still flourish in the tropical water. seems a better option than getting rid of them. Maybe worth checking out!! good luck with the tank. I too am setting one up

 

[zedcleaningservices]

hi IThinkTherefore. Read over the fishless cycle article. Very informative. I may be getting the wrong info from the store. I recently added a heater and filter to a new tank. Filled it with water and was told to leave ot for 6 days with the heater on. |Should I leave the light on too. Im sure I just read that. Anyho after 6 days Im supposed to add a couple of hardy fish. Will these become ill and die?? If so is there any other way such as add water and gravel. soy if im a bit dumb but its my first tank. The thought of adding my first fish and then they die would break my daughters heart lol...or should I read the cycling posts until I understand the process. Any advise would be much appreciated. Again sorry if im missing the obvious. thanks

 

[Thyra]

Both of you read up on cycling - just leaving water in a tank does not cycle it. Also you need a test kit so you can keep track of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Goldfish and tropical fish DO NOT mix. Two goldfish would fill a 20g tank. Check Aqadvisor.com for ideas for stocking and compatability and then ask here. Some fish that are little become huge quickly. Frequently people get algae eaters because the LFS says they need one and they can grow to over a foot! Go slow, ask questions and research. Frequent partial water changes are the biggest single thing you can do for success.

 

[aakaakaak]

Your tank is not cycled until you see zero ammonia, zero nitrItes and some nitrAtes with a liquid test kit.

 

[DclownD]

If you get rid of the goldfish i could see you putting new fish in there right away as the bacteria will already be there to support the fish just make sure you do a decent water change after the new fish have been in there a couple days and hopefully a day before you get rid of the goldfish will pry work. Tropical fish tanks are really nice.. If you have other questions about what kind of fish mix well read up in the forums or ask im sure some one will answer your questions.

 

[nanu156]

"algae eaters" as in common plecos grow well over a foot, there are plenty of varities of plecos that do not. The commons also don't do much in the way of cleaning... "algae eaters" could also mean snails or ottos or other plecos. No you do not want a common pleco.

If your fish store told you gold fish will flourish in a tropical tank they are just plain wrong... Get rid of the goldies.

Once you have tested and get 0 readings for ammonia turn the goldies in and buy some new fish THAT day. the bacteria will die if you wait.

 

[Orion]

All the bacteria will not die in 24 hours once the gold fish are removed. There will still be poo and waste in the tank that hasnt been broken down yet. That said, the OP will also have to get the temp up to tropical temps before new tropical fish can be added. The temps should be more than ready if you get rid of the gold fish, set the heaters where you want them, then the next day when you make sure everything is ok with the tank get the new fish.