Stocking a new tank

[honeybee105]

Hey everyone, you've all helped me so much thanks a ton I have another question about stocking a new tank. My friend who is what I consider a "fish expert" has been helping me with starting a new aqaurium. Now she told me that you need to let the water sit in the tank and have it run through the filters and adjust for about two weeks before adding fish to it. Which seems reasonable. I know when you buy fish you can't just dump them into the tank, you have to let them adjust, but what my question is, is that can you put ALL your fish in at one time? Or is it better to put them in one at a time? And do you need to have the tank sit for two weeks before stocking it?   THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

                                       ~Katie
P.S is there any brand of aquarium that you highly suggest? I want a tank that has the volume of 20 gallons, but that doesn't take up too much space. THANKS!

 

[colesea]

Umm...AGA (All Glass Aquariums) is the largest and least expensive manufacturer of glass aquariums. Shop around for the best bargains.

I usually reccommed letting a tank sit and run for at least 48hrs. That is to make sure that the seals aren't leaking, that it is not getting hit by any direct sunlight, that the temperature is stable and heater adjusted, that it is decorated and placed -exactly- where you want it. . .

The idea is to have the tank -perfectly- aestic before you put fish in there. Sicking hands in tank to redecorate with fish in it can be stressful on them, especially one that is still not biologcally fully cycled.  For some people, it takes only 24hrs, for others it can take a month or more. If it takes you two weeks, then wait two weeks before you put your first fish in. But wait at least 24hrs.

Another reason people reccommend a wait is to allow the filter carbons to take out any water impurities, but if you've used a tap water conditioner, those impurities should be removed within the first 24hrs.

No, you cannot put all your fish in at the same time. Most people will recommend a fishless cycle, so I will let them recommend it. But if you can't wait patiently for a fishless cycle, here's a cycling schedual that seems to have worked for me.

Start of Week 1: Add =two= fish, perferably a pair of the same species, usually your "inexpensive" fish you've bought on sale for 99 cents or something (blk skirt tetras, white skirt tetras, danios, white clouds...or if you're doing a slightly saltier tank a pair of mollies, swordtails, or platies)

WAIT AT LEAST TWO WEEKS

Start of Week 3: A =two= more fish, again another pair of something, or two more of the same fish you already have (total now four fish)

WAIT TWO MORE WEEKS

Start of Week 5: Add =two= more fish like above (total 6 fish)

WAIT ONE WEEK

Start of Week 6: Do a 6 gallon water change via siphon gravel vac, change carbon media

WAIT ONE WEEK

Start of Week 7: Add =two= fish (total 8 fish)

And continue to follow this schedual until you have about a max of 12"-15" of fish.

Whatever you do, do not rush and try to add more than two fish at a time, or try to add fish without waiting at least two weeks. This way will allow the volume of water to dilute the possiblity of an ammonia spike, and also give bacterial biological filtering to catch up to the amount of fish added.  If you can monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels. Only when the ammonia and nitrite levels are zero is the tank fully cycled =for the current bioload=.
~~Colesea

 

[JWright]

Check out the article on fishless cycling in the articles section of this site. If you cycle with fish, your fish _will_ be stressed. While that can be reduced by the process Colesea described, it can be eliminated entirely by fishless cycle.

Aside from that point, I agree 100% with Colesea.

Letting a tank sit for 2 weeks with no source of ammonia isn't going to do anything for it. Past 48 hours, the tank is stable and nothing new is going to happen.

Josh