How long do I have to wait before I add new fish to my new tank?
Two days ago I bought a 28 litre filtered (under-gravel) and heated (55 W) fish tank. It has 3 plants and a male Siamese fighting fish in it. This morning I did ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH tests on the water, with the results being 0 ppm, 0 ppm, 0 ppm and 7.4 respectively. I know that this indicates that the nitrogen cycle has not yet started, but 1) how long (approximately) will I have to wait before the cycle will have completed so I can add a new fish? And 2) how long will I have to wait before adding subsequent fish? And 3) how many fish can I add at once?
I’m hoping to eventually have two albino cory catfish, a bristlenose pleco, five neon tetras and of course my Siamese fighter. (Some people have advised against the bristlenose, but he will be my last addition to the tank if I add him at all.)
Thanks in advance.
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Your tank is approximately 7 US gallons, which is too small for a Bristlenose Pleco. The Cories and Neon Tetras are fine.
You should wait until the cycle is completely finished before you add any new fish.
you can add some hardy fish now to get the cycle going, guppies, danios and some barbs are ideal for this, the cycle itself will take a couple months to finish
You have to wait fot it to complete cycling, up to 6-8 weeks, then add fish but not many, your tank isn’t big.
WAY TO SMALL FOR A BRISTLENOSE!!! 28 litres is only 7 gallons! In that, you can only have the betta and the tetras. DO NOT BUY CORIES! They need to be kept i groups of 5 or more, which is too much for your tank.
I recommend upgrading to a fourteen gallon, then you can have that set-up with the cories and the ancistrus (bristlenose)
I don’t recommend cycling with a betta, instead use mollies or danios. Cycling for your size tank should take a month, use biological filtration boosters and extra food.
get a better filter, otherwise you’ll have to tear down the tank to clean it out every month, which will be too stressing for the neons to handle.
that heater is too strong, I’d get a new one, but if you don’t just make sure you watch it closely.
and, don’t get the pleco. they are VERY dirty fish, they get too big for that tank (6″ way too big. the pleco alone would probably be more waste than the tank can handle, especially with just a ug filter).
I would suggest not getting the cory cats either, they like to be in groups of 4 or more and your tank really can’t handle that unless you don’t get the neons.
anyway, you tank I can’t make you do anything, unless you’re adding ammonia to your tank is will not cycle, and if you don’t get a better filter there isn’t much a point in cycling as you’ll have to tear the tank down once a month or so… read more on cycling here if you have not been adding ammonia:
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html
Sorry, your tank isn’t suitable for a bristlenose pleco–it’s too small. Also, corys like to be in big groups; 2 really isn’t enough. You could probably do a betta and 6-7 neons OR a betta and 5-6 small corys.
Your tank will take a month or more to cycle–there’s no exact time, since all tanks are different. A fishless cycle is always better, not to mention quicker. Once your cycle is complete (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and a nitrate reading), you can add 1-2 fish at a time. Wait a week or two between each new addition.