# Good Cycling Fish?



## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Ok, so I was going to go with zebra danios but dont want them in the tank once cycled and so have no idea what id do with them after. Would guppies be a good option? Or any other good fish, gourami's?
Nat


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## Quintin117 (Oct 19, 2008)

You could use Tiger Barbs


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

You could be nice and not kill any fish by using a market prawn for a fishless cycle.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Well im aiming to get hardy fish so they will survive the cycle, not a fan of tiger barbs as i want a betta after.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

pick the toughest fish on your eventual stock list. Getting and returning "cycling fish" doubles your change of bringing home a disease.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Well I was thinking of stocking it with around 4/5 cories and a dwarf gourami or 2, maybe a betta if i dont get the gourami's.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Why dont you just clean your 55g filter media in the uncycled tank? It would be cycled instantly.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Could I do that? Say if I was to do it now, how long would I need to wait for fish?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Get a fish or two a week or every other week and twice a week for a month, scrape the filter media of the cycled tank into the new filter. Should work as long as the bio-load increases slowly. Bacteria multiply experientially.


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## Candymancan (Mar 10, 2010)

Guppies hah.. Guppies will be the first to go in a uncycled tank. Hardy fish are usually for me anyway Cory Cats, Pleco's, Gourmies, platy's, Silver dollars, 

Usually mean fish are hardy ones.. Semi aggressive fish.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Thanks, im going to pick some up tomorrow, think its best to start with the cories?


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Yeah if you clean your old filter in you new tank you can add fish right away, the tank will be dirty but hey its fast.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

But won't there be ammonia in the water then for the fish? Or do I water change after?


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Start with clean water, I know 100% this works. if you actually get as much of the crap soaked into the media of the new filter as you can, you wouldnt even have to worry about clouding the tank. I've cycled one tank in my like, a 33g. I now have a 210 up and running that was seeded from that origanal 33g tank from 6 years ago or so.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

A good seeding can really speed up the cycle, but there will be some ammonia until the bacteria catches up. You can use Prime, you can change water, you can start with just 1 fish in 55 gallons to start with low concentrations, but any cycle with fish will expose them to some ammonia. Better than cycling with fish w/o seeding.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Thanks guys, i'm not sure what to do as the tank has been running for around a week now & im getting fish tomorrow but not sure about putting filter media in because the fish would then enter a dirty tank. The filter im using was previously in another of my tanks, helping out and I didnt fully clean it and so some bacteria was still left in, aswell as me putting the 2 rocks in there. Think I might just risk it and get some hardy fish tomorrow.


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## Candymancan (Mar 10, 2010)

I would go ahead and get fish if it were me.. Do you have API test kits ? Test the water and see what its at if its been up for a week.. I got 8 fish in my tank like 4 days after i set it up lol. Then 2 days later i got another 8 then 4 more a day later.. 2 fish died and that was it..

All i did was do water changes everyday for a week then water changes every other day and they were fine... I only did alot of changes tho cause my ammonia and nitrites were high to begin with.. Putting dirty water in the tank from a dirty filter isnt going to hurt the fish. If you already have a filter running which you do and put dirty water in the tank from another filter.. The tank should clean up right away anyway.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

filter scrum is much better to add than old water.


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## wmoyer2006 (Mar 17, 2010)

I've always used Red-Eye tetras to cycle my tank. 

Incredibly hardy and they school, so they are fun to watch.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Hmm think I may get black widow tetras when I go tomorrow, if not then a few cories.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Nathan is all of this so you can put a Betta in the tank? Did I read that correctly that you are setting up the tank for a Betta? Dude use the material from your other tank and let it be. A Betta will hardly impact the chemistry on the tank at all. It's almost like having nothing in your tank LOL


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Nah, I have 2 tanks that I both set up a week ago...a 10 gallon and a 5 gallon, the 5 gallon is for the betta and I added him today but now im thinking of the 10 gallon as I want cories and dwarf gourami's in there. Thinking of picking those up tomorrow.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2010)

dont add corys for cyclin. they are delicate lil darlings.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Yeah I was thinking that, think ill pick up some black widow tetras.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

My experience with Dwarf Gourami's is that they are also on the delicate side. I wouldn't cycle with them. This is part of why I will never cycle with fish again.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

They have been in the tank from early this morning now, seem great so far so we'll wait and see.


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## wmoyer2006 (Mar 17, 2010)

Obsidian said:


> My experience with Dwarf Gourami's is that they are also on the delicate side. I wouldn't cycle with them. This is part of why I will never cycle with fish again.


I second this. I added a couple to my 10 gallon, it was intended to be a temporary home for them until my 29 gallon finished cycling. However, the addition of two Gourami's "mini cycled" the tank and they both died at 2.0 ppm of ammonia.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

We'll see how it goes, theyre brill at the moment, very lively.


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