Other fish in tank for maturing water????

[ppsthlm]

I´m having my tank filled with R/O-water at the moment. I will be running the tank for about 6 weeks for "maturing the water". After that- when the parameters are right, I will add a Discus breeding couple.

My question is: Will it be good to keep other fish, such as goldfish, in the tank for the maturing-period (and then of course move them out again). Is that good for the bacteria and maturing of the tank?

[scott bowler]

hi ppsthlm no just run the filter and heater even put some plants in if you like .but no dont put gold fish in they seem to produce a lot of ammonia so good luck scott

[ppsthlm]

ok
thanks!!

[mcloughlin2]

hi ppsthlm no just run the filter and heater even put some plants in if you like .but no dont put gold fish in they seem to produce a lot of ammonia so good luck scott

Are you aware that unless waste is put in the tank, it will never cycle?

A newly setup tank is suppose to have ammonia, thats why its advised to wait a few weeks ...

My question is: Will it be good to keep other fish, such as goldfish, in the tank for the maturing-period (and then of course move them out again). Is that good for the bacteria and maturing of the tank?

I wouldnt put goldfish in there ... Try some guppies or neon tetras ... & yes its good for the tank .............

[Merrilyn]

When we talk of a "mature" tank, we are not so much referring to the water, but the filter that runs on the tank. It needs to be matured so that a good working popultaion of bacteria are available to convert the fish wastes from toxic ammonia and nitrite, into non toxic nitrate.

This is what we mean when we say that your tank needs to be 'cycled'.

RO water on it's own will not support life. It has had all the salts and minerals stripped from it, so you either need to add that back in the form or RO Salts or by adding some tap water to the tank.

You can mature your filter by running it on another tank which has a population of healthy fish, for a few weeks, or by adding pure ammonia to your new tank which becomes food for the bacteria. (See the article on Fishless Cycling in this forum).

Just standing the tank for 6 weeks or so will not help to cycle the tank and filter unless you provide ammonia in some form to feed the bacteria. Using small hardy fish which will survive the ammonia and nitrite spikes will do it, and so will adding pure liquid ammonia.

HTH

[ppsthlm]

yes, i know that cycling in a tank really is referring to the filters and not the water. forgive me for putting my words wrong.

so neon tetras or guppies are ok, but not goldfish?? why is this? i already have 2 small black goldfish- but it´s better to get the tetras or guppies?

[FishLover]

Gold fish are poop factories. They may be too much bioload for the new filter to handle. Plus, they require higher pH than discus. If you are preparing the tank for the discus, the water is not going to be right for them.

Neon Tetras are perpect for the pH and the do not produce that much waste. They may need a lower temp than the discus but that should be easily adjusted right before you put in the discus.

The problem with live fish cycle is that you put the starter fish at great stress. Also, you may have to wait for a long period to change water in order to get the cycling process going. That in turn stress the starter fish. Most of the time, the starter fish are dead in few days.

The eaiest way to do without using a fish is to put a small cooked or raw cocktail shrimp in the tank and wait. The dead shrimp will produce enough ammo for your filter to cycle.

[mcloughlin2]

The eaiest way to do without using a fish is to put a small cooked or raw cocktail shrimp in the tank and wait. The dead shrimp will produce enough ammo for your filter to cycle.

This in my opinion isn't a very good idea. Yes it will cause alot of ammonia, but so will trowing a handful of dead fish in the tank.

By putting a cocktail shrimp in the water, your going to be making conditions worse! This will deteriorate, stink the tank and most likely make it excessivly cloudy.

I have never lost a starter fish. I built a pond, threw my goldfish in there the same day, and they breed the next!

I setup a saltwater tank, put damsel in there the same day, it lived!

I setup a african tank, put fish in the next day they lived!

Maybe its luck, but if you only place in 2 fish at the start, then another 2 a few days later you will be fine ...

Sam.