Which fish should I choose?

[greymatron]

Hmm, well, I'll try them out, I don't want to join a bunch at the same time and end up using only one. It won't be set up until Wednesday or Thursday of next week, but I will post photos once I do. And as it grows, of course.

 

[GuineaPigster]

Good! I can't wait!

 

[greymatron]

So I started the cycling last night..Per my husbands instruction we now have what looks like 4" of sand... This morning my daughter poured in half of the bottle of 'one and only' and the entire bottle of 'prime'...How badly is this going to set back the cycling process?

 

[waterfaller1]

Yikes! Prime is meant only to dechlorinate your water, in very small increments.

 

[waterfaller1]

How big was the bottle and remind me how big is the tank?

 

[greymatron]

The bottle is 3.4oz or 100mL, I think the smallest size they offered...and the tank is 30gal...Nothing aside from sand and water is in it.

 

[GuineaPigster]

Wow! That is reeeeeally overdosing it.
If you just started cycling and she dumped all that in, you might as well change all the water and start again.

 

[greymatron]

I just tested the water and everything except the pH is good...but that probably doesn't mean much since there are no fish or plants in it. Still think I should just take it all out?

 

[greymatron]

I've replaced about 50% of the water so far...We put the plants in...I guess if they die that'll tell, huh? I wasn't going to test the water until Monday...but maybe I'll do every other day.

 

[GuineaPigster]

I've replaced about 50% of the water so far...We put the plants in...I guess if they die that'll tell, huh? I wasn't going to test the water until Monday...but maybe I'll do every other day.

Every other day is ideal. I test everything weeky, except my Nitrate, which I test twice a week. (My tank is cycled though)

 

[Sadieladie1994]

How do ghost shrimp fit into fish choices? I found them so fascinating. I had live bearers and some tetra.

 

[greymatron]

Everything is perfect water quality wise...The tank is planted although I'm not sure I've given it enough time to see if all that Prime will kill them though.
I'm not sure Peggy, maybe count them as 'slender fish' or do they count at all? They'd have to. I've been thinking of the shrimp but not sure if I'll put them in this one or not. Maybe the next tank.

 

[GuineaPigster]

Everything is perfect water quality wise...The tank is planted although I'm not sure I've given it enough time to see if all that Prime will kill them though.
I'm not sure Peggy, maybe count them as 'slender fish' or do they count at all? They'd have to. I've been thinking of the shrimp but not sure if I'll put them in this one or not. Maybe the next tank.

What are your params?

 

[waterfaller1]

Ghost shrimp do not add much if anything to bioload. I am not a fan. They can be mean. I do love the other exotic fw shrimps though.I have several colors of rili shrimp, and two giant african blue shrimp.Are you are asking what fish would be compatible?
Ones that do not eat shrimp. In other words, as long as it can't fit in their mouth.

 

[greymatron]

What are your params?

Let's see, let's see...Fish lingo...Okay, well nitrates/nitrites and ammonia are at the lowest level they can be. PH is between 6.6-7.2...Mostly because they all look so close compared to the water in the tube... My goal is 7.0...Do you think that range will be okay for fish? Not adding yet but since I can't really tell the difference...Is that a good goal?

Did I guess right on what params meant?

 

[GuineaPigster]

What's the ammonia? What test kit are you using?

 

[greymatron]

ammonia is at 0, everything is at zero, or 0-.25 or however high the lowest level in the kit goes, its the API brand..

 

[waterfaller1]

If everything is at 0 the tank is not yet stable. You want a nitrate reading to happen.

 

[GuineaPigster]

If everything is at 0 the tank is not yet stable. You want a nitrate reading to happen.

It also shouldn't cycle so fast, so it isn't cycled. Oh, I just remembered. Prime will give you inaccurate readings.
Prime is probably diffusing the ammonia. Why do you have the prime? You really only need it for stabilizing the tank or treating tap when there are fish.

 

[waterfaller1]

A little is good just to dechlorinate or remove chloramines. The whole bottle should have never been used, so yeah readings will be skewed, but not for long.