10 gallon stocking/breeding

mahsfish

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 19, 2012
1,043
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Calgary, AB
I just setup my 10 gal again. I used water from my other tanks so its already cycled. Plus I used an old sponge in my filter.

I was wondering what types of fish I could stock it with. And I was thinking that it could be something I'd be able to breed in it. Keep in mind I have a cichlid tank that I can feed the fry to if I have too many and I have a 20 gal grow out tank that I can use.

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brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
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New Hampshire
Guppies or mollies and shrimp are some fish that will breed readily in an aquarium. Also transferring water from one tank to another doesnt instantly cycle. Careful
 

mahsfish

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 19, 2012
1,043
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Calgary, AB
Okay. I though that doing so would mean its cycled. So it just speeds it up then?

So would you say I wait a week, and if there is no ammonia spike indicated by a bloom that I should be good to add fish?

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brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
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New Hampshire
No dont look for an ammonia spike, look for ammonia to be converted to nitrite then nitrite to be converted to nitrate. Then a tank is cycled. Yes a little BB is free floating in water, but most is housed in filter media. Moving over filters will maintain cycle but just moving water will "seed" an aquarium with a small amount of BB, but that BB needs to colonize in the filter and grow to a level they can handle the amount of waste in a tank.

You said you used an old sponge but im not sure if you mean just out of your other tank or one that has been in the basement for years. A seeded sponge in the filter will really help as it houses more BB than water itsself.

Best way IMO would be to add a small hardy fish such as a comet. It will produce some ammonia and you can track water quality and see whats going on. If you never register ammonia or nitrite but have a steady increase in nitrate then you are cycled
 

mahsfish

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 19, 2012
1,043
1
53
Calgary, AB
Okay thanks for the help. I will look out for that. And yes it was one of the sponges from my other filter.

Also are there some dwarf cichlid pairs that I could keep in the 10? Like a pair of kribs, Bolivians, apistos or like shell dwellers? Or do dwarf cichlids like apistos need more like a 20 gal?

If so then I could use my 20 gal as the tank then.

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mahsfish

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 19, 2012
1,043
1
53
Calgary, AB
I was wondering. I have a sponge filter in my 5 gal. But my 5 gal hasn't had any fish in it for a week as I sold them. Would putting the sponge filter that has been going g for a good month plus, make the tank fish ready? As it already has water from other cycled tanks and then it would have a filter thats already holding bacteria, and then another HOB with a seeded sponge.

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pshtex

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 8, 2010
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So from what I understand water from an already cycled tank does next to nothing in preparing a new setup. Cycling is all about building up the bacteria in the filter media, enough to handle the bio load of the tank, and the bacteria doesn't live free floating in the water, not a significant amount at least. However putting in seeded media can do wonders. For me with those two filters moved into a ten gal I would just move the fish in. Maybe start with one male a three females and over the next week watch ur water.
 

mahsfish

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 19, 2012
1,043
1
53
Calgary, AB
So from what I understand water from an already cycled tank does next to nothing in preparing a new setup. Cycling is all about building up the bacteria in the filter media, enough to handle the bio load of the tank, and the bacteria doesn't live free floating in the water, not a significant amount at least. However putting in seeded media can do wonders. For me with those two filters moved into a ten gal I would just move the fish in. Maybe start with one male a five females and over the next week watch ur water.
Okay great thank. Also would the sponge filter have to be running? Or would just letting the sponge sit in the tank with the bacteria on it be good? I don't really have another plug to plug it in. But if it needs to have a piece that'll allow me to plug more in.

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