Hello, I'm setting up my first RB Piranha tank and have a few questions. My tank size is 55 gallons. The water is in as of this Thursday. I have a Magnum 350 filter for up to a 100 gallon tank. Decorations and heater where washed off and installed as well. Yesterday I put in a dozen goldfish to start my cycling. What should I be looking for now or am I missing some steps? My local pet shop highly recommended for me to add "Stability" to get my tank moving, but I didn't want to add anything extra and wanted to cycle my tank naturally. Should I add the "Stability" or just let the goldfish run its course? Any advice would be much appreciated!
55 Gallon Piranha Tank Setup
- Thread starter Pankakes
- Start date
i would just let it cycle on its own but if you wanted to put something in to speed up the process i would use bio-spira nitrifying bacteria. I would love to se your RBP setup i have a single little guy in a 10 gallon right not and i just bought a 125 yesterday so i am super excited to put that little guy in there.
I've had my tank setup now for 3 full days. I originally put in 12 starter goldfish and am now down to 9? Is having casualties normal when cycling a tank? Please advise. Thanks
Your feeders were dead before you brought them home man. There is no damn way the cycle killed them. You have to rememeber what feeders are all about. This is why if you want gold fish to keep you don't buy feeders. They are like way overbred and way underfed. You will probably lose a few more. If your temp is good and ph is in check wait a few more days and start checking the ammonia. Make sure you feed them. Bio-Spira is good imo to get it going a little quicker. Everythign sounds like your on the right track though.
Thank you for the input. I'm very new at this. The water is crystal clear and the other fish look pretty good. When should I start taking the readings? One week after the starter fish entered the tank? Also, should I be thinking about a water change of 20% during the cycling period? Hook a brother up 
Hey guys, when setting up my first tank, should i be making any water changes during the cycling process? If so, how much and how often?
when i cycled my tanks i didn't do any water changes until the tanks were done cycling.. you just have to be patient as it may take a while.. sometimes up to 6 weeks..
using that bacteria booster helps but i personally dont use them. if you have another tank or a friend has a tank that has been set up for a while just throw an old filter pad form there in your new tank and it should be good to go in a matter of 1-2 weeks otherwise just wait till the tank does it thang
using that bacteria booster helps but i personally dont use them. if you have another tank or a friend has a tank that has been set up for a while just throw an old filter pad form there in your new tank and it should be good to go in a matter of 1-2 weeks otherwise just wait till the tank does it thang
I agree with Fish.... I don't change the water. The added bacteria helps imo, but there is nothing like a filter element from an existing tank, even a damn rock, some gravel/sand driftwood ect. This is by far the best thing you can do. My supplier gave me a filter pad from there wet dry on one of their display tanks. Patience is a very hard thing to have for some espeially for me , but I know everything in this hobby is worth finding some. It will pay off in the long run. (even semi short run)