Dilemma

[SCGeordie]

OK, so in my community tank I have a 3"+ angel, a 2 1/2" Pictus, 2 1/2" rainbow shark, 1 zebra danio, 1 serpae tetra ('leftovers') 11 neon tetra's and 3 boesemani rainbowfish.
With the rainbowfish I originally bought 2 about a month ago, one seemed to acclimate really well the other not so well - would stay in one back corner of the tank facing into the corner 90% of the time. Whenever this boesemani would come out of the corner the rainbowshark would almost immediately start chasing it. I came home from work one day about a week after I bought the boesemani's and found the 'unacclimated' one dead, stuck to the filter intake with the angel 'picking' at the body (the angel is the 'undertaker' of the tank, any sick fish, he 'euthanises'). Don't know if it was just sick when I bought it, or if the stress got to it, or if the rainbowshark got to it once too often.
Last Sunday I bought another two boesemani's (from Petsmart the same as the first two) and they two have acclimated really well (they couldn't have been in Petsmart more than a couple of days) but the rainbowshark has taken an instant dislike to them and chases them whenever he's out of his hiding place (when the light is off).
I've got a 40g breeder that I want to setup with only rainbowfish but the earliest I can start on it will be this coming weekend, I had hoped to cycle it first, get it planted and then move the 3 boesemani's into it.
Now for the dilemma, two of the boesemani's appear to have paired up and look like they are trying to spawn but my concern is that the constant chasing by the shark is going to stress one or both of them so much that they end up stuck to the filter intake as well!
I have an empty 10g that I just picked up (not even checked it for leaks yet), and the 40g (that also needs checking for leaks). Do I try and get the 10g setup with filter and heater and move the rainbowshark into it untill the boesemani's are in their 40g, or do I wait it out until the weekend and work on the 40g and move the boesemani's into it before it's planted, or setup the 10g and move the boesemani's into it untill the 40g is nearer to being ready (then cycle with them in it)?
The rainbow shark does not chase any other fish, only the boesemani's!

Sorry this is so long, took more than I thought to explain.

 

[SCGeordie]

Anyone?

 

[livebearerfreak]

dont think you mentioned the tank size?

 

[SCGeordie]

dont think you mentioned the tank size?

46g Euro Bowfront

 

[Laticauda]

This is what I would do. I would go ahead and plant the 40 gallon you have, and place the fish in it automatically.

If you have enough plants and test your ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte daily, the cycle shouldn't affect the rainbows too bad, especially since the tank is 40 gallons, and it's only 3 fish (do I have that right?)

Make sure you have Prime, and I would dose the tank every day with Prime during the cycling process, to protect the fishes.

http://www.dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/AmmoniaTox.html
Here is a VERY useful website that can help you calculate at what level your ammonia becomes toxic. You test your water, then click on the link to what your results are, and it will take you to a chart for that "total" ammonia number. Then you find your pH and temperature, and see where they intersect.

For example:
Total ammonia is .25 according to API ammonia tester.
Your pH is 8.0
Temp is 78
So, that means that the total toxic (free) ammonia with these variables is 0.014
Your fish are safe from being burned, but you will need to keep an eye on it.

If you see that the square where your pH and temp intersect is tan/yellow, then you would need to do a water change to lower the amount of free ammonia, before it becomes dangerously toxic.

If you see that the square where your pH and temp intersect is red, then you need to do a large water change, because your fish are currently being burned by the amount of toxic (free) ammonia in the tank.

Using this chart during cycling is the best way to be informed about the cycling process, and help protect your fish from undergoing too much stress/long-term damage from going through a cycle. The plants will help boost the cycle, since they likely come with some good BBs, and will reduce a small amount of toxins in the water.

Once you start showing nitrites, you will want to add plain rock salt to the tank at 1 tsp per gallon. I understand that tropical fish and plants do not appreciate the salt, but nitrItes cause brown blood disease, in which the nitrItes out-compete oxygen in the gills. Salt will help prevent this from happening. Once your nitrItes read >.5, you will need to do an appropriate water change, adding back whatever salt you take out. 1 tsp. per gallon really isn't that much, and if I had a choice between brown-blood disease, and a little salt in the water, the right choice is obvious.

 

[SCGeordie]

Laticauda, thx for the response, I'll definitely use the chaart.
Well, when I got home from work things had calmed down a bit, but once again as soon as the lights went out the shark was at it agin, this time he nearly took a chunk out of one of the boesemani's, so I took the quickest route and setup the 10g as a temporary home for the shark. Used up all the plants I had left to give some cover and halp him feel safe.

He seems to have taken to his temporary home pretty well, had a good scout around and gobbled up some flakes I dropped in that were lying around the sand and is now hovering around the entrance to the mug!
Now I have time to setup the 40 without worrying about loosing any fish.

ps The Boesemani pair are spawning again as I type this, looks like the combination of Moonlights on their tank and a plant light on a 6g next to it are fooling them into thinking it's early morning (apparently that is when they spawn......and they will go on for days). The Neons are following their every move, fresh eggs! Once the Boesmani's are in their own tank I can look to saving the eggs and maybe get some offspring.