How do these new tank test results look?

[Abu]

My new tank has been running (fishless) for 5 days now. Today i took the following readings:

Ammonia - 0.25 ppm
Nitrites - 0.25 ppm
Nitrate - 20 ppm
pH - 7.8

I want to cycle using fish. Am i about ready to add my first fish now? If so, what species are recommended. Ideally, i'd like to introduce a species that i can continue to keep in the tank over the long term rather than simply introducing it for testing purposes only.

Any help appreciated
Abu

 

[fishboy]

Mollies are good fish.But, i don't recomend fish cycling. ;D

 

[dork187]

fish cycling works
and its the easiest
buy some cheap feeder goldfish
and let them cycle it
make sure you doing for a full 30 days
preferably longer
try to cycle with the same amount of fish that you are planning to put in the tank
dont cycle with 2 fish and end up putting 15 in
the cycle you just completed wont be able to handle that kind of bioload

i think

er something

 

[Matt Nace]

More power to you Abu, if "cycle" you used actually prevents a spike from ammonia/and or nitrIte.

We wont know , unless you take tests.

Since you decided to cycle with fish, I stress not to cycle with goldfish. They carry disease, parasites, and are messy(the feeders).

Cycle with a few danio....or the hardy Blue gourmii.

I wouldn't cycle with mollies either. Look at them the wrong way and they have a fungus infection.

dork makes a good point about you get a bio-load of how many fish you cycles with, except you normally should not put too many fish in a fish cycle, as you will kill them through an ammonia or nitrIte spike.

lets us know how i works out.
8)

 

[Somonas]

I cycled my first 33 gallon tank for 4 black tetras 7 months ago, and the same fish are still alive and have doubled in size...  all of my subsequent tanks have been fishless cycled and fully stocked immediately.

IMHO you only need to cycle a tank once, any additional tanks can be cycled in 2 or 3 days by transferring some established filter material and dosing with ammonia only once.

 

[ronrca]

Agreed Somonas! That is the very reason I chose fishless cycle because I could fully stock my show tank instead of taking up to a whole year to do so by adding few fish every 4 weeks.