managing breeding tanks

Lou

Lou

Large Fish
#1
Jul 18, 2003
497
0
0
SW Wisconsin
www.waysmeet.org
#1
Hi,

This seems like a pretty elementary thing, but I don't see it on the site here.

We have a guppy about to drop (we hope) and two 10 gal breeding tanks cycled with danios. So the question is how to maintain the cycled tank? If we have few babies will they provide enough load to keep the filters ok. Also how about those times when there are no babies around? Do you put some danios back in it to keep it going?

thanks,

Lou
 

FroggyFox

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
Moderator
#2
May 16, 2003
8,589
10
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Colorado
#2
When I have an empty tank I splash some ammonia into it every few days to keep the bacteria colonies alive and kickin. I do a 100% water change when I'm ready to put some fish in it to get rid of all of the nitrates that have built up.

The bacteria colonies that have built up with overdoses of ammonia are more than enough to support the fish that you put into the tank so there will be some die off, but it will definitely support the fry as they grow.
 

C

Cankywanky

Large Fish
#4
Aug 10, 2003
198
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#4
you could also keep it going with some kuhli loaches and when you have babies you can leave the loaches in there just incase the babies dont keep the cycle going.Im pretty sure that the loaches will not eat the babies because they have such small mouths and they only grow to be 3 inches long.:)
 

FroggyFox

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
Moderator
#5
May 16, 2003
8,589
10
38
42
Colorado
#5
um...na I go with a splash :) If you want to be scientific about it a healthy cycled 10G aquarium should get rid of a teaspoon of ammonia in pretty quick order...so you could start with that. The important part is that before you put fish in it you do the 100% water change to take out any excess ammonia and nitrates etc. If you do more than a tsp then its not going to hurt anything unless you have live plants or don't do the water change :)
 

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