# 20g



## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Just got new 20g tall, I wanted to start my fishless cycle off.Can i just use a bottle of ammonia from Walmart to start it off?If so how often?I do have an API water test kit.


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## Mrmike (Apr 1, 2011)

You can...... I have never done it but I read about several years ago when the reef craze was starting..... but chemically no reason it won't work. It's the quantity and timing that I would be careful with.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Yes, but it has to be free of surfectants. Look at the ingredients...it should say water and ammonia, nothing like scents or anything like that. Easiest way to tell is shake it. If it foams up and it doesn't dissipate very quickly then don't use it. If it just bubbles and disappears very fast, it should be okay. I would be surprised if you find it at Walmart. Most people had to find like a local hardware store that had it, including me.

It is the best fishless method.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

ammonium hydroxide and surfactant no phosphorus is the ingredients is that ok?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If it has surfectants, no.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok thanks!I put two fishflakes in there,doing some testing later today


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Using flakes will work but very unpredictable. It will take days for the food to start to rot to cause the ammonia to rise.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

I see,is there anything else I can do to speed this up?Im not adding any chemicals,and for stock i was think about a red tailed or rainbow shark,but after doing some research it looks like a 20g would be too small right?I also would like to add some hatchetfish,but other than oto's im not sure what else to add after the cycle ends :/ Maybe some neons or a gourami? Any ideas?


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## Mrmike (Apr 1, 2011)

I would go with a gourami or paradise fish..... something hardier than neons for sure. Even if the plan is to return it when you are stocking for real..... this would be an ammonia source.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I think he meant he was adding after the cycle is complete.Neons are nice fish.They like warm water though.Also if you would like a mix in the school then some glolight tetras will school with the neons,and I dont think they will interbreed so that would be good.Hatchetfish I think would get along great with the neons and glolights too,but check online first,Ive no experience with them myself.Corydoras are great bottom dwellers and are non aggressive.All these fish would benefit from live plants though so keep that in mind.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Yeah I'm not doing live plants,but making sure im plant heavy,water temp is 80 F 

So now my bottom dwellers are 

Oto's v. Cory's

My decor is 4 medium plastic plants(removed points),flower pot cave,a piece of wood hollow has a little cave under it,small plant pods,pirate ship with 2 entrances,river rocks,and a crystal.I was thinking 1 more main attraction fish,medium sized not sure what though,be great if it was at petsmart/petch,majerah wanted to know if I could go with a Male betta or maybe even 1 Female,what do you think?And getting WAY more plants before the cycle ends...


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

I added 6 small danios 99c a piece and 3 red wag platy's 1 hour later all the danios looked sick,floating,2 were on the ground almost dead,2 were floating almost dead,and had a platy not getting away from the heater lol,the platy's have stringy poop this is parasites right?Well anyway I took out a piece of wood I put in their got up this morning,2 danios were missing might of been sucked up the filter i'll check in a sec.and a platy was just dead lying on the ground,but since it looks like 3 danios came back to life....I guess it was the wood???


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You cannot add that many fish to cycle your tank. Could be okay with that many once the cycle is completed and all bacteria is in place, but not initially. 2-3 Danios would have been perfect.

How many fish are left in the tank? Do you have an ammonia test kit?


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

I do have ammonia kit im testing now,it was crazy man 2 danios were lying on the ground upside down still breathing and two were floating upside down on surface one was missing I removed my wood from the tank.When i looked this morning all danios were swimming as if nothing had happened,and on 1/3 platy's was dead.They all look fine after i clocked the temp. down 5 degrees and removed the wood...
So out of 3 red wag platys and 6 zebra danios I lost 2/9 overall


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Oh,I checked for ammonia today and got nada was kinda surprised.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Still no ammonia,no nitrites and this setup on last sunday two fish died the first day and none since,all fish looking pretty active and eating good.Would it hurt to throw an algae wafer in there for danios/platy's or a piece of one?


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