Starting on my tank! Help me out?

[ashleigheperry]

I just got my tank set up today (I finished setting it up at midnight and it's 12:08 now so it's recently finished), and I'll be working on cycling it over the next few weeks. This is the set-up for the cycle fish, not the axolotl that will eventually be going in here. When the axolotl is young, I'll have a divider up, with the cycle fish on the filter side and the axie on the side with calmer water. I will still have a buffer installed to reduce the water flow so I don't stress the axie. Eventually, the fish and axie will co-exist (until the fish become a snack!).

I will be adding live plants this week, and then the fish at the end of the week. I currently have two plays, two zebra danios, and two cories. The catfish will be put in their own tank with a pair of breeding platys and a ton of ghost shrimp, but I'll be putting the platys I have now, along with the danios, in the large tank to cycle and entertain my axie.

I'm currently planning on including Elecocharis parvula, java moss, and java ferns (any other plant recommendations?). I will be adding hides as well, though I haven't chosen my preference yet. I've stocked up on test strips and I'm heading out for an accurate thermometer (and perhaps even a chiller) tomorrow. Am I missing anything? How many weeks is best to cycle the tank? When can I add my fish?

This is my tank at the moment (20G tall)!

Thanks in advance!

 

[FX1C]

I just got my tank set up today (I finished setting it up at midnight and it's 12:08 now so it's recently finished), and I'll be working on cycling it over the next few weeks. This is the set-up for the cycle fish, not the axolotl that will eventually be going in here. When the axolotl is young, I'll have a divider up, with the cycle fish on the filter side and the axie on the side with calmer water. I will still have a buffer installed to reduce the water flow so I don't stress the axie. Eventually, the fish and axie will co-exist (until the fish become a snack!).

I will be adding live plants this week, and then the fish at the end of the week. I currently have two plays, two zebra danios, and two cories. The catfish will be put in their own tank with a pair of breeding platys and a ton of ghost shrimp, but I'll be putting the platys I have now, along with the danios, in the large tank to cycle and entertain my axie.

I'm currently planning on including Elecocharis parvula, java moss, and java ferns (any other plant recommendations?). I will be adding hides as well, though I haven't chosen my preference yet. I've stocked up on test strips and I'm heading out for an accurate thermometer (and perhaps even a chiller) tomorrow. Am I missing anything? How many weeks is best to cycle the tank? When can I add my fish?

This is my tank at the moment (20G tall)!

Thanks in advance!

Firstly mixing species is fraught with danger & not recommended - the odd guppy, ghost shrimp are fine but Cory's I believe have a spine which would be a danger if swallowed & it pierces the mouth. Either way best avoided with most of those listed.

Test strips are not very accurate & certainly wouldn't be my first choice when cycling an aquarium - actually I would never use them. Get yourself a Freshwater Master Test Kit that way you'll get accurate readings easily.

If you put a divider in make sure to have holes so the water can flow through & not stagnate. You can always put mesh over the holes to keep each side separated.

I've found Anubia on driftwood is amazing in low light & easy to move about & clean around on the driftwood.

Looking forward to seeing pics with plants & hide - there's a fun DIY hide link on the forums for ideas



<3 >o_o< <3

 

[ashleigheperry]

Firstly mixing species is fraught with danger & not recommended - the odd guppy, ghost shrimp are fine but Cory's I believe have a spine which would be a danger if swallowed & it pierces the mouth. Either way best avoided with most of those listed.

Test strips are not very accurate & certainly wouldn't be my first choice when cycling an aquarium - actually I would never use them. Get yourself a Freshwater Master Test Kit that way you'll get accurate readings easily.

If you put a divider in make sure to have holes so the water can flow through & not stagnate. You can always put mesh over the holes to keep each side separated.

I've found Anubia on driftwood is amazing in low light & easy to move about & clean around on the driftwood.

Looking forward to seeing pics with plants & hide - there's a fun DIY hide link on the forums for ideas



<3 >o_o< <3

As I mentioned, the catfish are getting their own aquarium completely separate from the axie, along with a pair of platy that I'll have for breeding purposes, to supply snacks for my axie. I believe I've read elsewhere on this site that platy and danio are both safe snacks, which is why I chose them to cycle the tank. I'm aware of the dangers of spiny fish and they will never be in the same tank as the axolotl!

I'll definitely get my hands on a master kit instead - I've never used anything but strips and I'm relieved to know that there's something more reliable. I hate them!

I already have my divider and I've done exactly that! Though I am considering moving all of my fish over to the play breeding tank when I get my axie. The divider seems more complicated than necessary and I can wait to introduce snack fish until the axie is larger.

Thank you for the advice! I've added a few more plants (even a live one!) and decorations today so I'm looking forward to filling it out.

 

[tigmades]

Might I inquire how big your axie will be when you get it? In case you didn't know, sand isn't safe for axies <5" as the small body can still get compacted with sand (adults can too, but much less likely).

How do you plan on feeding him/her? You might want to get a food dish/jar if you're not going to be tweezer feeding - this prevents them intaking a large portion of sand as their food isn't resting on a sandy surface.

As for platy vs danio, I would vote platys over danios for the following reasons:
1) platys are bigger, easier to breed & therefore cheaper in the long run to feed
2) platys can handle lower temperatures (you can keep them with the corydoras if you lower temp very slowly - I keep my cory/guppy/shrimp tank at ~69-70F). That way when you feed them to your axie, if they don't get eaten right away they're not going to suffer a temperature shock, unless you plan on acclimatizing them each time you want to give them as a snack. Sure they're food, but it's still good to treat them humanely

Looks good other than that!

 

[ashleigheperry]

Might I inquire how big your axie will be when you get it? In case you didn't know, sand isn't safe for axies <5" as the small body can still get compacted with sand (adults can too, but much less likely).

How do you plan on feeding him/her? You might want to get a food dish/jar if you're not going to be tweezer feeding - this prevents them intaking a large portion of sand as their food isn't resting on a sandy surface.

As for platy vs danio, I would vote platys over danios for the following reasons:
1) platys are bigger, easier to breed & therefore cheaper in the long run to feed
2) platys can handle lower temperatures (you can keep them with the corydoras if you lower temp very slowly - I keep my cory/guppy/shrimp tank at ~69-70F). That way when you feed them to your axie, if they don't get eaten right away they're not going to suffer a temperature shock, unless you plan on acclimatizing them each time you want to give them as a snack. Sure they're food, but it's still good to treat them humanely

Looks good other than that!

I should be getting an adult, actually, if I get my hands on the one I'm currently looking at. If not, I'll definitely try to stick with a larger individual as suggested. I will be using a feeding jar (I already have one ready!). And I definitely agree - I'll stick to the platys (they're so much more colorful!). The cories already have a new home lined up just in case, but I do think I'll try and slowly acclimate them and keep the breeding tank cool as well. I hadn't even thought of doing that, so thank you so much for mentioning it! Maybe I'll try and get my hands on two chillers, so that I can keep the temperature relatively stable?