New Tank - Biological Enhancer

[Bopowarls]

Hi everyone,

I have a fluval edge 23L which is is full of plants (wouldn't call it heavily planted as I've gone for a fair bit of carpeting). The tank has been lifeless for about a month, with regular water changes, fertilizing and dosing with easycarbo. Plants are doing well, nice and green and steady / slow growth rate (expected with my fluval edge set up and standard LED lights).

I have not bothered with any sort of water testing at all. After about a month I introduced 10 yellow sakura shrimp and they have been thriving. Did an amazing job overnight of cleaning the entire tank...

I am thinking about adding a small fish sometime in Feb. I never added the biological enhancer that came with the pack when I started up my tank (was this a mistake?). Should I be testing the water before adding a fish or can I go ahead without testing. I want to avoid testing if possible.

This is all new to me so any advice appreciated.

Owen

 

[alto]

Research laboratory testing has shown that water under aquarium conditions “cycles” regardless of any additives - that is, a complex of microflora develops - so you definitely don’t need to add any of those marvellous “bacteria in a bottle” elixirs so enthusiastically promoted by various aquarium hobby companies - though there are varied benefits to these compounds (depending upon manufacturer)

Your thriving shrimp are a good indication of excellent water conditions

When you begin to add fish, they will produce ammonia at levels beyond what your tank has previously experienced
So be conservative, don’t suddenly add a large bioload to a small tank without considering how best to moderate the expected surge in ammonia etc
- daily water changes of 25-50%
- feeding minimal amounts of fish food: most people drastically overfeed resulting in uneaten food breaking down, also food that is fast tracked through fish so more minimally digested food breaking down, etc
- only feed alternate days, or, twice weekly (this rather depends on fish purchased, fish that are nicely rounded can easily manage a couple weeks with little food, thin or emaciated fish will need to be fed more frequently)
- fast growing plants - usually stem plants - will often uptake ammonia as it’s produced BUT the relative masses of plant:fish is an important consideration
- carpet plants can also be quite fast growing as well depending upon type and conditions (light, CO2 etc)

As you’re looking to add fish in February, you can easily increase the aquarium’s “biocapacity” by feeding as if fish were present - well a little less actually as there’s only shrimp about now
Note that shrimp feasting on bountiful fish food will often be less committed to algae duty, so I’d only add food maybe 2 days a week

Another consideration re water changes and shrimp, if you usually change 25%, increase this gradually to a larger water change - while some shrimp manage just fine with sudden large water changes, there are also many reports of shrimp deaths after the same ... conservative methods usually have a more predictable outcome 🙂

 

[Konsa]

Hi
If the shripms are doing well.U dont need to worry about testing the water. They are more sensitive critters than fish.My only concern is that tank is tiny.Its ok for shrimps that have negligible impact on the bioload but with fish it may be different .What fish and how many U thinking of?
Regards Konsa

 

[Bopowarls]

Morning Konsa,

Thanks for the info, I'm glad I don't have to do any testing. The shrimp are doing very well. One is already carrying eggs.
Fish wise I thinking guppies as apparently they can be OK in the small 6gallon tank. But happy to take advice. Appreciate most people have said to keep the tank as a shrimp tank but I know others have kept very healthy fish safely in a fluval edge.

Owen

 

[Konsa]

Hi
Have a look at Boraras sp (Chilli rasboras and the likes) ,pigmy corries
They may be good option for U.
Female guppies grow quite large for 23l tank imo.
Regards Konsa

 

[akwarium]

Hello,

There are quite some fish that can do great in a tank like this, but the combination with shrimp narrows it down. Boraras spp. is indeed a good suggestion,
Celestichthys margaritatus could be nice, or male endler guppies Poecilia wingei (females are larger, act quite territorially, and will cause the population to grow fast)