# Add the fish all at once?



## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

Would like people's opinions here...

I've just (two days ago) set up a 250l heavily planted tank, Flourite with a very thin layer of peat and mulm on the bottom, established biomedia in an Eheim 2028, ferts and CO2 from day one.

Everything is going well and I'm now looking at the stocking of the tank. I'm thinking about stocking it with 50 Rasbora heteromorpha, 12 Otos and about 30 Caridina japonica shrimp.

I'd like to get the fish and shrimp into the tank either next week or the week after (depending on the arrival of my fish order at the LFS). My question is: Given that the tank is heavily planted and growing well, should I just go ahead and add all the fish and shrimp at the same time?


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## ranmasatome (Aug 5, 2005)

i dont think that would be the wise thing to do. Your tank may be able to handle it but it will still affect the system to some degree.. you can introduce fish daily.. like 5 at a time or something..


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

If I don't go through a cycle, there should be no problem right?

On the other hand, will adding such a bioload all at once trigger a cycle? This is where I'm having doubts...


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

The colonies of bacteria may not be able to handle that load since they take time to reach maximum capacity and even though you have plants, I'm not sure it's worth taking the risk. Why not add all the shrimp, wait 5 days, then add the Otos, wait a week, then add 20 Rasboras, wait a week more, and add 30 Rasboras. During that time you should check ammonia and nitrite levels to make sure their at 0 before adding anymore fish. 

Is there a reason you need to add them all at once?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I agree, I don't think I'd risk adding that much at one time to a brand new tank.
If you have another established tank that you can add a bunch of stuff from (filter media, rocks, driftwood, etc.), that may help handle the load quite a bit better, so you could probably add more than you otherwise could without it. I still don't think I'd take the chance of adding that much all at once, just in case. Think of all the money that would be down the drain if something happened, and you just put all your eggs in one basket...


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## shalu (Oct 1, 2004)

I would add some Rasbora heteromorpha, Otos right now. Caridina japonica shrimp a week later. Fish can take a tiny/short ammonia spike just fine(if you get one at all). Shrimp are more sensitive.

I recently added 7 1.5"-2" discus, 10 baby blue rams to a mature planted 10 gallon, well, 9 gallon since the top is broken so can't fill to top . I won them from the aquarium society auction. Existing residents were a few tiny fish and about 30 cherry red shrimp, no NH3/NO2 problem at all. Discus were put there for deworming, they are moved to 55 gallon now after two weeks.


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## modernhamlet (Aug 9, 2005)

Maybe I'm showing my lack of planted tank knowledge here, but why not do a fishless cycle? Between the bacteria plants add to the tank when introduced and their own nitrogen absorbing ability, surely a heavily planted tank could fishless cycle in two weeks or perhaps even less, no?


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## shalu (Oct 1, 2004)

modernhamlet said:


> Maybe I'm showing my lack of planted tank knowledge here, but why not do a fishless cycle? Between the bacteria plants add to the tank when introduced and their own nitrogen absorbing ability, surely a heavily planted tank could fishless cycle in two weeks or perhaps even less, no?


Can you say "green water"? 
Fishless cycle is not needed in planted tank:
http://rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm


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## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

Once you have a well established tank it's amazing what you can add in (bioload wise) and not make a dent. But for something less than a week old, even if it's packed full of plants you'll still get (if nothing else) a nitrite spike if you dump a mess of fish in at once.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

Many thanks for the inputs.

The reason I was thinking of adding them all at once was a question of logistics more than anything else. This tank is set up in a Physio/fitness center so it's not at home.

In previous planted tanks I've set up I've never seen a cycle but I didn't add so many fish at once.

To play it safe maybe what I'll do is add the Otos and 15 Rasboras now, in one week the shrimp and another 15 Rasboras and in two weeks the last 20 Rasboras. How does this sound?

Though I'm almost sure that the plants and the established biomedia from another tank would handle the load...


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