starting fish

Question
i have a couple of questions. you mentioned fishless cycling how is this done? and of those two fish could the lemon tetras be replaced with neons and which fish would i start with to cycle my tank if i do it with fish
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Followup To

Question -
I have a ten gallon L20' W10' H12' and i would like to know how many inches of fish i can put in there without overcrowding i have heard the one inch rule and the two inch rule and all the other rules and i would like to know your opinyon. Also what would be a good community of fish i would like as many species as possible in my tank.

Answer -
Dear Luke,
Because as you know 10 gallons is quite small and does limit your choice of fish and numbers greatly, and because of it's small size that pollution problems and overcrowding can be signifigantly greater than larger aquariums, special care must be taken in the species and number of fish in that aquarium. Something that would be a minor problem in say a 30gal could be a very big problem in a 10gal.



Fish cycling includes adding 1-2 hardy fish like the Black skirt tetra and testing your ammonia and nitrite levels everyday for the next several weeks. Feeding lightly once a day insures the fish is not under dangerous ammonia levels. It is so important to be patient and don't rush about stocking your aquarium too soon or you can have a terrible disaster and the result is losing your beloved fish. Wait until your aquarium is fully established before adding anymore fish or aquatic life. Established aquariums will have ammonia and nitrite readings consistantly ZERO. Once you get these readings it is now safe to add a few fish per week until you gradually build the number of fish you planned for.

I think your aquarium would do excellent with a few species of fish that maintain all three levels in your tank- the top, middle and bottom.
Having a setup like this will insure there aren't bare or empty spaces in your aquarium but remember this is a small tank and we have to be careful with stocking.
Also remember that even though some fish like Danios are known as top-dwellers, they will often explore the bottom and middle areas of your tank as well but this just makes the display that much more interesting.

Here's a suggestion I might try for your tank-
Top Dwellers- 6 Zebra Danios
Top/mid dwellers- 3 Platies
Mid-dweller- 6 Lemon tetras
Bottom dwellers- 3-4 Corydoras catfish
*This setup will certainly provide some color and entertainment but a setup of tiny fish also is interesting and is excellent for your size aquarium-
6 Spotted Danios
4 Botia Sidthimunki (dwarf loach)
6 Dwarf Pencilfish
4-5 Pygmy or Dwarf Corydoras
And as a 'centerpiece' or show fish-
1 pair of Pygmy Gouramis makes a sparkling little display.  Sometimes Pygmy gouramis are hard to find but  Honey Dwarf Gouramis (Colisa Chuna) work well and grow to be about 2 inches.

~A planted aquarium with even just hardy or low light plants is always best in a small tank situation as well. The aquatic plants absorb nitrate and other fish waste pollutants and also make small little fish feel much safer and show more brilliant colors.

Remember that frequent water changes and light feeding is extremely important for small aquariums like yours. Try to do a water change twice a week. 30% is a good place to start but there is no set rule because it all depends upon your stocking levels.

I hope I've helped with your decision on what fish to keep in your aquarium. It's true that the 1 inch per gallon rule can ONLY work for tiny 1 slim bodied fish like neons and even then it can be misleading. It's best to stick with tiny fish because their bioload will be low and with good care and plenty of water changes, sometimes 10 gallon displays can be the most brilliant of all!

Best wishes,
Karen~

Answer
A big hello again Luke!
Here's a in-depth article on fishless cycling from a very reliable website I trust-
"www.fishtanksandponds.net/setting-up/ethics/fishless cycling.htm"

*Sure you could replace the Lemon tetras with Neons! All the more fantastic of display! ;-)

If you were to fish cycle with the first group you'd use about 3-4 Zebra danios for cycling. Then gradually build up your other schools of fish once you are finished cycling. Quite the same for the next group of fish--the spotted danios would be used for cycling 3-4.

I really hope this helps!
Only my very best wishes as always!
Karen~