"Anonymous" Nobody wrote in message
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New tank setting question:

Just set up a 29-gallon tank.
=================
Setting & Cycling:

Use 3 gold fish and one 3-spot gourami to start the cycle. 1 day
later add 3 danio zebras.

A very unusual mixture of fish.

It's been 6 days so far and the water is still crystal clear. Is it bad
and tend to a longer cycle time? I can see the fish are happy roaming
about and eating good (twice a day, got eaten within 2-3 min).

Ammonia and nitrites at toxic levels can be completely transparent. Fish
are usually pretty oblivious to a bacterial bloom or an algae bloom
(cloudy water). Who told you water clarity had anything to do with water
quality??? Test your ammonia and get ready to start doing 30% water
changes,

It's a 36"x11"x17" (29 Gallon) tank,

Fluval 103 filter (Output 390L(86gal) per hour) with water outlet under
water and the current upside disturbing the surface for aeration. (love
it, so quiet, can sleep 5 feet away from my head).

Hagen Optima air pump with 1 air stone and one 14" air curtain. turned
on for 1-2 hours a day, not always on because of the noise.

The novelty will probably wear off. Hopefully soon, from the fish's
prespective. They can get used to constant noise (like when we use white
noise which masks other noises), or to no noise, but bouncing the noise
levels around is a bit stressful on a fish. Remember that they do much
of their navigation by a 'sonar' system consisting of measuring tiny
vibrations along their lateral line (a line of special scales from their
head to their tail). Now imagine alternating between the turbulence of a
bubble wand to the deafening silence when it turns off. jmo

One 50W heater set to 74F (23C) but always off because the room is
always 74F and the water is always 76-78F (why water is hoter? Maybe
from lighting). Keep it in just in case.

Standard heater for a 29g is 150W. If your ambient ever gets cool, your
heater might not be able to keep up. Aquariums can run a few degrees
warmer than the ambient. Your filter motor, lights and ballast will all
warm the water slightly.

Normal water washed round pebble gravel, 25lbs. 5mm-8mm size.
=======================
Lightly planted, 2-3 small plant.

1 Anubias barteri (spade-like leave, slow growth, tolerate low light)
2 Ophiopogon japonicus 'Kyoto Dwarf'(slow growth, medium light)

Tend to use low-medium light and don't use a top-cover, instead a mesh
to keep air circulated.
=======================
Tend to introduce later:

1-2 pearl gourami (love it, but the existing female 3-spot is an
aggressive one, already chased a smaller male out of tank, well, I took
it out .
2 sunset gouramis.
2 dowarf gouramis.

4 platies (yellow micky mouse or red-all platy)

2-4 Cory cats. (Albino or green or whatever I can get from LFS)

1 clown loach (afraid of its uprooting habit)

Maybe more plant, low light pro.
=======================

So, anyone see ploblem about the setting, just shout...

(Maybe if I get all the fish, it will be a over-populated tank? As gold
fish seem happy in the tank, I may keep them in after the cycling )

The goldfish aren't particulary good tank-mates for tropical fish. Zebra
danios grow to about 3" and Goldfish, 8" and they like to put everything
in their mouths ;~) They also prefer cooler water and they generate more
waste. ymmv

have fun
NetMax

Hope you enjoy helping ...


--
Layne
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