I heard that Guaramis or betta fish are good fish to start with in a new tank because they breath air. I was wondering how true this actually is.
-thanks
-thanks
Labyrinth fish as starters?
- Thread starter betsonmets12
- Start date
It is true that they can breathe air. The common belief that this makes them good for cycling tanks is bunk though. These fish do have gills and are just as succeptable to damage from ammonia and nitrite as any other fish. The labarynth organ is designed for low oxygen environments, not for high pollution. They are as good as a lot fish for fishy cycling (not my method of reccomendation), but are not superior for that purpose.
Dave
Dave
agreed they can breath from the air and from the water. but can't breath entirely on one they must breath from the water and from the air.
I think bettas are nice for begginner because they can do well in a small tank. (although they should be in something bigger than the cup they useally come in).
Small tanks aren't good for beginners--they go bad too fast than a larger volume of water.
Any fish used for fishless cycling will be exposed to harmful toxins. Keeping the levels as low as possible through frequent water changes increases the odds for survival with any species. With things like bettas, they tend to suffer from bacterial infections in their fins much more often if used in cycling (based entirely on observations on the boards).
Any fish used for fishless cycling will be exposed to harmful toxins. Keeping the levels as low as possible through frequent water changes increases the odds for survival with any species. With things like bettas, they tend to suffer from bacterial infections in their fins much more often if used in cycling (based entirely on observations on the boards).