Newbie tank setup

[Huugs]

Hi. I have a new tank and I want to know whether people feel it is better to cycle the tank with or without fish? I have the fish already but they are in another tank.

If I put them in before the tank has finished its cycle wont the high ammonia and nitrite levels be harmful for them?

They are goldfish btw. The new tank is about a 12 US Gal tank and has a Fluval 2plus filter that came with it. I take it from other posts using the Nutrafin cycle stuff that was included to get the cycle started is not a good idea?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Lexus]

Well honestly you shouldnt keep goldfish in a 12G. What kind of goldfish are they? Are they comets or fancy fantailed? Fantailed should have 20G for the first fish and 10G for every fish after and comets should not be kept in a aquarium at all unless it is very large.

Goldfish produce a lot of ammonia and waste so keeping them in a 12G you would have to do a lot of water changes to keep up.

If i were you I would cycle with the goldfish then if they survive give them back to the store and go tropical.

[MyraVan]

If i were you I would cycle with the goldfish then if they survive give them back to the store and go tropical.

I'm just being picky here... There are plenty of interesting fish that can go in an unheated tank. Although most of them are a bit too big for a 12 gallon tank (like dojo loaches or rosy barbs). But danios or gold barbs would work, or white cloud mountain minnows.

[Huugs]

Sorry kinda realised this was the wrong section to post in after i had done it. They are just normal goldfish nothing special. How odten are we talking of water changes?

[osteoporoosi]

50gallons would be more appropriate for few goldfish, though they are schooling fish.Mountain minnows would be better for an unheated small tank.
Do waterchanges every other day for now to keep the ammonia down. Fishless cycle is better, cycling with fish can kill or weaken the fish and definately shorten its lifetime.