5Ft Seabray Dolphin Tank With Sa/ca Cichlids

[PDSimon]

Even the experienced can make mistakes ay!

lol...not that experienced, only started last October. I was in too much of a bloody rush to get my tank setup...I'm good with the science but I can still be a plonker

The temp is finally right at 25C but I'll need to wait until a nights sleep anyway cause the water is STILL cloudy and I can't wait much longer...this sand I got has really turned out to be a bit too fine me thinks. Looks very nice though.

Worst case if there is still a problem in the morning I'll have to do a BIG water change (90%) and start to bring the temp up again which will probably take me all day. The fish seem happy in their bucket atleast.

I got a 500ml bottle of Seachem Prime through ebay a couple of days back, 5ml does 200L so I have plenty of water mileage

I'm sure they'll be fine

 

[cheesy feet]

Hmm, although never keeping a festae myself, I would definitely not try and include one with your original stocking....I find that sometimes when adding a new substrate it is best to water change after leaving it to settle, sucking up any other debris as well as rinsing the media.

 

[kaivalagi]

Yeah, the festae although nice looking is rather nasty and I wont risk it with my other fish...I think it will be a couple of sevs next and maybe a female nic and male blue acara thrown in too...

I might well do a big water change tomorrow regardless of the state of the tank, and will definitely fully rinse out the new filter I am using in the tank at the moment. I'll probably almost empty the tank using the garden hose to the bath, then refill again, dechlorinate and bring up the temp again....I might use the kettle tomorrow too to help the temp along...I want to get the fish in there before work starts on Monday if at all possible.

What do you all think would be best for water changes in the long term? I am toying with making a DIY python using some hose fittings and about 10ft of the garden hose...do you think I'll get away without dechlorinating and heating for 20% water change using a hose? Or should I at least turn off the filter, add dechlorinater to the tank and then fill? So far I've been extra cautious with water changes matching temp and dechlorinating regardless of the amount changed in my old 125L tank but with this bigger tank I just think I should make life easier for myself...

 

[cheesy feet]

I might well do a big water change tomorrow regardless of the state of the tank, and will definitely fully rinse out the new filter I am using in the tank at the moment. I'll probably almost empty the tank using the garden hose to the bath, then refill again, dechlorinate and bring up the temp again....I might use the kettle tomorrow too to help the temp along...I want to get the fish in there before work starts on Monday if at all possible.

What do you all think would be best for water changes in the long term? I am toying with making a DIY python using some hose fittings and about 10ft of the garden hose...do you think I'll get away without dechlorinating and heating for 20% water change using a hose? Or should I at least turn off the filter, add dechlorinater to the tank and then fill? So far I've been extra cautious with water changes matching temp and dechlorinating regardless of the amount changed in my old 125L tank but with this bigger tank I just think I should make life easier for myself...

I get away with using no dechlorinator doing 50% wc weekly on most of my tanks, with cold water (although in the winter it needs a mix). Most the chlorine airs off shortly after being added to the tank...Which is why I would suggest not using any dechlor when starting up, since by the time you've left it to warm up it would be fine.
But yeah, adding dechlor before a water change is fine.I would carry out larger water changes weekly, which should help promote growth.

 

[c-dub]

Looks fantastic!

 

[kaivalagi]

Well as of this morning it has almost cleared but I still cannot see end to end down the tank fully. This is what it looked like first thing (had to put something in the tank

):

After a quick trip to Homebase to get the bits for a DIY python syphon I am going to drain almost all the water and refill...good job I am on a fixed rate water charge

 

[kaivalagi]

Sorted out a DIY Python gadget thingy and am now syphoning off all the water in the tank, it's a bit slow going but handsfree

My new DIY Python thing I put together this morning:

I do not have a mixer tap anywhere in the house so couldn't currently add hot water, not that it matters though as I have a normal gas boiler so adding any hot water is a no-no due to the copper...

 

[minxfishy]

The silly amounts of copper (if any) in the water would be taken care of by dechlorinator anyway, so adding from a hot water boiler system wouldnt cause any problems. I add water (from mixer tap) hot and cold thru a combination boiler and never had any problems with copper even when I used to own shrimp. Although of course its personal preference. You could always add boiled water (from kettle) to get the temperature up if your at all concerned.

As for the stocking, the only thing I would add is a word of caution on female nicaraguans. I (a while back) had two females, one far more dominant than the others, she eventually killed her sibling and literally took over the tank, which at the time had severums and aureus, Oscar and GT. I eventually rehomed her because her aggression was too much. A few months ago, I got another female Nic, who for a while was quite placid, then aggression once again became a problem, she took a serious dislike to a gold severum and my geophagus species, again I rehomed her too. Male nics are less aggressive, but females Ive given up on due to their aggression. Of course its always down to individual fish, but thought Id add my experience with them.

Edit: Nice tank btw Also If you can find some, add some more geophagus, they do like to be in groups and look fantastic swimming around together, I also find them very useful in digging up the substrate and keeping it looking nice and clean.

 

[kaivalagi]

Thanks for the heads up on the Nic Minxfishy, I will not add one based on your experiences...sure there's a chance it would be fine but if you've added 2 over time and both are a bit much for the other fish (especially a Sev or GT) then that's enough for me to say no to one.

There are plenty of other fish I like...and to be honest I think I'll want to save as much of the stocking capacity for Sevs anyway

edit: Yes I have read they like being in groups, would I necessarily need to keep all the same i.e. all Tapajos or could add have a bit of variety? I'm not interested in breeding in this tank, my old 125L will be for that with some sort of small cichlid when I get around to that tank again

I'll see what I can come up with w.r.t. the mixer tap issue I have...again thanks for the advice, much appreciated

 

[minxfishy]

If you can Id stick with the same species, they much prefer it, although breeding might not be a problem with different species, different geo species have differing aggression levels, although none overly so. Suriamensis species more aggressive than tapajos, particulary if not in large enough groups to spread the problem around. And Brasilensis far more so than Suriamensis, red hump somewhere in between those too.

I dont want to put you off the Nic, some people have no problems with them, Wills on here has one that is perfectly fine, just wanted to add my experience so you could be aware in case

 

[kaivalagi]

No probs with the Nic advice Minxfishy, I understand where you are coming from and I have seen Willis's stock and know he's fine with the Nic, I would just sooner be safe than sorry...

If I can get any more Tapajos I will, maybe add another 3 if where I got the first still has some available. They won't go around beating on the other fish once in a group will they? Also my pH is around 7.5, a little high for them when wild caught...the one I have seems fine with the pH as I think it's captive bred (F1 I think the term is?)...I guess I'll have to be a little bit careful about whether I get F0 or F1/2 etc...

 

[minxfishy]

7.5 is fine, so long as you acclimatise in the normal way, my tap ph is 7.8, lowered in tank to 7.4 and my geos are and always have been fine and thriving in it.

No a group of geo's will spread any aggression amongst themselves as they choose a pecking order, never had problems with Geo's and other fish, they pretty much keep to themselves

 

[kaivalagi]

Well I've more or less emptied the tank, then refilled to 30%, then emptied again and finally refilled to a level I can heat with both an internal and external heater. Just got a waiting game for the temp to come up...with the odd boiled kettle thrown in for good measure. The tank now looks like this just after filling, no settling time needed at all now:

Much better

edit: 14:15 - Decided to rig up the python hose to the hot tank to get the temp up quicker...now at 22C...

 

[bullit]

I have a blue eyed ciclid thats nice looking. It might be worth a look

 

[kaivalagi]

I have a blue eyed ciclid thats nice looking. It might be worth a look

Already on the list I think Cutteri are one in the same right?

Cheers