African Chiclid Help

[dthoffsett]

Since you are still showing levels on nitrite, you should be doing daily or every other day water changes of about 30% to avoid losing fish. What test kit are you using? The test strips or a liquid test kit?

 

[impact1122]

Since you are still showing levels on nitrite, you should be doing daily or every other day water changes of about 30% to avoid losing fish. What test kit are you using? The test strips or a liquid test kit?

I am using a liquid test kit. Is one better than the other?

I made a list of the fish that I would like. I wrote down multiple types since I wasn't sure which ones were compatable with eachother

PS Kenyi
Mel Auratus
PS Macropthalmus Chillumba
PS Zebra Red
Yellow Lab
PS Demasoni
Mel Fucus

I tried to look up some of the profiles but I could not find them.

 

[james41683]

PS Kenyi
Mel Auratus
PS Macropthalmus Chillumba
PS Zebra Red
Yellow Lab
PS Demasoni
Mel Fucus

I tried to look up some of the profiles but I could not find them.

honestly i would stay away from the m. auratus, very mean fish. kenyi can also be pretty bad, i had to take one back to the store because he was driving everyone crazy. for a beginner i would definitely suggested the yellow labs, they a pretty peaceful also pseudotropeus acei is pretty calm and also patrol higher parts of the aquarium where alot of africans hang around the bottom.

 

[dthoffsett]

Liquid test kits are the way to go , the paper test kits are inaccurate which is why I asked.

PS Kenyi - metriaclima lombardoi, these guys are pretty aggressive and should be kept in 75gal or more
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=798"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=798[/URL]
Mel Auratus - melanochromis auratus, highly aggressive as are all the melanochromis species, IMO should only be kept in 75gal as a species tank, or 100+ gallons with other aggressive species
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=750"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=750[/URL]
PS Macropthalmus Chillumba - I've never heard of this, the closest I could come to was Labeotropheus trewavasae (Chilumba). Great fish, they just get a bit too large for your tank.
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1696"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1696[/URL]
PS Zebra Red - metriaclima estherae, another great species, would be fine for your tank.
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1730"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1730[/URL]
Yellow Lab - labidochromis caeruleus, excellent species, I recommend everyone keep them at least once.
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=713"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=713[/URL]
PS Demasoni - pseudotropheus demasoni, these are great little guys, however because they are so highly aggressive to their own kind (they tend to ignore other species) it's best to keep either a single specimen or 12+
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=849"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=849[/URL]
Mel Fucus - couldn't find any species that goes by this name, I'm assuming it's a melanochromis species, so here's a list of those.
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/results.php?genus=122"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/results.php?genus=122[/URL]

 

[impact1122]

Liquid test kits are the way to go , the paper test kits are inaccurate which is why I asked.

PS Kenyi - metriaclima lombardoi, these guys are pretty aggressive and should be kept in 75gal or more
<a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=798" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=798</a>
Mel Auratus - melanochromis auratus, highly aggressive as are all the melanochromis species, IMO should only be kept in 75gal as a species tank, or 100+ gallons with other aggressive species
<a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=750" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=750</a>
PS Macropthalmus Chillumba - I've never heard of this, the closest I could come to was Labeotropheus trewavasae (Chilumba). Great fish, they just get a bit too large for your tank.
<a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1696" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1696</a>
PS Zebra Red - metriaclima estherae, another great species, would be fine for your tank.
<a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1730" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1730</a>
Yellow Lab - labidochromis caeruleus, excellent species, I recommend everyone keep them at least once.
<a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=713" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=713</a>
PS Demasoni - pseudotropheus demasoni, these are great little guys, however because they are so highly aggressive to their own kind (they tend to ignore other species) it's best to keep either a single specimen or 12+
<a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=849" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=849</a>
Mel Fucus - couldn't find any species that goes by this name, I'm assuming it's a melanochromis species, so here's a list of those.
<a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/results.php?genus=122" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/results.php?genus=122</a>

Thanks for the links. I have no idea how you found the profiles. I was only able to find one of the fish that I listed.

I did a 30% water change the other day and now my Ammonia and Nitrites are at 0.0 and my Nitrates are at 10ppm. At what ppm are Nitrates too high?

 

[dthoffsett]

Thanks for the links. I have no idea how you found the profiles. I was only able to find one of the fish that I listed.

I did a 30% water change the other day and now my Ammonia and Nitrites are at 0.0 and my Nitrates are at 10ppm. At what ppm are Nitrates too high?

I've done lots of research over the last couple of years on mbuna, and after awhile you start to recognize common names given and remember different scientific names. It just takes practice.

You've hit on a pretty debated thing in the world of fish keeping. Nitrate levels, many places will argue that any level over 50ppm is too high, however, as Andywg has pointed out many times, there is no scientific data to prove that any level under 400 ppm is detrimental. That said, if you check your nitrate levels regularly, and if you see a rise of 25-50ppm, I'd suggest doing a water change.

 

[impact1122]

Thanks for the links. I have no idea how you found the profiles. I was only able to find one of the fish that I listed.

I did a 30% water change the other day and now my Ammonia and Nitrites are at 0.0 and my Nitrates are at 10ppm. At what ppm are Nitrates too high?

I've done lots of research over the last couple of years on mbuna, and after awhile you start to recognize common names given and remember different scientific names. It just takes practice.

You've hit on a pretty debated thing in the world of fish keeping. Nitrate levels, many places will argue that any level over 50ppm is too high, however, as Andywg has pointed out many times, there is no scientific data to prove that any level under 400 ppm is detrimental. That said, if you check your nitrate levels regularly, and if you see a rise of 25-50ppm, I'd suggest doing a water change.

Thanks for all your help. I am sure I will have more questions but that will be for another time lol.

Thanks again!

 

[Soaup]

Two things... First, Spots on the anal fin do not mean that its definatly a male. I also second the definatly stay away from the Mel Auratus. They are very very aggressive, If you must, try the females, they remain yellow after maturing.