First cichlids added
- Thread starter Rick147
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D
Deleted member 149562
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That is blatant cruelty brought about by your own impatience and frustration at not being able to do things your own way.
D
Deleted member 149562
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African Rift Cichlids need hard water. They need a fully cycled, mature aquarium.
You have very soft water and a partially cycled aquarium.
The fish will die. It will be a slow and painful death.
Good luck with your future fishkeeping endeavours, I hope the fish do not suffer too long as a result. If you will not accept the help and advice being given by everyone here onsite, then I give up on you. Sorry.
You have very soft water and a partially cycled aquarium.
The fish will die. It will be a slow and painful death.
Good luck with your future fishkeeping endeavours, I hope the fish do not suffer too long as a result. If you will not accept the help and advice being given by everyone here onsite, then I give up on you. Sorry.
And make sure the tank is cycled. Having zero ammonia and nitrite is meaningless unless ammonia has been added to the tank, and that ammonia cleared to zeros within 24 hours. A newly filled brand new tank will show zero ammonia and nitrite but not have any bacteria. Then when fish are put in the tank they quickly become non-zero.
A lot of shops will add Rift Lake water conditioner to their cichlid tanks to increase the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of the water. I have to do the same in Perth WA because we have very soft water with virtually no minerals in. I used Aquasonic Rift Lake conditioner and add enough to raise the GH to around 300ppm for Lake Malawi cichlids and 400ppm for Lake Tanganyikan cichlids. The peacock cichlids (Aulonocara sp) you have are from Lake Malawi.
www.thetechden.com.au
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The peacock cichlids you have look like males and the dominant one will bully weaker males. You can reduce aggression by having lots of hiding places and by getting juvenile fish and letting them grow up together. Unfortunately, by putting a group of adult males together, they will probably argue over territories and the biggest one usually wins.
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If you visit a pet shop, ask them if they add anything to raise the pH, GH and KH of their water for their Rift Lake cichlids.
You might also want to find another pet shop if your current one sells you any fish without asking about tank conditions (water chemistry, how long it's been set up for, how big the tank is, etc). Good shops will usually ask these questions before catching out any fish for you. It gives them an idea about what you can and can't stock in the tank and they can direct you towards fishes that are more suited to the tank and water you have.
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If you want to keep the cichlids you currently have, minimise feeding for a few weeks.
Monitor ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels until you are sure the filters have established.
Add some limestone rocks, flower pots or ornaments with holes in to make hiding places.
Add some Rift lake conditioner. You will need to add this to any new water before it goes in the tank. You need to make the water up 24 hours before using it so all the mineral salts dissolve completely.
Aquasonic Riftlake Water Conditioner 500g - Australian Made
Shop The Tech Den Australia for a wide selection of aquarium products including Aquasonic Riftlake Water Conditioner 500g. Enjoy fast flat rate shipping. Orders ship in 1-2 days..
www.thetechden.com.au
--------------------
The peacock cichlids you have look like males and the dominant one will bully weaker males. You can reduce aggression by having lots of hiding places and by getting juvenile fish and letting them grow up together. Unfortunately, by putting a group of adult males together, they will probably argue over territories and the biggest one usually wins.
--------------------
If you visit a pet shop, ask them if they add anything to raise the pH, GH and KH of their water for their Rift Lake cichlids.
You might also want to find another pet shop if your current one sells you any fish without asking about tank conditions (water chemistry, how long it's been set up for, how big the tank is, etc). Good shops will usually ask these questions before catching out any fish for you. It gives them an idea about what you can and can't stock in the tank and they can direct you towards fishes that are more suited to the tank and water you have.
--------------------
If you want to keep the cichlids you currently have, minimise feeding for a few weeks.
Monitor ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels until you are sure the filters have established.
Add some limestone rocks, flower pots or ornaments with holes in to make hiding places.
Add some Rift lake conditioner. You will need to add this to any new water before it goes in the tank. You need to make the water up 24 hours before using it so all the mineral salts dissolve completely.
So I have returned these 4 fish.
I have tested water again today
Ammonia and nitrite are still 0
I’m not sure how much longer you want me to wait, I feel I’ve done everything I should have and better than 99% of the people who just buy a tank put a hose in it and then fish the next day.
What else would you like me to do wasmewasntit
I have tested water again today
Ammonia and nitrite are still 0
I’m not sure how much longer you want me to wait, I feel I’ve done everything I should have and better than 99% of the people who just buy a tank put a hose in it and then fish the next day.
What else would you like me to do wasmewasntit
All we want you do do is add ammonia to the tank and test it 24 hours later for ammonia and nitrite. If both are zero the tank is cycled; if one or both are not zero, the tank is not cycled.
Then once you are 100% sure it is cycled, choose fish which need the same hardness as your tap water, are suitable for the tank size you have, and can live together happily - that means fish which need the same temperature, either all slow swimmers or all fast swimmers, and fish that won't try to kill each other.
Look fish up on Seriously Fish before buying. Check the tank size, hardness and temperature they need and any comments about tank mates to avoid.
www.seriouslyfish.com
Then once you are 100% sure it is cycled, choose fish which need the same hardness as your tap water, are suitable for the tank size you have, and can live together happily - that means fish which need the same temperature, either all slow swimmers or all fast swimmers, and fish that won't try to kill each other.
Look fish up on Seriously Fish before buying. Check the tank size, hardness and temperature they need and any comments about tank mates to avoid.
Knowledge Base — Seriously Fish
www.seriouslyfish.com
aquarium coop youtube nitrogen cycle - Search Videos
aquarium coop youtube nitrogen cycle - Search Videos
These can help with understanding cycling. The literature/ articles can be very wordy.
I will get some ammonia and add.
After thinking about it and advice on here I will change to American cichlids
I went to a different shop to take the fish to and while there seen Oscar’s which I like but get to big.
I liked blue eyed and rainbow cichlids
Will these 2 be compatible?
After thinking about it and advice on here I will change to American cichlids
I went to a different shop to take the fish to and while there seen Oscar’s which I like but get to big.
I liked blue eyed and rainbow cichlids
Will these 2 be compatible?
I think those will be fine but only in females or males but I may be corrected on that. I remember reading somewhere they get pretty aggressive to others if they breed with one another
I understand your frustration and why you should be confused as well, I would too! Lots of opinions but basically all trying to give you the best advice. Yes, your tank needs to cycled before anything, remember the cycling starts in your filter and that is where the beneficial bacteria will reside to break down some of the impurities harmful to fish so it is important to keep that filter going and not to change but to rinse the filter media. You say ammonia and nitrites are zero but I don't know the current situation with your cycling or how long it's been going.
Cycling out of the way, I don't see why you can't keep African cichlids, your water might be very soft and definitely not ideal for them but there are many ways to buffer or to get the water in the tank to where they can live in, many do it but that that's a whole other topic. Also, you can ask those in your neck of the woods how they keep African cichlids.
American cichlids could be a good choice if you choose to go that way.
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