How Do I Get Better Sucess For Convict Chichlids

[shadowzbane]

I have had convic chichlids before and they have all died on me. I did not have them for more than 6 months.
I want to have more sucess with convict chichlids so I can breed them and just keep them alive. I clean my tank. I check my water, I have checked the water with the dip stick and I have also used the liquid chemical ones. Recently I have been using strips but i think they were expired before I bought them. I had no fish while I was using the strips and it said my water was fine. I had my water sampled by the pros and they say it is to dangerous (high nitrate) for the fish and to do a 50% water change. so I did. I fed them 2 times a day. but i think I have been over feeding them because the tank is supper messy. I also noticed that all of my fish were dying and some were like laying in the water all paralyced and some had white spots. I have removed all of the water out so I dont have ich. What kind of fish food do I have to feed them. In the past I have used chichlids flakes pellets and blood worms and some shrimpy stuff. how big of a tank is recomended for a chichlids convicts. I have a 55 gallon tank. thank you for the adivice


shadowzbane

 

[drobbyb]

55 gallons is plenty enough size for convicts. How long has your tank been cycled? Did you do a fish-in cycle or a fishless one? Toss the strips and use a liquid reagent type test kit. Make sure you follow the instructions exactly, especially the nitrate ones as they need to be shook for a period of time before they are ready to test.

What other fish are in the tank?

Removing the water does not get rid of ich, it's a parasite that only spends a limited amount of time in the water/gravel before it re-infects the fish.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Convicts are one of- or probably the most hardy and prolific fish around.... My guess is that you are grossly overfeeding them (as you also mention) Feed them ordinary Cichlid pellets once per day and no more than they can consume in up to (about) 3 minutes.

 

[shadowzbane]

I cycled my tank for thirty days without fish. I purchased two chiclids convicts and they have both died. i purchased a chemical test to check my nirtite and nitrate and ammonia levles and they were fine. i purchased four more chiclids one was a convict. within 60 days they all died. i also noticed that two had white spots. they would swim around and rub against the orniments. some swam at the top of the tank and would only swim in one direction. i also have an bubbler and the fish would stay by that then they looked like they could breath better. the filter i am using is a penquin 350 bio wheel. it is recomended that u change the filter every four to six weeks. so we did change the filter every four to six weeks. i clened my tank really good, and i washed the gravel in water only i also washed my ormiments with water only. i also did a 50% water change then i let my tank run for two weeks. then i purchased two more chichlids and a plecy. when we added algey fix my plecy died. we figured out wy the plecy died algey fix within a week in a half one died and 2 and a half weeks later the other one died on me. i noticed the fish looked healthy there were no white spots they died the same way as the others did but like i said they had no white spots. the town that i live in uses chlorine to treat the water. i have tested and i have had pet smart test my water and both tests said my water was fine. pet smart uses the test strips that i am not pleased with. i am going to purchase another chemical test kit because it has more accuracy. i am getting rather frustrated with my fish dying all of the time. i am being told by pet smart that i am doing every thing right but my fish keep on dying. any furhter help would be useful. i love convicts cause i think they are cool. thank you for the advice.


shadowzbane

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Stop changing the filter, it takes all the good bacteria out, basically every time you do that you are re-cycling the tank with the fish in it, which is why they keep getting ich. Just do a weekly water change where you vacumn the gravel and just rub the filter pad in the bucket of old tank water to get the major gunk off and then stick it back in the filter. There are a lot of pinned acticles on cycling and stuff on the boards, read those.

Also, don't add any more fish yet, and after you get everything figured out I would say just add one at a time for the moment.


Do you still have any fish left, how many are there, and what kind?

 

[drobbyb]

Yeah, it sounds like you are overcleaning your tank. As stated don't replace those inserts! Only replace them when they are literally falling apart. I know the box says to change them, but they are trying to get you to buy more inserts from them. It's simply not needed.

When you say you let the tank cycle for a month, did you have any fish in there? Did you add any ammonia like in a fishless cycle? Simply filling the tank with water and let it sit for 30 days does nothing regardless what the guy at the fish shop told you. They are in it to make money. We offer our advice for free. If you go into the shop and tell them the things we said, they will say not to trust us and to do what they have told you. Trust me when I say that we are right and they are wrong. I've been in the hobby for 17 years, and I know what works and what doesn't.

Simply put, us here on the forum are only out for your best interest, saving you some money along the way.

Have a read in the Beginners Resource Center. It has loads of vital and useful information, all of it true.

 

[shadowzbane]

i have no more fish in my 55 gollon. I i trust your adivice so i will only change the filter when it is falling apart. how often do you sugjest i clean my tank. i do it like every 3 weeks. how much should i take out. i am working on my tank to get it clean cause last time i clean it like 4 days ago there was a bunch of calcium in the gravel. plus when we put the suction on the bottom of the tank there was this toxic green cloud that me and my uncle think it was a bunch of alge. but we have all of that stuff out. so my tank does not look so fogy. the gravel looks really clean. and i dont think my my nitrites and nitrates and amonia are that dangerous any more.` i hopefuly plan on getting a fish in the next 2-7 day. i plan on getting a small convict chichlid. or should i get a big one or wait a little while longer and let my filter cycle some more.


shadowzbane

 

[kaivalagi]

I'd say that as your tank has no fish right now and we don't really knows what might be wrong in there, I would suggest (in order of preference) either:
1) Cleaning everything (incl. gravel several times over) with normal tap water (chlorine included) and then start a fish-less cycle dosing with Ammonia (may take some time before you can add fish).
2) Do a fish-in cycle using fish other than Cichlids, Danios maybe? Once the tank has gone through the nitrogen cycle (NH3+NO2 = 0) then add one convict at a time. 4 or 5 danios in the tank wouldn't cause any issue with Convicts

I must say though that I'm a novice in comparison to most of the guys here (only started with the hobby in October 09) so my advice may be a little overkill! It just sounds like you need to start at the beginning rather than begin where you left off.

 

[drobbyb]

You might benefit from reading the topics in the beginners resource center found here. Pay special attention to the Nitrogen Cycle, Fish-in cycling and Fishless cycling. Those 3 topics will help you understand what is really going in in your tank. As you already know, you can't just toss fish in a tank with water in it. It's much more complicated than that.

 

[kaivalagi]

You might benefit from reading the topics in the beginners resource center found here. Pay special attention to the Nitrogen Cycle, Fish-in cycling and Fishless cycling. Those 3 topics will help you understand what is really going in in your tank. As you already know, you can't just toss fish in a tank with water in it. It's much more complicated than that.

+1

Most definately understand all the basics before anything else - and don't listen to those pesky shopkeepers (most of them anyway) as you are well aware of now

 

[Shelby]

Shadow, go back to using the liquid master test kit and check your water parameters. Then, get some household amonia and start a fishless cycle.

When you get everything going according to the fishless cycle information add your fish one at a time over an extended perioud of time. I'm sure someone on here can tell you the time frame to add the fish. If you add them too fast your tank will go to heck like mine did when your brothers added 7 fish at once. Lots of bad things happen!

 

[bitteraspects]

I clean my tanks thoroughly every week. Including the filters. I also do WC twice a week on some of my tanks. Contrary to what some people might tell you about overcleaning your filters or tank, it it absolutely false.

Also, your bio-wheel is what holds your bacteria. By regularly changing the filter cartridge, you promote bacterial colonization in the wheel. Change your filter cartridge according to the instructions on tthe package. once your tank is cycled and your bacterial colony is set, changing the cartridge will have little to no effect on the tank.
Your best bet is to just get a better filter. Cartridge HOB filters are not very good.

Oh and feeding cichlids 2x a day is not a problem if you only feed what they will eat in a few minutes and keep up with your weekly WC.

 

[drobbyb]

I've had biowheel filters for some time now, and I can tell you that if I change the inserts, it sends me into a mini cycle, regardless of the biowheel, every time.

 

[shadowzbane]

hey mom what is a water parameter. oh i havent bought any house hold amonia. havent had much time. i am going to try a fishless cycle but it has to wait becuase i have to find som amonia first. i might try to cycle my tank with some danios first cause i cant find the amonia. so am going to do that have to go post more later bell rang for class

 

[bitteraspects]

I've had biowheel filters for some time now, and I can tell you that if I change the inserts, it sends me into a mini cycle, regardless of the biowheel, every time.

That's because those HOB filters are garbage. Change over to AquaClear ASAP. You will never have that problem again.