New 20 Gal Set Up Cnvict Cichlids

[Convict420]

Hi,
i just picked up this hobby not too long ago, and i have now set up a 20 gal tank with an up to 30 gal filter and air pump. i just started cycling today and have a female convict (about 2 1/2 in.) . i have some questions.

1. how often should i feed? i have tropical flake food as well as some frozen brine shrimp [about to start a hatchery for brine shrimp] . and how often should i switch off from the two?

2. is 20 gal big enough for second or third convict?

3. prefer Male or Female personalities?


thanks for any advice

-chris

 

[dudleyd]

I think first that you need to read OM47's guide to fish in cycling wgich can be found HERE.
As for the rest i'm a bit new to help, sorry.

 

[holidayinn]

Yeah, you're going through a fish-in cycle, which means regular waterchanges, and I wouldnt add anymore fish until the tank is cycled (or do a fishless cycle). Check Dudley's link.

If the Con is 2"+, you could use a pellet for its staple diet. Something like Hikari pellets.

You won't be able to keep 3 cons as two will pair and bully the other, a male and female is best, but you will have to deal with tons of fry.

20 gallons maybe okay, think the recommended is 25g+, what are the dimensions, cichlids are more concerned with floor space.

All cichlids have personalities, males normally more aggressive. Both will be aggressive when breeding, which with cons happens very often.

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Convict420.
That is Miss Wiggle's cycling thread Dudley. I just send people there.
Holidayinn's suggestion that you stop adding fish until the cycle is finished will save you a lot of work. Each fish you add will add to the number and size of the water changes you will be doing. My best guess is that you are already going to be facing a 10 gallon water change every other day. The next thing you need is not a fish, it is a water testing kit, the liquid kind with the little test tubes. The API master freshwater kit is one that many of us use but other brands work about as well.
For feeding, a small amount of your flake once a day would be the staple diet. The frozen food might be offered once or twice a week but only defrost as much as the fish will eat in one feeding. Once it is defrosted, the food that is not eaten becomes waste almost immediately.

 

[dudleyd]

Sorry OM47, i just saw it in your link and assumed it was yours, we all know what assumption is the mother of though don't we.

Good luck convict, your in good hands now.

 

[Convict420]

thank you guys for your advice. and really 10 gal water changes every other day?! shoot, ima have to get a bigger siphon.... and as for the water testing. i think petco or petsmart does it for a small fee or even free sometimes... since i wouldnt really even no what to do with the results anyway lol. id just post them here for you guys to tell me what to do haha. im more of a plant guy haha. this is a fun new hobby though.

 

[OpalineAqua]

cool I'm about to get convicts for my 28g, I'm excited about them. I wish you luck with yours!

 

[OldMan47]

Posting results here is exactly the right first step. The testing that needs to be done during a fish-in cycle is quite frequent, daily at the least. It will cost you more in fuel to run back and forth to the fish shop than a good test kit will cost over the internet. You will do somewhere around 75 tests, or maybe more, of each kind in the next couple of months. With the numbers in hand we can guide you to the right amount of water change each time. Otherwise, that 10 gallon water change would be safer done each day, although the chemical testing might allow you to reduce it to every other day.

 

[waterdrop]

Testing is easy as heck once you get it down Convict420! OM47's right, this is the correct next move for you. You'll end up learning it.

Aaaah, Miss Wiggle! My mentor and I miss her! Hopefully she'll return some day once she gets Ian settled in Uni!

The Fish-In cycling process averages about a month.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[fishnovice]

thank you guys for your advice. and really 10 gal water changes every other day?! shoot, ima have to get a bigger siphon.... and as for the water testing. i think petco or petsmart does it for a small fee or even free sometimes... since i wouldnt really even no what to do with the results anyway lol. id just post them here for you guys to tell me what to do haha. im more of a plant guy haha. this is a fun new hobby though.

 

[fishnovice]

Welcome to the Forum. As a relative newcomer who started keeping fish 7 months ago, I can honestly say it's the best thing to do for you and your fish.I too knew nothing about cycling when I started this hobby and ended up doing fish-in cycles. Managed to keep all my fish alive by doing 33% water changes 3 times a week.Until your tank is fully cycled, water changes on alternate days ie 3-4 times a week are the only way to keep your convict alive. Once you get the test kit and results indicate very low or no ammonia and nitrite you can cut down changes to 25 - 50% once weekly. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds.

USEFUL TIP: Easiest way is to use a clen plastic bowl to scoop tank water into a bucket (put plastic sheet or old shower curtain on floor to protect carpet). Empty and use same bucket to refill tank,adding water from the bowl. Make sure that you
1. Unplug heater 15 minutes before changing water to allow it to cool, otherwise it will crack
2. Check that temperature of new water is more or less the same as that of water in tank (use t your hands to check this if you don't have a thermometer).
3.Add dechlorinator to the water -buy a bottle of pond dechlor on Ebay for around £10. It will last you several months -much cheaper than using small bottles of dechlor for fishtanks from petshop

Enjoy your convicts. I keep them myself, they are fascinating to watch when breeding. You will need to add a terracotta flowerpot and fine gravel substrate when you get your male convict,to encourage them to breed

 

[OldMan47]

That sounds like a lot of work to me FishNovice. I use my gravel vac to remove water from the tank and just fill a bucket on the floor twice to move 10 gallons. You can even put the bucket end of the siphon into the tank while you carry the bucket to dump it and you won't need to restart the siphon when you come back. To refill, I do it the easy way again, with 25 tanks I have to. I set a board across the top of the tank, put the bucket on the board and siphon the water right back into the tank. It is a no muss, no fuss way to do that.