Hello I have just purchased a 4ft 160 litre tank and am getting some conflicting advice from fish stores. I have a whole list of things eating away at me and thought someone out there would have some advice or answers for me. In my tank at the moment I have 5 cichlids , a sucker fish and a black ghost knife fish. Everyone seems happy enough but my main concern is my ghost fish. He gets a bit bullied by one of the cichlids. He is extremely hard to feed , I have no idea if hes eating or not. I put some blood worm in tonight but all the other fish went nuts on it and there was none left by the time he came out. I gave him a little but he only ate a couple before the others caught the scent and took over again. He hides up inside the filter box. He fits for now but not sure for how long. I do also have a giant pirate ship and some plants mind you so no issues there. I don't know what fish should mix together or how many will fit in my tank. Nor do I really know how to feed them. I have flakes and algae pellets also. Ive taken a real liking to my ghost fish and not sure if hes happy or miserable or starving etc.Ive also been sold some stuff called Matrix and im not sure what its supposed to replace in the filter box. Another concern is my heater temperature seems to fluctuate between 24.5 and 28 degrees. I was told to forget about PH levels . Its not necessary to check unless my fish start dying.And the bags of carbon?? replace them every month? Is that correct? Anyway any fish advice would help me sleep at night thanks.
New To Fish Keeping
- Thread starter abbtay
- Start date
Hi and welcome.
Before addressing any of your specific questions, it would really help if you were more specific regarding exactly what fish you are dealing with. 5 cichlids? There is a host of fish, with a variety of sizes and temperaments in that group. What species, specifically, do you have? Sucker fish? Again, this is not very specific.
Before addressing any of your specific questions, it would really help if you were more specific regarding exactly what fish you are dealing with. 5 cichlids? There is a host of fish, with a variety of sizes and temperaments in that group. What species, specifically, do you have? Sucker fish? Again, this is not very specific.
Firstly, welcome to the board!
On the face of it, I'd suggest that the LFS giving you advice to get the fish you have are probably a bit mistaken.
I suspect they encouraged you to just put the fish in the tank after a short while which means you won't be properly cycled so your fish could be exposed to dangerous levels of ammonia and nitrite. Have a look here for more advice on the cycling process. You can do a fish in cycle too although it's easier without. I'd also be a bit worried if your heater is fluctuating by up to 4 degrees. You should probably start off with it set to around 25 degrees and it shouldn't get any higher. Is your room cold? What size is the heater in wattage? If it's lower than 150W you might be experiencing a few problems, especially if your room is considerably colder.
With regards to PH levels, whilst I'd say the average fish keeper won't look to changing them too much, 'd not say to ignore them as some fish prefer different levels so you should always know where you are with them.
On your filter, what did you get? Presumably it takes bags of carbon since you mention them but I wouldn't change them every month, no. In fact I don't even use carbon any more in my tank. I just have sponges and ceramic rings. I would clean it out partially once every couple of months making sure to leave some elements in there although the type you have may determine this.
Do you happen to know the types of Cichilds you've got? They can be very territorial and many types should be in a species only tank. Also, do you know the type of "sucker fish" you have? It could be one that grows large, like the black ghost knife fish which will get to about a foot in size when adult.
If I were you I'd think about returning the BGK and identifying the "sucker fish". It could be a Pleco for example which may also get to be a foot long so may also need to go back.
Cichilds are also nice, but as I said territorial and often very intolerant of other fish. They also like digging up plants so are often put in tanks with no plants so you might want to rethink the planted aquarium or maybe look at rehoming the Cichilds if you want to have other fish.
On the face of it, I'd suggest that the LFS giving you advice to get the fish you have are probably a bit mistaken.
I suspect they encouraged you to just put the fish in the tank after a short while which means you won't be properly cycled so your fish could be exposed to dangerous levels of ammonia and nitrite. Have a look here for more advice on the cycling process. You can do a fish in cycle too although it's easier without. I'd also be a bit worried if your heater is fluctuating by up to 4 degrees. You should probably start off with it set to around 25 degrees and it shouldn't get any higher. Is your room cold? What size is the heater in wattage? If it's lower than 150W you might be experiencing a few problems, especially if your room is considerably colder.
With regards to PH levels, whilst I'd say the average fish keeper won't look to changing them too much, 'd not say to ignore them as some fish prefer different levels so you should always know where you are with them.
On your filter, what did you get? Presumably it takes bags of carbon since you mention them but I wouldn't change them every month, no. In fact I don't even use carbon any more in my tank. I just have sponges and ceramic rings. I would clean it out partially once every couple of months making sure to leave some elements in there although the type you have may determine this.
Do you happen to know the types of Cichilds you've got? They can be very territorial and many types should be in a species only tank. Also, do you know the type of "sucker fish" you have? It could be one that grows large, like the black ghost knife fish which will get to about a foot in size when adult.
If I were you I'd think about returning the BGK and identifying the "sucker fish". It could be a Pleco for example which may also get to be a foot long so may also need to go back.
Cichilds are also nice, but as I said territorial and often very intolerant of other fish. They also like digging up plants so are often put in tanks with no plants so you might want to rethink the planted aquarium or maybe look at rehoming the Cichilds if you want to have other fish.
This Old Spouse
TOTM Winner May 2013
Next thing on your list is to cycle your tank. Since you already have fish, please click on the link below to get to the Beginner's Resource Center and have a look at fish-in cycling. You'll be doing large water changes daily. If you could find someone with an established tank, you might be able to get some mature filter media from them which will help immensely. Maybe even see if the LFS will donate some to you.
You don't need carbon in your filter unless you've medicated the tank and use the carbon to remove residual medication.
Please keep us posted!
I have taken some photos of my fish but will need one of you to tell where I can attach them cos I cant see where. To answer all the other questions. My tank was running for over a week before I introduced any fish. We did put yabbies in also but one beat up the smaller one and then I accidently killed the bigger one by turning the aeration off. We are not putting yabbies in with the fish. The heater I have is positioned on the opposite side of the tank to the thermometer. It is set at 27 degrees and the thermometer is reading 26.2 on the opposite side. The heater is a 150 watt and is on standby at the moment. The filter is running at full circulation speed. My house is fairly climate controlled and stays between 20 and 26 degrees most days. Tank is not near any windows. I got a blue planet aquarium with built in filter brand new system. In the filter box it has four compartments , the first holding the bio balls , the second holding a black sponge with a bag of carbon , the third holding the wool with a bag of carbon and the last holding the chalk rings. The sucker fish has had no issues what so ever with anyone , Once I have put the photos up , the fish in question is the large orange coloured one (called Ginger ninja) I was thinking of returning him as the others are kind to ghosty. If I remove one , would another take his place as the bully though? So with the filter just need to know what to put in each compartment , considering I have bought a container of matrix , I would like to use this. and I bought a bag of wool also. I have done one 25% water change since the fish have been in and im under the impression we do that every two to three weeks? Thanks for your advice , My husband wont part with the ghost knife so he isn't the option to remove. The orange one also picks on every fish in there except the sucker.
eaglesaquarium said:
The best way to upload the pics is to upload them to flickr or photobucket. Then post the URL to that page. There is a "picture frame" button when you post. Click that and paste the URL of the page where the image is hosted and we will be able to see the picture in your post.
I use flickr.
Try this. Upload the pics to flickr. Then click the picture you want to upload. On that screen, click the "share" drop down menu:
How to upload pics to boards by eaglesfan54, on Flickr
Click the "Grab HTML/BBCode" option, click the radio button to "BB Code" and just copy and paste the whole thing into the posting topic.
It should then show the picture in the thread, as you see in this post.
Try this. Upload the pics to flickr. Then click the picture you want to upload. On that screen, click the "share" drop down menu:
How to upload pics to boards by eaglesfan54, on Flickr
Click the "Grab HTML/BBCode" option, click the radio button to "BB Code" and just copy and paste the whole thing into the posting topic.
It should then show the picture in the thread, as you see in this post.
View attachment 69064
My ghost fish is losing his tail , if I take him out . What temp does he need to be kept in
I seriously don't know how to save him.
My ghost fish is losing his tail , if I take him out . What temp does he need to be kept in
I seriously don't know how to save him.
This Old Spouse
TOTM Winner May 2013
I know nothing about cichlids, but from what I understand you did not cycle the filter. To start with, do a large water change now and replace with temperature matched dechlorinated water. Then click on the link in my signature to take you to the Beginner's Resource Center. Read the section on "Fish-in cycling" and follow those instructions.
You don't need carbon in your filter unless you're trying to remove medications from the water, which you aren't at this time.
You don't need carbon in your filter unless you're trying to remove medications from the water, which you aren't at this time.
abbtay said:My ghost fish is losing his tail , if I take him out . What temp does he need to be kept in
I seriously don't know how to save him.
Unfortunately the only way to save him is to take him back to the shop. You have him in a tank that's too small for him with Cichlids who are territorial. Removing one Cichlid will just let another one step up to be in charge so you either need to return all the Cichlids and BGK and have a community tank with standard community fish or just return the BGK and stick with the Cichlids.
Bear in mind you'll likely need to pack the tank with them to make sure there are no overtly territorial fish there. If there are lots of them there won't be one that becomes too dominant.
Please follow the advice already given to look at the "Beginners Resource Center" paying particular attention to the cycling section,.
I'd also start large daily water changes to help reduce the likely dangerous levels in your water.
I'd also add that these fish need very different water conditions. The BGK needs soft, slightly acidic water. The cichlids appear to me (not a cichlid expert at all) to be African Cichlids, specifically those species that live in Lake Mbuna or Lake Malawi.
Generally, the cichlids require higher pH and harder water.
The first pic indicates to me that the blue one is a Blue Johanni Cichlid - from Lake Malawi.
The yellow fish in that pic I believe is a Lake Mbuna cichlid.
Not sure about the others.
(Congrats on being able to post the pics though. That will help a great deal in IDing these fish.) Posting the pics in the "Old World" cichlids forum should help you get a better ID of these fish from folks who actually keep them. I'd also suggest posting the "suckerfish" - its either a "Chinese algae eater" or a "Siamese Algae Eater" - not really my area of expertise though.
Generally, the cichlids require higher pH and harder water.
The first pic indicates to me that the blue one is a Blue Johanni Cichlid - from Lake Malawi.
The yellow fish in that pic I believe is a Lake Mbuna cichlid.
Not sure about the others.
(Congrats on being able to post the pics though. That will help a great deal in IDing these fish.) Posting the pics in the "Old World" cichlids forum should help you get a better ID of these fish from folks who actually keep them. I'd also suggest posting the "suckerfish" - its either a "Chinese algae eater" or a "Siamese Algae Eater" - not really my area of expertise though.
This Old Spouse
TOTM Winner May 2013
Looking again, that looks like a golden algae eater, albino form of a Chinese algae eater, which will likely grow up to nibble on your other fish.
You're cycling the filter to grow bacteria to rid the water of ammonia and nitrates which are deadly to your fish.
You're cycling the filter to grow bacteria to rid the water of ammonia and nitrates which are deadly to your fish.
abbtay said:
Nitrogen. Its the "nitrogen cycle", hence the name. Fish expel ammonia (NH3) both through their gills and poo (and uneaten food). The ammonia is poisonous to the fish. There are bacteria that we need to have in our filters (and elsewhere in the tank) that will "process" that ammonia and convert it to nitrite (commonly called nitrifying bacteria). Nitrite (NO2) is also poisonous. Another group of bacteria will "process" the nitrite to nitrate (NO3). This is also poisonous, but only at much higher levels. We remove the nitrate by doing regular water changes.
While we wait for the bacteria during a fish-in cycle, we need to do much more frequent water changes to keep the ammonia and/or nitrite down. Zero ppm is the goal for ammonia and nitrite, and 20-40ppm is the goal for nitrate. You'll need a liquid test kit for each.
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