# if you are bored and have a few minutes i have a challenge for you!!



## tromeokid (Mar 8, 2006)

If you clicked on this post and have a couple minutes i am in a bit of 
A dilemma and need some actual advise/help. I do feel like i have 
Legitimate questions but asking these at the many lfs in my town makes me 
Leave feeling stupid or like im constantly bothering them so here i go, i 
Have 3 tanks. 75 gallon, 29 gallon and 10 gallon. Below i will list all 
Specs (as well as i can) and the problems in my chemistry, the 
Inhabitants and my dilemma. Ill try to keep it short (ok, so that didnt work!) but im really serious about 
Learning everything i can but find myself becoming frustrated and feel 
like giving up. I have had the 10 gallon over a year, same with the 75 
gallon and the 29 gallon were given to me about 6 months ago. I also know some of my readings are off and i am working on getting these in line by using Prime, EasyBalance,AmQuel Plus,ph stable, ph 7.0. 
i know what most of these things do but let me know if im using them the wrong way! Im still really confused about the KH/PH/GH 
area. i have the test kits and im learning about which fish like which 
conditions (a bit late i know) but i want to keep fish and i want to do 
it right! i am currently reading
http://www.cichlidforum.com/articles/water_chemistry.php 
which is helpful but im sure i have even MORE questions! My goal is to 
get the best space for my tanks and the most out of them!! I know that 
means giving some fish up but ending up with new inhabitants that are 
happy in their homes. I also realize that some of my equipment may be in the wrong place or maybe used on a different tank etc. also some of my lvls are way off and in need of suggestions on raising/lowering for 
proper situation.
any suggestions will be taken seriously
here is the breakdown

tap water
hardness=120
alk=80
ph=6.8

(thanks for reading this far!) 

29 gallon (given to me for free!!)
Cichlid tank

a wall of lace rock (2 tufa rocks for buffering so im told, doesn’t seem to work or im just mildly retarded)
50/50 24" FRESHWATER AQUALIGHT T-5 - DOUBLE LINEAR STRIP w blue
gravel
one air stone
fluval 302 canister filter
150 watt heater

1 yellow lab (2 inches)
1 red zebra (4 inches)
1 common pleco

kh=50
gh=280
nitrate=80 ( i know..yikes!, also just cleaned out my canister for the 
first time in 6 months!! dumb dumb dumb)
nitrites=0
hardness= 250
alk=80
ph=6.8

I would like to get the most of this tank even if it means trading 
fish etc. only problem i have is the large amount of rock i spend tons 
of money on.. cant seem to find a lfs who will buy it or trade with so im stuck with a tank full of lace rock, ill need fish that like this! i also know these cichlids may not be the best for this size tank unless i over stock which i am not willing to do as i have lost a few fish trying to do this! also my canister filter was NEVER cleaned when i brought it home. i just cleaned it out the other day which may account for some of my high lvls. i tried not to wash away all the bacteria but it seems like i may have done so 

75 gallon bow front

This is my favorite tank and I have had all but a couple fish since I had the tank over a year ago with actually no deaths except a powder blue Gourami from being bloated Many months ago. Also for the first time about a week and a half ago this tank was struck by ich. I removed the filter and cleaned it very well (for the first time. Im naughty!) im sure this had something to do with the ich! It also had an ugly fungus growing all over the driftwood which vanished as soon as I bought the canister filter! i treated the ich with quick cure and then coppersafe., raised the temp to 82/84 degrees and all seems well so far!
I know to get more bang for the buck I may need to get rid of a few locals which im willing to do…I guess . i was thinking of rainbow fish if i end up taking the balas and rope fish back. will they fair well?
Aquairim salt has been added per directions for ich and stress (had to take out my apple snails)

Standard light strip (lg)
Odyssea CFS 4 canister filter(bought last week)
Emperior 400
Long air wand
Driftwood on slate 
Silk plants
Sandstone rock (looks like)
red slate?
Poster back
(2) 150 watt heaters on both sides
White beach sand


Kh=60
Gh=220
Nitrate=40
Nitrite=0
Hardness=250
Alk=120
Ph=6.4

2 balas (about 6/7 inches)
3 clown loaches (about 3 inches)
1 rope fish (about 12 inches)
1 angel fish (9 inches a round)
1 african butterfly (3 inches)
1 gold nugget pleco (3 inches)
1 horse face loach (5 inches)

Finally

10 gallon

This was my first tank also given to me. Slight case of hydra from floating grass I purchased. Ended up throwing it away because it was infected with this. It also had trumpet snails this I only have seen 2 tiny ones left.. im sure there just under the sand!

2 top fin 10 filters (no bio wheel)
1 small air stone
White beach sand
1 50 watt heater
Silk plants
Small lace rock left over
Standard lighting

Kh=60
Gh=240
Nitrate=40
Nitrite=0
Hardness=250
Alk=80
Ph=6.4

2 cherry shrimp
2 apple snails
2 guppies 1 male/1 female (breeding for feeder guppies) 
I am also interested in picking up a few bumble bee shrimp.

Is anyone has the guts (and time) please let me know what the heck they recommend me do about the chemistry problems. I also purchased as im sure many unaware people do fish that will outgrow their tanks and become unhappy. I love my balas but if they have to go then I guess ill let them go if it means adding many more colorful fish! also i love my clowns and if at all possible i would like to keep these...if not then so be it.
Again thank you for reading this and for any info I can get on how to better use what I have as I have spend tons of money on equipment and want it used as best as possible. i am aslo well aware that i have not been the most responsible fish owner but im really trying to change this! i do water changes every week 10 to 25 % if need be.

Thanks!


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

PH chemicals cause more problems than they solve. Personally, I say you should never use them

IM heading out the door right now, Ill get back to this post when I get back.. Im sure others will have advice to give in the meantime.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

can you get ammonia readings for each of these tanks please? Also I noticed that you are breaking the first key rule in fish keeping 
Rules:
1) Never listen to your fish supplier without confirming it with a good book, article, magazine, forum, or your own experience, they just want to make a buck, or they don't know their own stock/supplies and what is effective (99% of the time this is the case)

Okay now that we've got that out of the way, here are some of the things I noticed

-Nitrates in your 29 gallon are high, do a few water changes over the next few days 25% is good.
-Add some crushed coral to your 29 gallon (very little, add more every two days or so). This should raise alk and give you a higher pH.

-Ich was not directly caused by your dirty filter, although it could have been an indirect one, usually ich is caused by stress, and/or a supressed immune system.
- Your trying to hard to get products that "remove things" (excluding chlorine remover) or "balance things" these are hockus pokus products that don't do anything but change things into a differen't form or screw up balance. Instead of getting ammonia remover, do a water change.


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## tromeokid (Mar 8, 2006)

thank you so much for this advice. didnt think of crushed coral! yes i am finding that i am running back and forth quite a bit from one pro shop to the other with all contradicting each other. i will get an ammonia reading on the tanks tonight! last i did check they were all fine but... i still have much to learn!. any suggestions on the BEST test kit i can get to use for all my readings. liquid, strips etc?


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Liquid test kits. Avoid the paper strips.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Paper strips have recently been shown to be more accurate in testing for NO3 than liquid test reagents. Just my and my group members experience.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

In the 29. I agree with peach, if its in the ballpark don't try to change the pH. According to Loiselle, Your tap water is fine for Malawans. That being said, if the pH doesn't stay put then change enough water to get the nitrates down and then buffer with something like cichlid chemsitry to get the hardness up. These fish are tough, you can change 80% dailly if thats what it takes. You should a 7.5 product instead of 7.0 for water changes. Crushed coral will help maintain calcium hardness and pH but not a lot. Seachem Alkaline regulator will hold the pH at 7.5 (it has phosphates, but not a problem unless you have a planted tank with a lot of light). I never had to buffer in Illinois, but now in GA, I buffer all my African tanks. My tap water is 7, with low hardness. If I miss a water change, the pH drifts down. Its a good indicator of when I need to change water, but not fun for the fish. The fish like hard water, anyway. 

I would trade the red zebra, he'll outgrow that tank. A pair of julies or Neolamprolugus Brichardi would be great it that tank, but 4-6 yellow labs is probably ok too. Of course, if you go for tanginikans, you need to aim for pH 8-9 with high hardness.


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## tromeokid (Mar 8, 2006)

ahh yes,
i like both these types. do the julies or Neolamprolugus Brichardi come in different colors? also if i kept my yellow lab would it be ok with the others? so im better off with just a pair of fish of this type and not a wide variity? thats one problem i seem to have is the tank size is big enough to but so many different things but with cichlids i seem to be maxed out early.
also i dont use the 7.0 buffer for that tank. i plan on going after work and gettting some crushed coral!

thanks!!

i have a reading of my tap wter (what i could get)

tap water
hardness=120
alk=80
ph=6.8


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

emc I fail to see your logic, crushed coral is made from calcium carbonate, known to raise your pH up to 8.0 ish, and for africans, that is right where you want to be... not where he is at which is at a 6.8 ish.


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## IloveCichlids (Jul 11, 2005)

you can also use limestone to buffer into african cichlid range.
Ich can also be caused by temp. fluctuations, but I guess the stress due to the temp. fluctuations could be the culprit.

The Brichardi's only come in one color. pretty aggressive fish, much more so than the yellow labs. Maybe check out a Synodontis cat, and some comps or Calvus. They are extremely slow growing (*comps and calvus)so if you get them small they should be fine in your tank for a while.


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## tromeokid (Mar 8, 2006)

wow! i really like the Altolamprologus calvus . cant seem to find anything on the complete name for the comps. so how many of these could i maybe keep? that may be the best rout for me! beautiful fish!!!


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