# HELP! I have been given a tank + fish...



## sh4d0w (Aug 10, 2010)

Hello to all,

I do hope you can help me, last weeknd I acquired a fish tank and full setup from a friend, Free of Charge I must add, he also gave me his Fish along with a bag full of other goodies.

It’s a 4ft x 15” x 17” tank and has a submerged filter\pump system also a TetraTec APS400 which sounds faulty, its making a right racket and also randomly decides to cut off (will be going to find a replacement later on today. He also gave me a bucket load of treatments and a full PH testing kit.


Question time:
1) What fish do I have! Lol? I know I have a pair of Cichlids, I bought a Tetra Neon / Neon Tetra just to see what the score would be, it seems @ £1.99 it is dear fish food.

2) My Fantail has some sort of fungal growth around its eyes and some lumps on its upper side, any ideas? - I had a Red Fin Shark, (look a like, it was a blue somthing with all red fins) that has nipped away at my fantails soft fungal infection and created a rather deep looking wound, i will treat him in a hospital tank when it arrives. 

3) When I was given the tank, we carried it down the road and replaced the water with tap water, we added the correct amount Tetra Safe water and the aquatic centre, The Abyss, Sold me some Bacteria treatment @ £22 :O . How long should I let the tank rest before I can give it the all clear?
First test - PH - 6.8 - 7
Nitrate - -10

Second test - 10 days in - PH 7+
Nitrate - 20 - 40 (more like 30)
Ammonia - 0.50 

Third test after a Fish-in-cycle of 30% (last night) 
Ammonia - less than 0.25 but no 0 (i would call it 0.10)

4) I added 3 Plants to the tank as can be seen, should I position them different? Do I need to feed them?
i have not fed them and have not died yet! 

5) What should I do RE the Cichlids, give them away? To make room for some smaller Fish? What are they worth at this size?

6) I would REALLLLLLY like to go down the Marine route but I need to know we have it in us to keep fish etc, am I right in thinking that we can keep a freshwater tank as colorful as a marine tank? With the likes of neon’s etc?
IGNORE THIS - Not going to chance this as i think copper has been in the tank.

7) Any other tips and advice is more than welcome and I look forward to your replies.

The Two Larger fish, i think i have identified them as Mumbai Mouth Bruders?

9) I have added a small 3" Plec which seems to be doing nothing yet, are they active?


Thanks All.


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## sh4d0w (Aug 10, 2010)

The media was taken out of the filter but cleaned only one side this was cleaned in the tank water.
Everything is the same as it was when at my friends minus the change of water and my added plants + 1 fish.
The gravel is the same and has not been cleaned.

The goldfish are going to be taken out, i have no idea why my bud wanted to keep gold fish in a tropical tank, a little crazy. i just need a home for them. 

My temps are at around 24-25 Celsius.


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## sh4d0w (Aug 10, 2010)




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## sh4d0w (Aug 10, 2010)




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## dan3345 (Jan 27, 2010)

umm.. first I dont think goldfish should be in a tank with cichlids, apart from the cichlids aggression, goldfish are cold water fish.. which could be why they are sick.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The white ones look like "jellybean parrots", the big ones look like S. americans or tilapi, not Mbuna, (the colorful fish from l. malawi, that are as bright as salt-water fish).


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## sh4d0w (Aug 10, 2010)

as of last night,

PH - 7.6 (highest it has been)
Nitrate - 10
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0.10


I am in the process of finding the goldfish a new home.


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## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

Goldfish do not belong in with cichlids. That's a bad combo. The white ones are for sure jellybean parrots. I have one. That's good you are finding them new homes. You have ammonia which means you need to do water changes to get it down to 0ppm. Your nitrites will then rise and you have to do water changes until the tank is completely cycled. Salt helps with fish stress during a cycle. They are pretty hardy cichlids so they should be okay. Just keep up with water changes.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

yeah from the looks of it youve def have a few uncompatible fish and i can see the goldies have nips in their fins but its not to terribly bad right now so it would be good to find them new homes before it gets to bad. also the tank does look pretty well overstocked especially when they start growing up.


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## pinetree (Nov 29, 2009)

All of the goldfish are going to be quite large (they already look large), so would do well in ponds. Do you know anyone that has a pond?

The cichlids would probably be ok to remain in the tank as they are, however I wouldn't add anymore fish if you decide to keep those. If you want a general community tank with more fish, then I would find new homes for the cichlids as well.

Definitely do water changes to keep the ammonia down and when the nitrites do show up, add 1 tsp aquarium salt per gallon to prevent nitrite poisoning. I know goldfish tolerate salt just fine and I think those cichlids would as well.


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## Fairy (Jul 20, 2010)

If your struggling finding homes for the Goldfish, why not try your local fish store, they might even give you store credit depending on the store. I need to take a few fish there myself, I baught a tank off e-bay but i didn't realise the fish were still in it X_x So I have 3 Gigantic Plecos that need to go to a better home becaue all i have i a 2ft tank to put them in, and they are at very least 15cm-20 cm long They are going to go to a LFS on saturday, it the only time I an get there


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

You said you were given the tank and fish.... any idea how long these fish have lived together? They may actually be making it work for themselves but the move may have disrupted their cohesion. It would be good to move out the goldies into their own tank, it just makes more sense and will be better for all involved.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I can't seem to name the big cichlids. Are their lips blue?


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## Hoyo12 (May 18, 2009)

Alright, the two white Cichlids are *not * Jelly Bean Parrots.
They are Jelly Bean Convicts.
Jelly Bean Parrots were given the name due to their unnatural dyed colors. (Blue, green, purple, etc., but they normally turn Yellow, Orange, or sometimes White eventually.)
Jelly Bean Convicts were given the name based on their shape. This happens when a Blood Parrot breeds with a Convict. 
The first thing that popped in my mind with the Cichlid pair was a species of Tilapia... I'll have to do a little reading, and see what I come up with. 

EDIT: My first guess on the Cichlids was Oreochromis aureus, but I'm still not sure on that. But they do appear to be some species of Tilapia. I'll have to read a bit more later.


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## sh4d0w (Aug 10, 2010)

*My My My*

Update -
My Ammonia is now sat at 0 and all other stats are bang on.
My Tiger loach is now becoming a pain in the Eye for the ill fantail 
My Plec is now very active and seems to be chasing the larger fish in an attempt to latch onto them, is this a bad thing? the larger fish seem far from impressed by it.

Main Question, how much and how often should i look at a water change, i did a full tank clean a week last Saturday and i cleaned all the gravel etc, i have not yet done a water cycle.

The smaller White Cichlid has gained a hint of Yellow towards its back end and is very apparent, the pair have made themselves a hide in the back corner of the tank next to the thermostat and under some log wood, my wife suggested one is pregnant but i am more along the lines of warmer water and being dominient in that area of the tank, if any other fish gets close the white ones see them off. 

The two Larger fish, i am told from my LFS are Mumbai Mouth Brooders? and yes, the largest one has rather a lot of blue on its fins and big blue lips with a stipe of orange/red across the top 3mm of its dorsal fin. 


I am hoping for a very colorful communal tank so most of my fish are going to have to go.


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## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

Good you water is fine./ That is not good with the pleco, some will eat the slime coat off a fish causing a fungal infection or bacterial infection. You should clean you tank once a week. I clean my tanks every Saturday, taking everything out and giving it a good vacuum.

Are they ones hiding being harassed by another cichlid, they sometimes hide when they are being attacked. Do they eat?


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Goldfish look like feeders that never got eaten. Maybe why your buddy had them in there. Except for the butterfly koi of course. 
I would say the best place to put the goldfish would be... Tah Dah! IN A POND lol
You keep saying all you want is a colorful community tank... so why are you asking us what type of cichlids you have... the point is you need to get rid of them.
Go ahead and find homes for all of your fish, even the pleco. Go with dwarf plecos from now on.
Throw the pondfish in a pond somewhere or find a local fish store to give all your fish to. problem solved! 
Your tank is cycled, has plenty of room once other fish are gone, and is ready to be a beautiful community tank!
Oh and also... are you sure your lights are strong enough to keep live plants alive?


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## pinetree (Nov 29, 2009)

If the plecos are trying to attack the other fish they may not be getting enough to eat. Are you feeding them any algae wafers or anything like that that sinks to the bottom?


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