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FAQs on African Cichlid Systems 2
Related Articles: African Cichlids, Dwarf South American
Cichlids,
Cichlid Fishes,
Related FAQs: Malawi Cichlid
Systems,
Tanganyikan Systems, African Cichlid Systems 1, African
Cichlids, African Cichlid Identification,
African Cichlid Selection,
African Cichlid Behavior,
African Cichlid Selection, African
Cichlid Compatibility, African Cichlid
Feeding, African Cichlid Reproduction,
African Cichlid Disease, Cichlids of the World,
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Cichlid TDS and PH,
Africans 8/17/08
Hello All,
Great site, Thank you for all the helpful information.
<Kind of you to say so!>
I would like ask a question on TDS and PH levels in my tank and the possible
effects on my Lamprologus Multifasciatus breeding pair.
<OK.>
First some background information on my system. The tank is 80 litres with a
fine crushed coral substrate; I use an Eheim 2213 canister filter and
additional air stone for aero ration. A Lamprologus Multifasciatus breeding
pair is the tanks only inhabitants.
<Sounds nice.>
When doing water changes I use a mix of 20 litres of tap water to which I
add a mix of.
* 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
* 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate)
* 1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements).
<OK.>
My tank readings are as follows
Nitrates: 1-2ppm
Ammonia: 0.1ppm
<Here's your problem: this is dangerously high for cichlids generally, and
Tanganyikans especially. You're either overstocked, underfiltered, or
overfeeding.>
Nitrite: 0ppm
PH: 8.8 -9.4
<Probably a bit high; try reducing the mineral salt mix by 25% and see how
things go. If it's still high, try reducing by 50%. A pH around 8.0 is
ample, and you're really more interested in the carbonate hardness and
general hardness, which should both be "hard" on whatever scales you're
using. For example, I'd be aiming for 7+ degrees KH and 20+ degrees dH.>
Now to the problem with the tank, my pair of multi's had recently breed 4-5
weeks ago all seemed to be well until quite recently the male started to
lose appetite, followed shortly by what appears to be heavy breathing. As
the levels seemed to be OK, I talked to my LFS for suggestions. Their
response was that my water mix was wrong and that the TDS would be too high
for the fish causing the heavy breathing, so to go home do a 40% water
change with a dose of 20ml Bactonex.
<The ammonia... the ammonia...>
Well I followed that direction and needless to say my male died 1-2hr later.
What I would like to ask is could excessive TDS levels cause this or is it
more likely the high ph cause have caused the difficulties in breathing?
<The pH is a trifle high for these fish, and reducing the salt mix will
help. As I say, reduce by 25% first and see what happens. In other words, if
you change 20 litres, add 0.75 teaspoons or 0.75 tablespoons of the various
salts per 20 litres and see how you go. Use your pH and carbonate hardness
(KH) test kit to keep track of things.>
The second part to the story is that after the male died I watched the
female closely for a week that appeared fine, did water change 30% and
purchased new fish. These consisted of a breeding pair, single male,
additional two females and two fry (came free in shell).
<Hmm...>
Well all hell broke loose with the original female fighting and lip locking
with the new largest female, the males started to follow suit to the point
the next day one male was dead, the original female injured herself fighting
and died two days later. From there on in a fish died each two days to the
point of the only the one smallest fry has survived.
<Not uncommon. Adding new fish to a small tank with an established cichlid
population is always difficult.>
As this was occurring I tested the water each time and found the only spike
was a rise in Nitrates so I did water change 30% and dose of Stability to
the water.
<Nitrates tend not to kill cichlids outright; rather, what happens is their
immune system weakens, and things like Hexamita/Hole-in-the-Head become more
common.>
Can you suggest any possible causes or what may have happened to the fish?
Could the deaths of the new fish be stress from settling in even if they
appeared to be breathing heavy like the original male who died? Or could the
joker from the LFS have a point?
Thank you in advance for any advice.
Regards,
Darren
<Not sure what the "joker" in your local fish shop said, so can't comment
there! But there are two things going on here: ammonia toxicity, and
aggression between established and new fish. To fix the first, review
filtration/stocking/feeding. For the second, there's no guaranteed solution,
but moving the rocks about to break up territories, leaving the lights off
for the rest of the day when introducing the new fish, and praying to the
Fish Gods can help when done together. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Cichlid TDS and PH
8/18/08
Hello All,
Thank you Neale for your prompt and helpful advice.
<No problem.>
I would like to ask further questions on Ammonia please. My tap water is
reading between 0ppm and 0.1ppm to start with, so I age the water and treat
with "Prime" which claims to detoxify Ammonia.
<Correct. But as ever, if one product doesn't work for you, do try another!>
My question is there a better product for removing the Ammonia? Or should I
be encouraging my good bacteria to grow through sound tank conditions so as
to deal with this level on its own?
<A little from Column A, a little from Column B. I'd certainly try another
product, and I'd also check my dechlorinator removed chloramine as well as
chlorine, as using the wrong product can yield ammonia from the improper
breakdown of chloramine. And yes, if you have a healthy biological filter,
it should remove small amounts of tap water ammonia quite briskly. If this
was a persistent problem, I'd make this recommendation: do frequent, small
water changes, say 10% every 2-3 days. That way you're only adding small
amounts of new ammonia, and giving the filter sufficient time to remove that
small amount before it harms the fish. Doing 25-50% every week would be
dumping a big pile of ammonia in the tank.>
The second question relates to my filter and overfeeding. I have always
found it difficult to feed small amounts as the canister moves a large
quantity of water and the food blasts around.
<A common problem. Some aquarists recommending switching off the canister
filter for a couple minutes while feeding. You can also use a turkey baster
to "blast" small amounts of food-laden water right into the cichlids' patch
of ground.>
Could the prime be working on the ammonia but my overfeeding because of
excessive water movement causing the problem?
<Overfeeding certainly is one possibility here. Here's the test: check the
ammonia level before feeding, and then 30 minutes later.>
Is turning the filter down at feed times the solution?
<If you do this, be careful: leaving the filter off "suffocates" the
bacteria quite quickly. No more than a couple minutes is safe, in my
opinion, though up to 20 minutes is said not to do irreversible harm.>
Once again thank you for any advice and keep up the great work your saving
countless little fish lives each day!!
<Happy to help, Neale.>
Re: Cichlid TDS and PH 08/18/2008
Hello all,
Thanks for the great advice and information, I shall try to put it to good
practice. Keep up the great work , Thanks again Darren.
<Glad we could help, and good luck! Neale.>
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Mbuna and Ammonia Problems
7/7/08
Hi there. Wondering if you may make a couple of suggestions regarding
filtration, etc.
<Sure thing!>
A number of months ago, I read Ad Koning's book on African Cichlids. Since I was
experiencing ammonia levels in my 55 Mbuna tank, I followed his advice and fed
the fish once every other day (vs. 2-3 times per day). This brought on a great
deal of aggression and I lost a lot of fish. So I went back to feeding them
twice per day - an amount they can consume within 30 seconds.
<I have to say I agree with your experience. Whilst in theory feeding fish less
than once per day may have distinct advantages, on balance I'm in favour of the
"multiple small meals" approach. All my day-active fish get two meals per day,
but small ones. One in the morning, another in the evening. The catfish get
their pellets or wafers at night, after lights are out. This way you spread out
the ammonia and problems with uneaten food.>
I then commenced doing 10% water changes every other day which did nothing to
abate the ammonia levels.
<Ah; well, if you're getting ammonia present "in real time", then there's three
things to consider -- overfeeding, under-filtering, or overstocking.>
I am back to conducting 30-40% water changes on Saturdays. Despite taking
ammonia tests, which show no trace of ammonia, a few of the fish still flash.
I've been treating the water with Amquel which neutralizes ammonia and I have
found this effective. I also have a canister and a large hang on filter equipped
with ammo chips. I change the filter media once per month (not at the same time
intervals).
<Chemical ammonia removers only work up to a point, and once a dose has been
used up, any new ammonia produced by the fish is left untreated. Amquel is of no
value at all in this context; it is exclusively for removing ammonia from tap
water prior to adding fish.>
I understand bio media aid in the nitrification process. Both filters are loaded
with the stuff.
What to do? I must be doing something wrong?
<As outlined above. Given the tendency for Mbuna tanks to be overstocked,
filtration has to be profound. I'd reckon on a big canister filter at least 6
times and ideally somewhere between 8-10 times the volume of the tank in
turnover per hour. So adding a second big canister might be just the ticket.>
Look forward to hearing from you.
Lisa Mae
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Mbuna and Ammonia Problems
7/9/08
Hi Neale, thanks so much. With both filters (canister and hang on) I'm
turning over an equivalent of 685 gph which meets the needs of the 55 gallon
tank. The canister is only filtering 185 gph which is rather weak. Looks like I
need to seriously upgrade the canister. What about media Neale? Is zeolite
effective if changed/recharged once per month? What do you use to combat ammonia
levels and spikes?
Thank you very much! Lisa.
<Hi Lisa. The problem with combining multiple "weak" filters on a single big
aquarium is that unless you position their inlets and outlets carefully, it is
very easy to end up with corners of the tank with minimal water movement. Adding
powerheads can help, as will an undergravel filter. But in all honesty, with
fish are big and messy as Mbuna, filtration needs to be robust. If you are
detecting ammonia, then you clearly don't have enough biological filtration. I
wouldn't bother with zeolite -- realistically this will be very expensive, and
removing some biological filtration media from one filter to replace it with
zeolite makes no practical sense at all. So, what I'd look at is something like
a couple of Eheim 2217 'classic' filters. These aren't expensive, have lots of
capacity for biological media, and are extremely reliable. At about 260 gallons
per hour turnover, two of them would give you well over 10 times the volume of
the tank in turnover per hour. You could of course simply add one and use that
alongside what you already have, or combine one filter with a reverse-flow
undergravel filter that would take care of carbonate hardness as well as
ammonia. While old school, reverse-flow undergravel filters are inexpensive to
set up and extremely effective at dealing with ammonia and solid waste. Either
way, fill with good quality ceramic media or sponge for biological filtration.
That should take care of your ammonia. In properly maintained, mature aquaria
with suitably sized filters, you shouldn't get ammonia spikes or problems. It's
as simple as this: if you detect ammonia, you either have too many fish for your
filtration system; put too much food in the system for the filter to deal with;
or just don't have enough filtration for the overall bioload. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Mbuna and Ammonia Problems
7/9/08
This is great info - thank you so much! My problem has to be poor filtration - I
only have about a dozen Mbuna in the 55 gallon so I'm not overstocked. I'll swap
my current canister for the Eheim 2217. Thank you!
<Hi Lisa. The concept of "being overstocked" is a practical rather than
theoretical one, which is why I am leery of these inches-per-gallon rules. If
you have a system where ammonia never gets to zero, you're overstocked. As you
say, on paper at least a dozen 10-15 cm Mbuna should comfortably fit into a 55
gallon system. But in practise these fish are so active and have such high
growth rates that it is very easy to find the otherwise reasonably sized filter
being overwhelmed. I have a 40 gallon system in which I keep a few smallish
tetras and glassfish along with a 15 cm Panaque nigrolineatus. Although water
quality is perfect, the tank itself gets dirty very quickly simply because the
catfish eats wood and produces masses of brown faeces. So it has two canister
filters offering water turnover of almost 10 times per hour. Seems ridiculously
over-filtered on paper, but actually the least I can get away with! In other
words, one should go by empirical data -- ammonia tests for example -- rather
than what is stated on the box the filter came in. Cheers, Neale.>
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AFRICAN CICHLID TANK QUESTION RE WATER
CHANGES 6/22/08
Hi WWM Team,
<Hello,>
I am about to set up a 125 gallon African cichlid tank and have a question
about PH and water changes. The water from my tap is around 7.2 with KH and
GH that goes above the top range of my tester kit!! I do not have the exact
amount but both are high.
<Suggest you get a KH test kit; it is KH that really makes a difference when
keeping Rift Valley cichlids. The dip-strip kits with various different
water tests on them are ideal; not terribly accurate, but good enough, and
cheap to use.>
I was intending to get a cichlid eco complete substrate to buffer the PH to
8.0. Several of your threads on tropical fish generally say not to mess with
PH unless absolutely necessary.
<Correct. But where things that need specific water chemistry are concerned,
such changes may be necessary. In this case, you will likely need to raise
the KH so that the pH is maintained at a suitable level. Don't change the pH
directly (waste of time if you don't buffer the water as well). Instead
provide a source of carbonate hardness and the pH will go up automatically.>
When I do a weekly water change with my 7.2 water, would adding untreated
water at 7.2 to water buffered to 8.0 by the substrate each water change
affect the health the fish?
<Potentially. Read through the threads and you'll see a homebrew recipe for
Malawi Salt Mix like this: For each 5 gallons, add...
* 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
* 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
* 1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements)
This will cost you literally pennies per water change as none of these
things costs much. The baking powder and Epsom salt can be picked up from
grocery stores and/or drug stores. Stir into the water until it dissolves,
and then check the pH and KH. Should be just about perfect, but if not, add
more of the salt mix, or dilute with tap water, as required.>
Would the fish thrive in PH 7.2 water with inert gravel?
<Not really.>
I am intending to keep Pseudotropheus saulosi and Iodotropheus sprengerae.
<Very good choices. The first is quite small and not excessively aggressive,
and the later a large, active species that is very easy going. I'd add to
the list yellow Labidochromis caeruleus (though any Labidochromis species
would be fine); they are gregarious though territorial and work well in
groups. Aulonocara also work well in big tanks without aggressive Mbuna, but
they are a bit more touchy about water quality and can of course be
aggressive amongst themselves, so you want one species comprising a single
male plus two or more females. There are lots of Aulonocara species, so pick
a species that has the colours you want!>
Any other tank mates you could recommend that would add a variety of colour
would be appreciated. I will be including plenty of rock for territories
etc.
<Leave some swimming room, too!>
Many thanks
Brian
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
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Mixing African Lakes
Cichlids, sys. 3/10/08
Good day Crew,
I am building 2 x 200 Gallon tanks in my living room side to side and
got a question. Can i have 1 Malawi in one tank and Tanganyikan in the
other if they share one big filtration and sump? I am worried about the
PH and water differences in these two cichlids.
Thanks
<Yes, you can. Just make sure you have lots carbonate hardness and both
will be fine. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Mixing Cichlids
3/10/08
Thanks Neale. How would i keep a good carbonate hardness on both
tanks or system?
What should i use? I rather not use any chemicals etc. Should i add
crushed coral to the filtration or any other ideas you can share?
Thanks again
John Luke
<Hmm... this should be covered in any good book on African or Rift
Valley cichlids. If you don't own such I book -- put it on your shopping
list! Tanganyikans especially are rather unforgiving. In any case, the
simplest way to keep the carbonate hardness nice and high is to add a
"Malawi salt mix" or "Tanganyikan salt mix" to the water, and then
perform regular water changes to offset acidification. There are
commercial mixes available, as well as countless DIY ones that cost very
little. Technically, Malawi and Tanganyika have very different salt
composition; in practise, it doesn't matter hugely so long as the
carbonate hardness is nice and high (7+ degrees KH) and to a secondary
degree the general hardness value is high as well (20 degrees dH). One I
have on my hard drive is below (in brackets is the "stuff" added to the
water):
Per 5 gallons/20 litres
* 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
* 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate)
* 1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements)
The alternate method is to incorporate a lot of calcareous media in the
substrate, decor, and above all else the filter. The chemical media in
the filter needs to be fairly well crushed to maximise surface area,
because it's the dissolution of the chemical media that hardens the
water and inhibits acidification. Furthermore, you have to constantly
"refresh" this media because algae and bacteria cover it quickly. I'd
recommend cycling two media bags of calcareous stuff (such as crushed
coral). While one is in the filter, the other is gets deep cleaned to
wash away the dirt. Rotate them every month or so, or sooner if you find
the KH value dropping. In practise you're creating something like an old
school "fish only" marine aquarium, but without the seawater. If you
happen to live in an area with very hard water (as is the case here in
Southern England) there's no real need to do anything beyond regular
water changes. Modifying water chemistry is mostly an issue for soft to
medium hardness water areas. Cheers, Neale.> |
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My questions concerns
Rift Lake Cichlid Compatibility, Stocking Levels and General Husbandry
2/29/08
Hi folks - thanks for your hard work on the web site; I find the
questions and responses really interesting and helpful.
<Thanks.>
I have 4 specific questions about my own tank which is a 180L Juwel
Vision, 92 CM Long. Perhaps I should set out the details :
Tank has Rockwork piled in three linked sections all the way up the
back,
and some real plants (so far so good on those, Java Fern and Vallis)
Current Stocking is :
Aulonocara OB x 1 (about 4 inches)
Pseudotropheus acei 'White Tail' x 1
(about 4 inches),
Pseudotropheus Socolofi x 1 (about 4.5 inches),
Pseudotropheus Aurora (formerly classified Metriaclima I think) x 1
(about
3 inches)
Albino Pseudotropheus Macropthalmus 'Red Cheek' (about 3 inches)
Iodotropheus Sperengae x 1 (about 2 inches)
Labidochromis Caereulus (yellow) (about 2 inches)
Labidochromis Hongi (about 1.5 inches)
<Not exactly text book stuff! Iodotropheus and Labidochromis certainly
shouldn't be combined with aggressive Mbuna. They might be fine now, but
over the long term, I'd not be so sure...>
Hemmichromis Guttatus (about 2.5 inches)
<Completely wrong environment.>
Neolamprologus Tretacephalus (about 3.5 inches)
Neolamprologus Leilupi (females - accidentally) (about 2.5 inches).
Julidochromis Ornatus (about 2 inches)
<Far too delicate to be mixed with Mbuna. Possibly Iodotropheus and
Labidochromis, but not Pseudotropheus and Aulonocara.>
The Jewel does well. The leilupi is accidentally female (I wanted all
male to remove breeding aggression but either I deserve the Nobel Prize
for fishology or she slipped through) and in fact spawns quite a bit,
and I do see fry in the tank occasionally - perhaps this gives her a
little more mojo to stand up to the Mbuna, which she does very well.
<Staggered.>
I would move out the Julie (back to my LFS) except that I accidentally
bought him with a defect (one ventral fin higher than other, perhaps
tumour that side) and I know he won't get picked up by anyone else; he's
no trouble, feeds well and is healthy otherwise. I'm happy to let him
serve out his time in the tank whatever that may be.
<OK.>
The tret does fine; he has taken a number of the Pseudotropheus down a
peg or to and from what I read trets are generally able to look after
themselves.
<Up to a point, but this isn't usually what you want, because sometimes
things go wrong and you find the formerly happy fish dead.>
The Aulonocara is a very aggressive specimen (I had more peacocks in
there initially but he knocked them off one by one so I now have Mbuna
and he is far less full of himself now). I would not add more Peacocks
to this tank as long as he is in it, or perhaps not at all looking at
the rest of the stocking.
<Aulonocara can be aggressive, so this isn't unusual.>
All other fish are thriving. The Mbuna under 3 inches were purchased and
added in the last 2 months as I realised I did not in fact have enough
fish in there (6 or 7 total) to prevent constant territorial disputes,
and lost a couple of fish that way.
<You have WAY too many fish for 180 litres. I'm simply flabbergasted
this is working at all. I have set up similar sized tanks with Mbuna and
yes, it can work, but over time there does seem to be a certain amount
of attrition once male fish become fully grown.>
My filtration is Fluval Four Plus internal, Plus Juwel Internal but
upgraded to 1000 LPH pump. I do a weekly 35% actual water volume change
with Seachem Prime, and this plus some Java Fern and Vallis plants keeps
Nitrates closer to 10 than 20 at all times. I have not detected ammonia
or nitrite (API kit) since the tank cycled a year ago.
<Fine.>
I feed exclusively New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula, and my rockwork
has a general carpet of green algae which they all graze on
occasionally.
<Good.>
Phew, sorry for dragging on.
My first question is whether I should be using a commercial rift lake
buffer or other additive. My Ph in the tank is 7.8 (7 from the tap; my
rockwork is tufa, substrate crushed coral) and although I do not think
it impacts on the Malawi, I think it has slowed growth of the tangs
somewhat. Would I be better to attempt to hold Ph at say 8.3 - 8.5 as a
happy medium ?
<The pH is immaterial. What's the HARDNESS, specifically the CARBONATE
hardness. That's what matters with Rift Valley cichlids, because what
you want is pH stability rather than any specific value. The short
answer is that if you live somewhere with hard, basic water right out
the tap (e.g., Southern England) then water changes alone should be
adequate to maintain water chemistry. There are plenty of cheap DIY
recipes for Malawi salts, so if you want to make some, go ahead. This
said, Nitrate is usually the limiting factor with Tanganyikans, not
water chemistry. What is your nitrate level?>
My second question is whether I am done with stocking this tank ?
<Oh yes.>
I ask this because I saw some answers to questions on stocking a 30
gallon which suggested 20 Mbuna, and that seemed aggressive to me.
Having regard to adult size and whatnot, I think I may be done, but you
know the temptation to add just one more...if I am not maxed or
overstocked, what would be a nice addition ? I don't consider the tank
to be overly aggressive; the balance is pretty good at the moment.
<"At the moment" is the operative phrase. Overstocking tanks works when
[a] all fish are equally aggressive and [b] you have massive amounts of
filtration and [c] you are prepared to do 100% water changes weekly. The
idea is you make it impossible for any one fish to hold a territory. In
your tank, you have some massively aggressive fish and some relatively
non-aggressive fish, so the bullies can and will assert their dominance
eventually.>
My third question is whether I am doing anything awfully wrong in
keeping
the present mix.
<It's all very wrong in many ways. If it works right now, fine. But I
can see lots of ways things can go wrong in the long term. Differences
in water chemistry, behaviour, hybridisation, etc. Your fish are
juveniles right now, and you may simply be lucky. But some of that stuff
is very likely to kill some of the other stuff, no two ways about it.>
My fourth question is whether I should be supplementing their diet more.
<The more varied the diet, the better. So yes.>
Many thanks for your advice.
Eoghan
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My questions
concerns Rift Lake Compatibility, Stocking Levels and General Husbandry
FAO Neale 2/29/08
Hi Neale - many thanks for your reply and advice.
<Cool.>
I just wanted to answer your question on nitrates and just ask for more
information on a couple of other things.
<Go ahead.>
The nitrates in the tank are at all times closer to 10 than 20; as
stated, I do a 35% or so (i.e. never less) minimum change weekly, and
have PolyFilter in both filters, changed every six weeks or so.
<Very good.>
I was considering the tank to be pretty well overfiltered with the
Fluval Four Plus and Juwel 1000 - noting your comment on massive
overfiltration would you add/change the filter set-up and if so to what
?
<Change for the sake of change isn't much fun, so if water quality is
good, then leave things be. But with messy fish I'd tend to go with high
capacity canister filters (whether internal or external) over the low
pressure Juwel Compact internal filters. I have a Juwel 180 litre tank
next to me here, and it mostly contains small fish (tetras and the like)
but there is also one quite big Panaque. She produces a lot of solid
waste (mostly wood chippings!) that the Juwel filter simply can't
handle. It doesn't have enough "suck". Those Juwel filters are great for
biological filtration, but for mechanical filtration, you want a nice
big external canister filter that you can position in the tank somewhere
it sucks up the dirt.>
Noting then your comments on having some massively aggressive fish in
there; I actually thought I had chosen the relatively less aggressive
Africans, within that frame of reference, i.e. they are pretty much all
massively aggressive compared to other fish.
<Yes and no. There's no such thing as a generic African cichlid. Some
species, like Neolamprologus brichardi, are as peaceful as any dwarf
cichlids. Same with the smaller Julies. And then you get the other
extreme, like Melanochromis spp., some of which will literally take over
the aquarium and attempt to kill anything they view as a rival. It
*isn't* easy getting a balance, and to some degree most people keeping
Rift Valley cichlids end up making mistakes. But broadly you have three
classes: Tanganyikans (except Tropheus); peaceful Malawians
(Iodotropheus and Labidochromis); and then nasty Malawians
(Pseudotropheus, Melanochromis, etc,). It's best not to mix these
three.>
The Jewel I introduced having read around a lot on their compatibility
and I suppose, summarising, there was a lot of support for the view that
they could go in with Malawis, albeit that there was also plenty of
opinion that they could not.
<Jewel Cichlids may do okay in a Malawi tank, but the water chemistry is
all wrong for them. They come from rivers where the water is often soft
and acidic (though admittedly some species also live in brackish water).
So while they're adaptable, I doubt you'll get them best from them in
terms of colour.>
I was hoping that by carefully selecting different colourations I could
go with my current mix until they began to hit closer too adult size at
which point I would have to move some out and/or upgrade.
<Colour is indeed important, and fish tend to be most hostile to fish
that look similar. But there are fish that simply try to hold an
exclusion zone around themselves, and weaker fish can lose out.>
Looking at the 12 fish in there, could you suggest what is in fact
appropriate for the tank (180 litres, 92cm long) ?
<The number is not the problem, but the variety.>
All fish are male except the leilupi (I'm staggered about the fry too -
apparently this shouldn't be possible in that set-up !). Your comment on
having way too many fish for 180 litres was a bit of an eye opener - I
actually had only 8 fish in at one point and they beat merry hell out of
each other; the mood has calmed down completely since I added the
newcomers; I would say there is now no territorial aggression as a
result but of course am monitoring carefully. Going by my Nitrate
readings I am presently happy with the bioload and my current
maintenance regime - I would greatly appreciate your advice on what to
keep and what to move, if I can not arrange e.g. a 55 gallons over the
next couple of months.
<If things are working for now, then maybe leave things be. But my
feelings are these: Firstly, make sure you have only one species per
genus. You don't want to have to deal with hybrids, and moreover,
species in one genus are more likely to fight than any other
combination. So just one Pseudotropheus species (including
Maylandia/Metriaclima), just one Lamprologus, and so on. Secondly,
decide if you want a Mbuna tank or an "everything else" tank. Robust
Tanganyikans and non-aggressive Malawians (like Iodotropheus and
Labidochromis) can coexist. It isn't recommended, but it can work if
you're careful. Mbuna (Pseudotropheus, Melanochromis, etc.) are best
kept alone, possibly with Tropheus if there's space for them. Aulonocara
work better with Mbuna than more peaceful fish, though that varies with
the species concerned. I would recommend looking at any one of the many
excellent books on African cichlids. There's a nice little book called
'Fishkeepers Guide to African Cichlids' by Paul Loiselle that covers the
basics and can be picked up on Amazon for very little money. But there
are many other more detailed books out there.>
Thanks again,
Eoghan
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My questions concerns Rift Lake Compatibility, Stocking Levels
and General Husbandry FAO Neale
Neale - I promise not to keep coming back to you all day, but had to say
thanks again for the advice in both your responses and the time taken to
set it out. I will take it all on board.
Eoghan
<Happy to help; it's better to ask questions than to make mistakes. Good
luck! Cheers, Neale.> |
|
Mbuna Carbonate Hardness &
Guppy Death. 2/21/08
Hi there.
<Lisa... is that you dancing?>
I'd appreciate your advice on a couple of issues please?
<Sure!>
Concern 1: I've been raising the hardness of soft water in a Mbuna tank with
Kent Cichlid Chemistry. I've obtained a Total Dissolved Meter to monitor the
results. My tank currently reads 1485. Could you confirm that this is 148.5?
<Mmm, very likely so... the order of magnitude reading would be very high for
TDS>
The Africans should range from 200-400ppm so I still have a bit to go to raise
the hardness - albeit on a very slow basis... (I've also attempted to raise the
hardness with aragonite with little results - and crushed coral makes a mess and
I have to vacuum it to keep it clean.)
<Ah, yes... can be done... with stored, recirculated water... but some
particulates are still likely>
Concern 2: In general, if a tank is overcrowded however the water quality is
very good, could this lead to loss of fish?
<Mmm, yes... from a few root causes... Mainly aggression... as in most commonly.
But limit of oxygen, metabolite poisoning, other problems can arise from
overcrowding as well>
I have a 30 gallon populated with 11 assorted cats (2 Plecos, 5 Corys, 4 S.
American bumblebees)
<Mmm... do see the Net, part. Planet Catfish re these... likely...>
and 11 guppies. I've lost 7 guppies within the last month (mysteriously).
<These cats?... http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/cotm.php?article_id=91
I do weekly 10% water changes - nitrates 0; ammonia 0; nitrates 5-10ppm, pH a
bit high around 7.4. The guppies did real well for a long time then suddenly
began to die.
<Mmm... perhaps Chondrococcus... Please read here re:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/guppydisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above>
I realize this is A LOT of fish for 30 gallons...I could only surmise that this
is overcrowding problem... there are no signs of disease.
<The bodies are not beaten up I take it... Read on the above citation>
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thank you. Lisa
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: Mbuna Carbonate Hardness
& Guppy Death. 2/21/08
Hi Bob. Yes, it's me one of the Boston Ballet's principle dancers. Aged 43,
fifty pounds overweight and a Mbuna fanatic!
<Mmm, well... at least you can still dance! I'm a bit heftier still... older...
but still an aquatics fanatic!>
Regarding the Mbuna carbonate hardness. I am truly at a loss here. Kent Marine
instructed me to buy a TDS meter to receive accurate readings for water hardness
(because I didn't trust the API kit).
<Mmm, well... I would look to another bit of test gear... TDS is not necessarily
all that directly related to hardness... Have you read Neale's excellent piece
here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwhardness.htm
and the articles and related FAQs files above?>
As I reported to you earlier, something is off. When I read your note, I caught
an early train home remarking to my coworkers "I am going home to rescue my fish
from me." Yes, my fish regularly wince as I approach their tank.
I have been so diligent about my fishkeeping. Gone to great expense as you would
imagine. It is an addictive hobby - I love it.
Anyway, upon arriving home, I opened up my Mbuna log - a log I keep based on
your recommendation in The Marine Aquarist (!). (I actually keep 5 logs.) With
the TDS meter I took five readings from five separate tanks. This particular TDS
meter's detection range is 0-1999ppm per the documentation.
<I see>
Mbuna: TDS shows 1534ppm; API 5ml liquid drop test shows 4dH or 1dH x 17.9
=72ppm (this water is treated with Kent Cichlid Chemistry)
Mbuna2: TDS shows 1592ppm (treated for hardness)
Community: TDS shows 648ppm (not treated for hardness)
Community2: TDS shows 642ppm (not treated for hardness)
Goldfish: 636ppm TDS (not treated for hardness)
Aged tap: TDS 390ppm; 3dh or 54ppm API 5ml liquid drop test
<Well... these readings are possible... and the high readings for the African
Cichlids are not really "that" high... in terms of what their native/natural
waters are...>
What can we derive from these numbers? Aged untreated tap shows a TDS of 390ppm
OR... 54ppm. Which is it? (rhetorical)
<Ours here, in S. Cal. is about 800 in even numbers... there are places around
the world (not commonly in the U.S., but possible) that have softer water, less
TDS than this... and much more...>
I imagine the water chemistry (nitrification?) affects the water once it's in
the community tanks?
<Mmm, not so much in the way of TDS... does go more acidic, less hard with
time... though a good deal of solids are added vis a vis foods/feeding...>
Is my TDS meter incorrect?
<Did you calibrate it? These readings may be accurate>
You would think the Mbuna would be literally petrified if the hardness is
1534ppm?
<Nope>
Floating fossils? Swimming in limestone? Shall I become a paletologist? What the
heck is going on here - how can the two types of test be so skewed?
<Heee! We do have a paleontologist amongst the Crew... Neale Monks works for
real for the British Museum of Natural History...>
I am paralyzed. What do you recommend? A new ($70+) TDS meter?
Looking forward to your response! Lisa.
<I'd check the calibration, and go forward with what you have. No worries. Bob
Fenner>
|
My African cichlids... hlth.?
Env. 2/19/08
hello I have a question. my cichlids are rubbing against the rocks and
shaking what do I do?. I have just added CopperSafe how long will it take before
I could do a water change?. and if this works how long will it take before the
sickness will go away?. I have a 72 gal bow with 50 cichlids and my tank is
about 1 month old. please help.
<Hang on a second. This tank is one month old, contains 72 US gallons for water,
and contains 50 cichlids? Given that even with small fish you wouldn't keep more
than an inch of fish per gallon, with African cichlids this stocking density is
insanely high. So first things first: tell me about water chemistry and water
quality. Fish 'flash' (as this rubbing or scratching behaviour is called) when
they are irritated. Sometimes the irritation is caused by parasites, but often
by sudden changes in pH or poor water quality (ammonia and nitrite especially).
Assuming these are Rift Valley cichlids, how are you stabilising the pH? What is
the pH level immediately after a water change, and what is the pH a week after a
water change -- this will tell you how stable the pH is. All aquaria become
acidic over time, and with African cichlids slowing this acidification is
essential. So you need to ensure you have lots of carbonate hardness. What is
the carbonate hardness in your tank? That's measured in degrees KH, and
shouldn't be confused with general hardness (degrees dH) although you need to
know that, too. For African cichlids, a general hardness of around 20 degrees dH
and a carbonate hardness of at least 7 degrees KH is required. Next up, what
about filtration? What is the nitrite concentration in this tank? What about the
nitrate? How much water do you change per week? (Should be at least 50%.) What
is the capacity of the filter? Minimum should be 6 times the volume of the tank
in turnover per hour, but realistically 10 times the volume is what a heavily
stocked cichlid tank really needs. I'm asking you all this stuff because your
fish are likely irritated/ill because of environmental issues rather than
disease by itself. In any case, I feel your tank is massively overstocked, and
unless you're a very expert fishkeeper rearing large numbers of juvenile fish
that will be sold before they get too big, this tank just won't work. Cheers,
Neale.>
African Cichlid Tank Set Up - 02/06/07
Hi there! I am setting up a 75 gallon freshwater aquarium, and I want to
make this one an African Cichlid tank. I've never kept cichlids before, and
have done heavy research on compatibility and what not, but I want to make sure
before I do anything. I have listed possible livestock as follows: Electric
blue, electric yellow, livingstonii, Jack Dempsey, Female Kribensis, Salvini, and
Red Zebras. Now keep in mind that I have never cared for a cichlid before, and
I have done significant research that says these fish will do alright with each
other; you guys are the experts however. Can you give me some suggestions on
this project? Thanks once again, I love your site.-Blake
< Don't mix African cichlids with New World cichlids. The African cichlids are
much faster and have teeth. As far as you set up:
The electric Blue is OK. Will get up to 8 inches and may chase smaller fish that
it can eat.
The electric yellow is OK. Will get up to 4 inches but is non-aggressive. The
Livingstonii will get up to 8 inches and will not bother fish in cannot eat. The
red zebras are OK. Fairly aggressive and territorial. The Jack Dempsey and
salvini are from Mexico and would get picked on to death by the African cichlids
from Lake Malawi. The female krib is suicide. Only gets 2 inches long and comes
from soft acidic water. I would recommend "Enjoying Cichlids" by Ad Konings as
an excellent book for keeping cichlids.-Chuck> Planning a 55 Gallon African
Cichlid Tank 1/7/08
Planning to revamp my 55 gallon tank with new fish. Have completely cleaned
it out, have tested the water for three days straight, pH is coming in at a 7.0,
nitrates and ammonia etc. seem to be in order and temp is at approx 76-80
degrees.
I would like to have a cichlid tank and noticed the Aquarium store in my area
has a very strong selection of African Cichlids which are quite beautiful. Could
you please advise how many fish I can purchase, what types of Cichlids would mix
well together, and what non Cichlid fish I could also have that would mix well.
Thank you, Eric
<Lake Malawi cichlids do make an attractive and active tank. They like hard
alkaline clean water. Water should be between 75 and 77 F. The pH needs to be up
around 7.4-8.0. The filter should run at least 150-300 GPH. There are
approximately 1000 cichlid species from Lake Malawi. Most of the cichlids in the
hobby come from the rocky habitats and are referred to as Mbuna. They eat algae
off of the rocks so they require a diet high in vegetable matter. Generally
these fish need to very densely populated because they can be very aggressive
and have lots of sharp teeth. By keeping them crowded the aggressive males are
able to chase all the fish and not just a selected few. Generally I would
recommend getting all the fish as juveniles and let them grow up together. I
would get about thirty. As some of the males mature they can be traded back to
the store. This would leave you with about 20+ adults. A good book would be
"Enjoying Cichlid" by Ad Konings. It covers most of the available cichlid
species in the hobby. Good fish to go with them are Australian rainbows and
Synodontis catfish from Lake Tanganyika.-Chuck>
African Cichlid GH Too High
12/12/07
Hello Neale.
Sorry for bothering you again. I am still in the first week of cycling my Mbuna
tank. My water parameters are (Test Kits from NT Labs UK) - pH 8.1, KH 9, GH 25,
NO2 1, NO3 5, NH3 0. How can I lower my GH? Should I use RO/DI water?
Thanks you
Ghulam
<Hi Ghulam. Don't bother... GH 25, KH 9 is perfect for Rift Valley cichlids.
They will love it. The nitrite is still a bit high though, so be diligent with
water changes, and don't add to many fish too quickly! Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Cichlids GH Too High,
Africans 12/20/07
Hi Again Neale.
I am now in my 18th day of cycling my Malawi Cichlids tank (Mbuna) and last week
my GH was 25, now its 28. I tested my tap water and its 7 GH. Is it still ok for
my future fish? Will they breed in these conditions? What can I do if I need to
lower it?
Help
Thanks in advance :-)
Ghulam
<Greetings. Malawi cichlids are fine at 25 degrees dH general hardness. On the
other hand, if your tap water has a hardness of 7 degrees dH and that rockets up
to 25 degrees in the aquarium, then you don't have much water chemistry
stability. While it is fine to use calcium-rich substrates in a tank to harden
the water, if you're going to go down that avenue, it's best to perform small
but frequent water changes. Perhaps two 25% water changes each week. So test the
hardness before the water change, immediately after the water change, and then
seven days after the water change. If the hardness variation is small (say,
between 20 and 25 dH) then don't worry too much. But if the variation is between
10 and 25 dH, that's less good, and you'll want to do smaller water changes but
more often. With Malawi cichlids, hardness and pH don't matter too much in terms
of exact values, but what does matter is stability. By the way, note "GH" is
what you're measuring, General Hardness, and not the scale used, which is "dH",
or "Deutsche Härte", literally "German Hardness" in German. One other thing I'd
remind you: carbonate hardness ( degrees KH) is somewhat more important with
Malawi cichlids than most other aquarium fish. You want a consistent KH of at
least 7 degrees and ideally more than 10 degrees KH. Carbonate hardness is the
thing that keeps pH steady. Again, anything between 7.5 and 8.5 will suit these
fish in absolute terms, but what they hate is dramatic variation, so if you run
the tank at pH 8.0 (a good number) then you want to keep variations small, say
between 7.8 and 8.2. The tendency will be for the pH to drop across the week,
and the water changes will bring the pH back up. A high carbonate hardness
inhibits this pH drop; the higher the KH value, the smaller the pH fluctuation.
Do also remember if you plan on breeding your Malawi cichlids, then you have to
ensure none of the fish can hybridise, and that there are enough females per
male to prevent bullying: when groups of one male and one female are kept, the
female can be battered to death long before she has any babies! Cheers, Neale.>
New 300g
fresh water set up for African cichlids 12/7/07
Hello and thanks in advance for your time.
<Welcome Joe>
First off, I haven't bought anything yet, including the tank, so I am open to
changing anything based upon your suggestions. I'm a clean slate.
<Ahh!>
I intend to set up a 300g (96 long 30 deep 24 high) freshwater tank for African
cichlids.
<Mmm, there are actually quite a few variations/themes for such "African
Cichlid" systems... By lake, habitat type... Need to be careful in actual
species selection, mixing... avoiding crosses... sorting sex ratios... You would
do well to read the very nice, though old Cichlid books by Paul Loiselle, Tetra
Books... likely available from a library>
I want the tank to be in a wall viewable from two rooms. I'm going to do two
overflows, one on each side of the tank leading to a sump under the tank. I have
plenty of room under the tank for the sump and am thinking about 75 gallons. I
think I want 2 inch bulkheads (to accommodate a 2" ID PVC, so the hole would be
3.25")
<Mmm, no need to be this large OD... even with Schedule 80 bulkheads... don't
make over-size>
for the drains, not sure what size the bulkheads should be for the return.
<The diameter of the discharge volute of the pump/s>
in fact, I don't know how much water I should be turning over an hour.
<... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/afcichsysfaqs.htm
and the linked files above>
I would also like advice as to how to filter. Should I do a wet/dry to my sump
or a bio filter in the sump?
<Perhaps both>
I've heard bad things about bioballs being a nitrate factory. I am also
considering two more holes for a closed loop system to UGJ's.
<Ahh! Good idea>
Again, how large should these holes be and any advice as to setting up such a
system would be appreciated.
<See WWM re these issues... all and more related information that is
pertinent/germinal re is posted...>
I am going to use a lot of rock in the tank and was wanting to use eggcrate
to defuse the weight of the rock, but can't figure out how to do that with a UGJ?
<I would NOT use an UG filter here, nor with most any African Cichlid biotope
aquarium... not much to gain, and more maintenance than it's worth>
I'm also concerned about all the holes in the bottom of the tank, I'm hoping you
will tell me if done right I won't have a leaking problem.
<... I would NOT drill holes through your tank w/o a plumbing plan, strong sense
of what you're doing... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
the fourth/pink tray down... on Plumbing>
Please feel free to offer any advice and suggest any changes, no matter how
small.
Thanks again,
Joe
<You have good ideas Joe... but need to do a bunch of reading, note-taking to
hone down your choices, actual working engineering plans... Can be easily done
by reading on WWM... and even fun... Do write us back with specific concerns,
questions. Bob Fenner>
African Cichlid... and
Neotropicals (Firemouth) systems 12/7/07
Dear Crew,
I have a few question please. What temperature range is best for the African
Cichlids? The thing is that I have a Teco Conditioner (Chiller, Heater & UV
built all in one) and it does not keep a constant temperature. If I set it on 24
Degrees Celsius, the unit only starts chilling at 26 until it reaches 24 then
stops, and it does this very slowly, not quick so it should not shock my
livestock. So is it ok for the temperature to be between 24-26? If not then
please specify the best range.
Cichlids I would like to house in one tank (200 Gallon with Wet/Dry Filtration)
and hope I can also breed.
2-4 or more Pseudotropheus demasoni (Pombo Rocks)
2-4 or more Labidochromis caeruleus
2-4 or more Firemouth
Also what about using a RO/DI Unit?
Thank you.
Ghulam
<Hello Ghulam. The temperature variation you describe will not cause any
problems. Firemouth cichlids (Thorichthys meeki) are not Malawi cichlids and I
personally wouldn't mix them. Mbuna are quite violent animals; Thorichthys meeki
are mild and have quite specialized jaws unsuitable for fighting. That's why
they flare their red gill covers instead. Only rarely will Thorichthys meeki
actually "lock jaws". If Mbuna and Thorichthys meeki get into a fight, things
might turn nasty. Pseudotropheus demasoni is incredibly nasty towards other blue
fish of similar shape and pattern, though yellow and orange Mbuna like
Labidochromis caeruleus and Maylandia estherae are said to work well with it. So
by all means replace the Thorichthys meeki with another Mbuna, but choose the
species carefully so that it isn't blue and doesn't have vertical bars. Using RO
water in a Malawi cichlid tank is a good idea. It keeps the nitrate levels low,
so the fish are healthier. But you will need to add minerals to harden the
water. You can buy "Malawi Salt" mixes, or you can make your own. A common Rift
Valley salt mix is as follows. Per 5 gallons/20 litres
1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements)
Stir in the bucket, and then when dissolved, add to the aquarium. Make changes
to water chemistry in small steps so as not to stress any fish.
Cheers, Neale.>
African Cichlid Info
New Cichlid Tank Questions 12/4/07
Dear Crew. Hi I'm new to this site & really love it, also gonna start my
first fish tank ever. I have a few questions that I'm not too sure about & can't
seem to find.
1) Should I use RO/DI Unit for African Cichlids?
< There are lots of cichlids that come from Africa and there are many different
water types too. If you are asking about cichlids from the great rift lakes then
you do not need a RO unit since these fish prefer hard alkaline water.>
2) How much circulation should be used in the tank?
< About three to five times the tank volume per hour.>
3) I am also gonna be buying a sump filtration & drill my tank, how much
circulation should I use for filtration?
< As per question number 2.>
4) What test kits do I need?
< A pH and general hardness kit to get the water chemistry right. Then a
ammonia, nitrite and nitrate kit to make sure your tank is properly cycled and
then you can determine when to change water and how much water to change.>
5) How long before I can add fish?
< If you use Bio-Spira you can add fish as soon as the water temp is set.>
6) Can I breed African Cichlids with more than 1 couple? I will be buying a 190
Gallon Rectangular tank.
If we are still talking about Rift Lake cichlids then you will need to know
exactly what species you are talking about. In Lake Malawi 99.999999% of the
cichlids are maternal mouth breeders. The do best in colonies with one may to
4-6 females. Some cichlids from Lake Tanganyika can be breed in pairs while some
others are usually bred as colonies like the Lake Malawi cichlids. I would
recommend "Enjoying Cichlids by Ad Konings.-Chuck>
I hope I did not ask you too many questions & thanking you in advance.
John Luke
Converting Reef to Cichlid
12/1/2007
Hi Bob and Wet Crew.
<Ave!>
Hope your all doing well. Its been ages since I emailed you wonderful people. I
would like to know what I would have to do to convert my 200 Gallon Reef Tank to
a Cichlid Tank? I would also like to know what equipment should I keep in the
system.
<Does rather depend on the cichlids being kept. If hard water species
(Tanganyikan, Malawian, Victorian or Central American cichlids) essentially
everything except salt and skimmer will be useful. Soft water species (South
American and West African cichlids) obviously don't want limestone materials in
the tank like tufa rock. Brackish water cichlids (Chromides, plus various
tilapiines and cichlasomines) can be kept tanks more or less identical to marine
tanks except the skimmer won't work below SG 1.010).>
Tank Info......
1 200 Gallon Main Tank (Drilled)
2) 45 Gallon Sump with Bio Balls
3 55 Gallon Caulerpa Algae
4) Skimmer
5) UV
6) Heater (I know I should still use this, but just put it as info)
7) Many Powerhead of different specs
8 Denitrifier
9)Many Marine White and Blue Actinic Fluorescent Lighting
10) 2 Pcs Send pumps - 1 x 3325 LitresPH + 1 x 2500 LPH
I hope I got everything in there.
<Well, obviously the Caulerpa won't work. Better simply freeze it and use as
food for herbivorous cichlids. The skimmer won't work except in mid/high-end
brackish. UV sterilisers work well in freshwater even though they aren't widely
used. Water current is good for riverine/lake-dwelling cichlids, but the
blackwater species (like Angels and Discus) won't appreciate too much current.
Lighting will be very useful if you keep algae-eating cichlids (Mbuna, Tropheus,
etc.) -- allow green algae to grow on all rocky surfaces freely, and these fish
will graze it down almost to the rock.>
Ghulam
<Cichlid care is essentially very similar to marine fish care in terms of
requirements for water movement, low nitrates, and in the case of Rift Valley
species high levels of carbonate hardness. The big difference is you are more
likely to keep groups of the same species, so breeding and social behaviour are
greater issues than with marines. Do take care when selecting stock to avoiding
having closely related fish: not only are hybrid fry more likely to be produced,
but closely related fish often fight more than distantly related ones. There are
numerous books on cichlids, and I'd encourage you to have a read of one or two
of them before selecting your livestock. Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Converting Reef to Cichlid 12/2/07
Hi Neale,
Wow! This must have been the fastest email reply I ever got in my life! I forgot
to mention a couple more things...hope you don't mind :-)
I will be keeping Soft Water African Cichlids.
What about my Live Rock (seeded from other live rocks now for over 6 years) and
live sand/gravel? Shall I just vacuum everything completely? like all the
shrimps and worms.
Thanks and in Advance for the next email too.
Ghulam
<The short answer is that you will have to get rid of the sand, gravel, crushed
coral, live rock, and anything else calcareous. Soft water cichlids should be
kept in tanks that contain only non-soluble rocks, such as slate and granite. I
would hope you can sell/give-away the live rock in its "live" condition. It goes
without saying that marine live rock cannot survive in freshwater aquaria.
Cheers, Neale.>
Sand in the Pseudotropheus saulosi
aquarium 11/8/07
Hello. I am thinking about switching my substrate to sand. I have gravel
right now. Would it be ok if I went to a local hardware store and picked up some
Silica Sand. I herd that its ok and will not kill my fish. The only thing that I
herd to do is put a sock full of the old gravel in to provide the sand with some
of the "good" bacteria till the sand gets "broken in" to the tank. Would this be
an ok sand to use? Also I wanted to put some flat rock in my tank. I was
thinking I would pick some slate up at a local rock store. Should I be concerned
about having to do anything to the rock before I put it in the tank. Like would
just washing it off be ok or would I have to boil it? Also would I have to boil
the sand too? Thanks and any other suggestions would be great.
<Smooth silica sand is fine in aquaria. I use it all the time. But you have to
look out for sharp silica sand, which is also sold in garden centres and
hardware stores. Sharp sand is, well, sharp, and it doesn't do the fish any good
when they root about in it. Smooth silica sand is much safer. Sand is of
absolutely no value in biological filtration, so inoculating with bacteria is
pointless. The lack of water flow through sand means anaerobic conditions
develop, and filter bacteria die. In a cichlid aquarium, all you want is enough
silica sand to cover the bottom pane of glass. Maybe 1 cm or so. The cichlids
will keep this turned over as they dig. You don't need to boil sand before use,
but it will need cleaning. Sand often contains a lot of silt. Expect to change
the filter wool in your canister filter a few times if you don't clean the sand
sufficiently well! Lots of people prefer to use coral sand in Mbuna and
Tanganyikan tanks; silica sand obviously has no impact on carbonate hardness. If
you were planning on using an undergravel filter in this aquarium to help deal
with carbonate hardness and pH, then don't use silica sand. If you're not using
coral sand and crushed coral as an undergravel filter, then you will need to
consider how you are going to keep the hardness and pH nice and high. Cheers,
Neale.>
Rift lake salts, GH & KH
10/3/07
Hi WWM crew,
I used to have a community setup and used KH salts to buffer the system and
maintain a neutral pH. I now have a community tank with a number of cichlids
(calvus, dickfeldi, Kribensis) so I am using rift lake salts. I was advised to
use only the rift lake salts and not the KH salts as well. I've just had a major
shift in pH (to acid) and the cichlids are all sick as a result. My question is:
should I be maintaining the KH buffer salts as well as the rift salts or should
the rift salts have the same effect?
Thanks in advance!!
Lachlan
<Rift Valley cichlid salts should maintain KH and pH all by themselves.
Essentially, Rift Valley salts are packaged salts for raising the GH, KH, and pH
of regular water so that it matches that found in either Lake Malawi or
Tanganyika. That said, if you're keeping Rift Valley cichlids, you should also
have some built-in carbonate hardness reserve in the aquarium. I would strongly
recommend the use of either crushed coral inside a canister filter or an
undergravel filter built with a coral sand/crushed coral mix. Sticking lumps of
Tufa rock in the tank won't work, because for the calcium carbonate to have any
value as a buffer, water must be flowing past a vast surface area of the stuff.
If you have a pH crash below 7.0, then clearly you weren't adding enough Rift
Valley salt given the ambient softness of your local water supply and/or the
stocking level of your aquarium and/or the use of acidifying materials in the
tank such as bogwood. Cheers, Neale>
Sudden dying fish advice! 10/3/07
Hi
<Hello.>
I hope you can help me, am a bit of a novice fishkeeper and after a promising
start am slight concerned about the goings on in my tank!
<Oh dear.>
I have a 35gallon freshwater aquarium, which ive had for three weeks (originally
my brothers and kept for 6yrs). It had 5 Malawi's and one Plec and I added
another 8 Malawi's, another Plec and 5 red claw crabs (about 2cm each).
<Red-claw crabs are brackish water animals, and shouldn't be kept in a
freshwater tank. They are also amphibious animals, and keeping them permanently
submerged is cruel. Kept properly, they are more like frogs, rooting about on
land, but dipping in the water to moisten their gills periodically.>
Everything was going fine but then in the last 24hrs both my catfish and the
alpha male (a 2.5inch blue zebra) of the tank have died!
<Check water quality when two fish suddenly die.>
I have checked all the levels and everything is normal.
<Define "normal". I'm assuming you aren't using brackish water, so the
conditions aren't normal for your crabs at least. More specifically, have you
tested the nitrite level? Also, what's the pH and hardness? Malawi cichlids need
fairly hard water to do well (at least 10 degrees KH, and a pH around 7.5-8). I
don't know what Malawi cichlids and plecs you are talking about, but 13
Pseudotropheus zebra and two common plecs such as Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus
simply cannot be kept in 35 gallons of water. There is no way water quality will
be acceptable for them all. Even a single common Plec needs around 50 gallons of
water, at least.>
My concern is that, could this be the work of the crabs and should I really get
rid of them? The shop said they could live together but now am not so sure
<Crabs shouldn't kill most fish, though they will certainly catch and kill very
small fish like guppies. But unless you are keeping them in a brackish water
vivarium with a sand-bank and wood for them to climb about on, then no, this
isn't an acceptable home.>
Advice would be most grateful as I don’t really want £80 stock all to die off!
<Indeed.>
Best regards,
Lester
<Lester, you need to sit back and review the aquarium conditions. A 35 UK gallon
tank is simply too small for all the fish you are keeping. What will happen is
that the fish will die, one by one, until the aquarium reaches its "carrying
capacity". You can delude yourself into thinking the aquarium is fine, but
Science doesn't work that way, and until the population reaches a sensible
level, fish will keep getting sick and die. For 35 gallons, you should be
thinking about, say, one or two Ancistrus Bristlenose catfish along with maybe
three cichlids (one male, two females). Nothing else will work in the long term.
Hope this helps, Neale>
Stealth Cat Shadows Corys – 9/24/07
Hi there Neale,
<Hello Lisa,>
Hope you are well.
<Likewise.>
A couple of weeks ago, I installed lunar lights into one of my communities tanks
so I could observe nocturnal behavior. Very interesting!
<Indeed...?>
Last evening one of the two Microglanis iheringi made an appearance. When it
does appear, it quickly scales the length of the large piece of driftwood and
dashes about the substrate chasing everyone off. He is quite the character. His
behavior last night was unusual in that he was literally shadowing one Cory at a
time - as if he were trying to latch onto to their bellies in a horizontal
position (his dorsal fin to their bellies). The Corys didn't like it naturally -
they raced about the tank until the bumblebee gave it up. The bumblebee tried
this on 2 or 3 Corys within a 10 minute timeframe.
<Hmm... more likely schooling behaviour. Microglanis iheringi is a social
species, and some small catfish will form mixed schools if conspecifics aren't
available. I bet if you added two or four more Microglanis iheringi, you'd find
them schooling together and ignoring the Corydoras.>
I woke up at 4am and gazed into the tank and the bumblebee cat was exhibiting
the same behavior.
<OK.>
Do you suppose this is about aggression? Territoriality? Mating?!
<None of the above. Microglanis iheringi is completely peaceful (except of
course to small fish it can eat!).>
And may I please ask you a question pertaining to the Mbunas and stabilizing
their pH at 8.0-8.2 and appropriate kH?
<Feel free.>
For the past couple of months, I've incorporated crushed coral and shells into
the filtration and tank however the highest I can raise the pH with this method
is 7.8. I've been able to elevate the kH only about "5 notches" which isn't
close to ideal level. Should I begin to add a chemical buffer to necessitate the
ideal levels?
<What's the precise value? One of the misunderstandings in the hobby is the idea
Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika are incredibly hard, with massively high levels of
carbonate hardness. While they certainly are comparatively hard compared with,
say, the Amazon River, the general hardness (dH) values of the two lakes aren't
incredibly high, around 6-10 degrees dH for Malawi and 10-12 degrees dH for
Tanganyika. My local tap water, drawn from a chalk aquifer, is harder than this,
around 18-20 degrees dH! What makes the two lakes special is the composition of
the salts in them, in particular their relatively high levels of carbonate
hardness. The salts in Tanganyika are about 2/3rds carbonates, and in Malawi
about 4/5ths carbonates. This has a particular effect: while the waters in these
lakes might not be phenomenally hard, they are extremely stable in terms of
changes in water chemistry such as pH. Anything about 8 degrees KH should
fulfill this criterion comfortably. Higher levels simply provide more stability,
but up to a point Malawian cichlids are fairly adaptable (Tanganyikan cichlids
tend to be less so). Because coral sand and crushed shells dissolve slowly,
there's an argument for doing small water changes more frequently if you find
the pH and hardness fluctuates too much between water changes (i.e., if your
local water is quite soft). In this case, doing 25% water changes instead of 50%
ones might make sense.>
Thank you and look forward to hearing from you!
<Hope this helps!>
Lisa.
<Neale>
Re: Stealth Cat Shadows Corys – 09/25/07
Thank you for your response Neale and the detailed information.
<Not a problem.>
With the crushed coral, I've essentially taken the Mbunas (Lake Malawi) from
extremely soft water to a level to about 107.4 kH or 5 degrees dH which falls
below the ideal 8 degrees dH you mentioned.
<Does not compute... does not compute! There's no such thing as 107.4 degrees
KH. That would be a solid piece of limestone! The KH scale as far as aquarium
water goes runs from 0 at the soft end to over 20 degrees KH, which would be
very hard water. Each degree KH is about 17.9 milligrams per litre calcium
carbonate, so 107.4 mg/l CaCO3 would be about 6 degrees KH. That is fairly low,
and a bit short of what you want for Mbuna.>
The pH holds at 7.8. I change 25% of the water every other week. With this
notable incompatibility, shall I hold my current position or in fact introduce a
buffer/hardener?
<You have two ways forward, each with its pros and cons. You could improve the
chemical filtration in the system. If the KH is staying too low, that means the
water isn't passing through enough crushed coral. An undergravel filter is the
classic way to fix this: a substrate of coral sand on top of a gravel tidy on
top of coral rubble will comfortably buffer the water to a nice high pH. This is
the system that has been used in marine and Rift Valley cichlid aquaria for
generations. On the plus side, this works well and is cheap and easy to set up.
On the down side, it requires a bit of maintenance, particularly if the
undergravel filter *is not* part of a reverse flow filtration system. The
problem is undergravel filters suck up the dirt, so the substrate needs cleaning
periodically (typically a good stir once a month, and a deep clean once every
year or two). The second approach is to add Malawi salts. These are, in my
opinion, more effective and economical than buffering liquids. Since you're
"halfway there" in terms of providing the right water conditions, you probably
won't need a full dose of the salts to get a nice high KH. So mix a half dose
into the next water change, and see what happens. Obviously avoid doing a rapid
change in water chemistry -- changes to the better, if too rapid, can still be
damaging to fish. So do a 25% water change with the hardened water, and then
another next week, and so on until the water is completely replaced.>
The Microglanis iheringi are rather tough to find...
<Funnily enough, a local pet store in London I visited yesterday, Wholesale
Tropicals had some! So anyone in the UK interested in these lovely fish...
that's where to go!>
I so much enjoy watching the catfishes' behavior - the Plecos (they finally took
to the lettuce!), the Corys and these bumblebees.
<Ah, the joys of catfish. Addictive, aren't they?>
I NEED bigger tanks for more fish! I am experiencing what Joyce Wilkerson calls
a "marine décor explosion." !! (Clowns will be next adventure.)
<Tell me about it! Fishkeeping, once you're on a roll, is bad for the bank
balance. But it's like having your own personal zoo, with fascinating critters
from all four corners of the Earth. It's a great hobby.>
Thank you very much for your help Neale!
Lisa
<Well, hope this helps, Neale>
Filtration For A 90G Malawi Cichlid Tank
9/6/07
I have a 90g freshwater cichlid tank (mostly Malawi with a large Pleco) with
28 fish of small to med size. The tank is 4 months old now and seems to have
properly cycled. I have one 250W heater, a Fluval 405 with the recommended media
(Foam screen, bio rings and carbon pouches) and two bubble stones. pH is good
(7.5 to 8+), no nitrites, the LFS says my phosphates are somewhat high but not
to worry about it unless I have a big algae problem, which I don't. Plus I do
33% water changes once a week (I don't always take all the decs out of the tank,
but still agitate and python much of the exposed gravel. I am wringing my hands
as to whether I should get an additional filter (It would have to be a canister
because I have no room behind the tank for a hang-on) which would likely be the
Eheim 2126 for the following reasons:
1) I have never achieved what I would characterize as crystal clear water (only
briefly after doing a diatom filter of the water)
2)These are dirty fish
3)I have a tendency to overfeed (albeit they only get fed very other day)
4) It might be appropriate anyway given the size of the tank and type of fish
5) We will start to travel weekends in the winter, so the redundancy of the
filtration and heater might make sense
6) It might reduce on going maintenance
7) When I have changed the carbon, or rinsed out the foam (but not the rings) I
get cloudy water for 3 or 4 days which I think is a bacteria bloom. What are your
thoughts? Thanks in advance for your help.
Thomas
< For a 90G tank I would recommend that the filter turn the tank volume over at
least 5 times per hour (450gph). Your 405 is rated at 340 gph without any of the
media being clogged. The 2126 is rated at 275 gph. When running unclogged both
your filters will run 615 gph. A little overkill but well worth the investment
in keeping your fish healthy. You still need to service the filters on a regular
basis. Just because the waste is out of the tank it is not out of the system.
That only happens when you clean the filters. I would recommend that you
alternate cleaning the filters so you don't lose the biological
filtration.-Chuck>
Suggestion for Very Cool
Lighting for Mbuna Tank 8/16/07
Hi Neale!
<Hello Lisa,>
I have successfully transitioned the 11 Mbuna into their new uncramped quarters!
I am so thrilled. Water chemistry readings are very good - I will continue to
check every few days in the event that I don't have sufficient good bacteria
built us in there however I think we'll be okay.
<Cool.>
This tank truly is a show piece and I'm investigating lighting that will really
make the Mbunas' color stand out. Currently I'm using a white florescent bulb
however I believe there's got to be a better alternative. There are a number of
choices on the market ... might you make any suggestions?
<I'd not recommend any single light; rather, consider using a variety. Choosing
a tube with a reddish cast (like a Gro-Lux) plus one with a more bluey shade
(like a Triton) works quite well in my experience. Too much of any one colour
light favours different coloured fish at the detriment of others. Since Mbuna
come in such brilliant shades of blue, yellow, orange, and purple it's best to
choose lighting that benefits them all. That said, lighting isn't as big a deal
as substrate. Nothing enhances the colours of fishes so much as dark substrate.
Matt black sand (volcanic sand) is ideal, but a dark brown river sand works well
too. What works worst is white coral sand and plain silica (silver) sand. Fish
fade their colours when bright light upwells from the substrate. It's not normal
for them. In the wild, below them is dark and above them is light, so they have
evolved to have darkest colours on their backs so that fish above them can't see
(as easily) them against the gloom below. It's called countershading. Anyway,
bright substrates make the bottom of the tank almost as bright at the top of the
tank, and the fish can't get their colours "quite right". There are exceptions
to this of course, particularly fancy varieties of fish which have been bred for
unnaturally bright colours. But cichlids usually "adjust" their colours across a
broad range, partly for camouflage and partly for communication. Anything you
can do to work the tank in favour of this, means you'll get better colours. Also
overlooked is the background. A plain black or dark blue background often shows
off the colours better than something more fussy. That's a perception thing
rather than the fish doing something to their colour cells, but the end result
is the same: your fish look better to you.>
Thank you and hope you're well!
<You're welcome. Indeed, am well.>
Lisa.
<Cheers, Neale>
Re: Suggestion for Very Cool
Lighting for Mbuna Tank 8/16/07
This is fantastic info Neale - thank you so very very much and going to such
effort to elaborate on the subject! I do have black sand in their tank!
<You're welcome, and good luck. Neale>
"If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix
It" Af. Cichlid stkg., sys. 7/31/07
Hi there. I very recently purchased an established 30 gallon (tall) aquarium
from a woman who could no longer keep the tank. The tank
contains eleven 1-2 inch mbunas, 2 bumblebee cats and a Chinese algae eater.
They are all very healthy (but must be cramped in there!)
<I'll say.>
Upon arriving home, I immediately placed the fish in my 30 gallon long which was
fully cycled.
<OK.>
The former owner used regular aquarium salt, maintained the pH at 7.5, temp high
70s, with no buffering substrate (obviously). She performed 50% water changes
once per month.
<Not altogether ideal conditions, I'll admit. The salt certainly isn't required,
and the water changes far less than I'd recommend for a heavily stocked aquarium
like this. 50% a week would be more appropriate.>
I will be performing 25-30% water changes bi-weekly (in fact, I performed their
first water change last weekend - two weeks from their
move - and they seem to come alive!).
<Yes, that's normal. Water changes can have a "tonic" effect on many fishes.>
I will also be acquiring and moving the fish into a 55 gallon within the next
month. Mbunas should number around 15 in a 55 gallon tank right?
<Depends on the size and the species. But yes, overstocking does help deal with
the aggression, though you need to compensate with extra filtration and extra
water changes to keep water quality good.>
I understand the bumblebee cats' ideal pH level should not exceed 7.5 -
I am not sure about the algae eater.
<Both are pretty adaptable. Neither make ideal additions to a Rift Valley
cichlid aquarium since they prefer more neutral rather than very hard and
alkaline conditions. But neither are they very fussy.>
If these guys have survived this far without brackish water and a pH around 8.0,
should I leave it alone?
<No. Neither the mbuna nor the other fish want salty water, though admittedly
salt will help detoxify nitrate and nitrite, so could have played a useful role
in the previous aquarium as the "lesser of two evils". But long term, you want
to replace the use of salt with better water quality management, and ideally
maintain the pH around 7.5 by adding some calcareous filter media to the filter,
such as crushed coral. This will buffer the water and, compared with adding
coral sand to the substrate, is easier to "recharge" by cleaning and/or
replacing periodically.>
I am planning the transition to the 55 gallon and want to be clear on
type of substrate, salt and pH.
<The traditional use of coral sand as a substrate made sense when people relied
on undergravel filters, since the water was pulled through the substrate. If
you're not doing this, and are using a canister filter for example, the
buffering effect is much less dramatic. I'd recommend using something more
controllable. Opt for a chemically inert sand in the aquarium, like silver sand,
that gives your more options in terms of colour. Black sand for example really
highlights the colours of most fish. You only need the shallowest depth, maybe 1
cm. You can instead either add Malawi salts (not aquarium salt or marine salt
mix) to the water with each water change or else fill one of the compartments in
the canister filter with crushed coral. Once a month you'll probably need to
"deep clean" the crushed coral with hot water to remove the organic slime that
covers each grain, and perhaps every 6 months replace it entirely with fresh
crushed coral. Since your crushed coral consumption this way will be small, this
is a low-cost, low-tech approach. You'll need to experiment a bit to get the
optimal amount of crushed coral in the filter, but assuming you have
hard/alkaline tap water to being with, filling one of the three compartments in
the average canister filter should do the job. Aquarium/tonic salt is definitely
not required. HOWEVER, since your fish are acclimated to these conditions, I'd
change the water chemistry only slowly, perhaps over the course of a week or so,
doing 10-20% water changes each day, replacing some of the salty water in the
tank with plain water from the tap. Dramatic water chemistry changes -- even
from "bad" to "good" -- can stress fish. As far as eventual water chemistry
goes, you're looking for around pH 7.5-8, hardness 15+ dH/10+ KH. Contrary to
popular belief, mbuna don't need incredibly high pH and hardness levels. What
matters to them rather more is water *quality*, as well as good diet.>
I want to do the right thing and very much would appreciate your advice.
Thank you! Lisa.
Re: If It Ain't Broke, Don't
Fix It. Mbuna... sys. – 07/30/07
Thanks Neale,
<No problems.>
I have a 30 gallon hex community tank with Plecos, Corys, guppies and danios.
The pH holds at 7.0. Water is soft. Should I move the bumblebee cats and Chinese
Algae Eater out of the mbuna tank into this one? (I was also thinking that I'd
eventually transfer one of the Plecos to the 55 gallon mbuna tank since he is 6
inches or so long and crowded in the hex.- I see Plecos in mbuna tanks often.)
<The "bumblebee cats" could be any one of a bunch of species, many of which are
confirmed predators that will simply view guppies and danios as live food. The
most common species are Microglanis iheringi (around 3-4") and Pseudomystus
siamensis, formerly Leiocassis siamensis, (around 6"). The former is from South
America, the latter from Asia. Microglanis iheringi is small enough that
anything bigger than livebearer fry should be safe, but the latter will
definitely chow down on small fish. As for the Chinese Algae Eater, these are
incredibly nasty animals (usually) and difficult to house in anything other than
a robust cichlid/catfish community. I'd leave it with the mbuna for now.>
I am having a tough time locating black silica sand (as you noted) - I love the
idea of it - if you know of an online resource please let me know or I will
pursue nearby nurseries. I also read on your site, the sand is ideal for the
catfish's barbells in one of my other tanks. I did locate a black sand made by
Carib Sea specifically for salt water or cichlids however this must not be
chemically inert?
<Silica sand is often easier to buy from garden centres than pet shops. The main
thing is you buy the smooth variety now the "sharp sand" for, I hope, obvious
reasons. I use the plain vanilla kind, which costs around 3 UK pounds for 25
kilos, around 50 lb. So it's cheap, too! The only problem with the plain vanilla
silica sand is its yellowy-brown, and you get the issue of the fish fading their
colours to some degree. Mixing it with some fine pea gravel helps, but still,
black sand is definitely nicer (if more expensive). I think your assumption the
Carib Sea sand is not chemically inert is correct. If the ingredients mention
"aragonite" then avoid in any tank where you want a neutral pH. The mbuna
obviously won't care, nor will the guppies, but danios, Corys, etc would sooner
have a near-neutral pH than something wildly alkaline.>
My water out of the tap is soft, pH 7.2 - should I adjust it to the correct
hardness as you stated for an ideal mbuna tank?
<That water is ideal for tetras and barbs, but not for mbuna. Definitely add
crushed coral to the filter to raise the pH/hardness. Tonic salt, despite the
myth, doesn't do either. There is such thing as Malawi Salt Mix that you can
add, though personally, I'm cheap, and prefer to go with the crushed coral
alternative. It's more hassle, but it works fine.>
Concerning diet, I currently feed the mbunas 3 times per day - a mix of
plankton, Spirulina flakes, peas and spinach - all they can consume in about 30
seconds at each feeding. I also leave a piece of zucchini in the tank for them
to munch on during the day.
<Sounds perfect. Mbuna are more or less omnivorous rather than carnivorous, so
mixing up the diet with plant food, flake, and occasional cube of frozen
bloodworms or chopped seafood is the way to go.>
One more question please! How much lighting do the mbunas require? 12 hours per
day? I've only had the tank lights on about 3-4 hours in the evening because
ambient summer temps with A/C on holds at 75-77 degrees.
<Mbuna couldn't care less about the lighting. If you have plants, then you need
lighting 12 hours per day (and again, to shatter a myth, there *are* plants in
Lake Malawi) but otherwise don't worry about it. If in summer the tank is
overheating, then switch them off except perhaps for feeding time so you can
watch them eat. The water temperature in Lake Malawi is quite variable, and at
certain times and especially in deeper water the water gets quite cool, down to
around 20C/68F. Excessively high temperatures, above 30C/86F, on the other hand,
are very uncommon and in aquaria at least severely stress Lake Malawi cichlids.
So if you're worried the lights are causing heat problems, switch 'em off.>
Thanks so much - there is really a great help to me.
Lisa
<You're welcome. Neale>
Re: If It Ain't Broke, Don't
Fix It. – 07/30/07
Thank you Neale very very much. I feel confident now in knowing how to
proceed for caring (and transitioning) the mbunas to ideal conditions.
I am so excited to take on this project. Have a great day!!
<No problems, happy to help. I did notice a typo in the previous e-mail, where I
said, "now the sharp sand" when I meant "NOT the sharp sand". Beyond that, good
luck and enjoy your fish! Neale>
Re: Increasing Water
Hardness, for Mbuna f's 8/13/07
Hi Neale,
<Lisa,>
The pH in the Mbunas tank is beginning to rise with the use of the crushed
coral as you prescribed.
<Very good.>
Strangely, the water hardness remains extremely soft with no change. Is this
unusual?
<Yes, unusual. Crushed coral consists almost entirely of a mineral called
aragonite, a variety of calcium carbonate. Aragonite is "unstable" in geological
terms and dissolves readily, in doing so, the concentration of calcium ions and
carbonate ions will go up. This is what is making the water's pH rise. You
should also see an increase in general hardness (which measures, among other
things, calcium ions) and carbonate ions (which measures, alongside bicarbonate,
carbonate ions). Anything else doesn't really fit the science (at least as I
understand it). Regardless, don't worry about it too much. Crushed coral is
self-buffering (if that's such a term) meaning it won't raise the pH beyond
about 8.2, however much you add. This is well within the preferred zone for
Mbuna, so you're laughing. The main thing is watch the fish, and check their
behaviour is normal; if it is, assume the water chemistry is fine. Provided you
do regular water changes, and perhaps once a month clean out the crushed coral,
maybe changing 50% of it and hot-water cleaning the rest, everything should
happen nicely in the background.>
Looking forward to hearing from you! Thank you. Lisa.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Question about cypress driftwood and African
yellow lab cichlids.. Lake Malawi Cichlid With Driftwood – 07/24/07
Hello, I have a 55 gallon freshwater tank with regular gravel and water in
it. I want to add a lot, and I mean a lot of cypress driftwood into it. The
cypress driftwood is currently soaking in a sink in my garage. My other 55
gallon tank has yellow lab cichlids, with about 40 babies in it (the parents had
kids). I want to add the cypress into the new tank first, then add the yellow
lab babies. I was wondering if a lot of cypress will affect the PH for the
yellow labs. If I do frequent water changes, have carbon in the filter, and
monitor the PH ( I use SeaChem alkaline buffer), will everything be alright?
Before I go ahead and do this, I just wanted your opinion, to put my mind at
ease. Have you or anyone you know had problems with African cichlids and cypress
driftwood before? I greatly appreciate your help and information on this site!!
<The organics in the water like driftwood absorb calcium ions. When all the
calcium is absorbed their will be excess hydrogen ions in the water that will
then bring down the pH. Frequent water changes will help replenish the calcium
in the water. Adding a buffer would be good insurance. I think you will be
fine.-Chuck>
Cichlids in a 12-gal tank? A
Nano-Cichlid Tank 7/10/07
Thanks for all your service here. I've tried to sort of triangulate from
various answers here but am still a little anxious. I have one of the 12-gal
Eclipse tank-in-a-box kits with the cartridge/bio wheel filter that I used for
growing up some frog eggs into frogs. I'm wondering if there's any realistic way
this set-up could be used for cichlids -- it seems like most everyone uses a
larger tank. (Having swum in Lake Malawi a few times, I love cichlids.) With
just a few and plenty of hiding places, could I get away with it? How much water
changing would be required? Could you recommend some species that might do well
(i.e., smaller ones)? My LFS mostly sells "assorted African cichlids" that are
pretty clearly juveniles, but appear to be Mbuna. Thanks much, James
< The Marineland Eclipse is actually a pretty good little system. The filtration
and flow rate are excellent. You can keep a number of smaller cichlids in this
set up if the aggression can be managed. Most of the assorted Mbuna are very
aggressive species that would not last very long in a little tank. Peaceful
species like Mel. parrallelus or Ps. saulosi would be worth a try and could
probably be mixed together. Sand sifting Mbuna like Ps. lanistacola could
probably be housed as pairs. Control the nitrates with water changes. Try and
keep them under 25 ppm. I have been to Lake Malawi myself and share your
interest.-Chuck>
FW filtration, lowering pH though using
aragonitic mat., and NO3s in an Af. cichlid set-up 6/20/07
Hey guys. In your opinion, regarding freshwater tank setup, do you think it
would be equally as effective to put two Aquaclear 500 HOB filter on a 125g
opposed to one canister and one HOB Aquaclear 500?
<Mmm, possibly... though I would in either case, locate the units at either end
of the system, clean only one per week during other regular maintenance... water
changes, testing...>
I am setting up a tank for a friend and through my past experience I really
think that the HOB's do a better job at filtration. Currently on my 75gal I have
one of each
(canister/hob), what do you recommend for a large tank like this?
<For what sorts of livestock? If this were a planted tank, I'd opt for the mix
of units... for Af. et most Cichlid set-ups the two outside power filter
hang-ons if these were my only choices>
Also, on my Malawi tank I put roughly ten pound of crushed aragonite as my
substrate to buffer the ph.
<Good>
In the beginning, my ph was steady at about 7.9-8.0, now i notice that it has
gone down to about 7.5-7.6, what could be the problem?
<The more-soluble parts/faces of this substrate are gone... a good idea to
refresh (replace, add to) occasionally... every three months or so in this
proportion of sized tank/gravel>
Also, my nitrates are constantly at 40ppm even shortly after a large water
change on my 75gal.
<Too high... a good idea for you to read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmaintindex.htm
See the yellow tray, Nitrates below?>
My bio load is only at half of it's maximum plus the fact that it's well over
filtered with filtration rate of 850gph. I have about ten cichlids and one
catfish with a total of about 40 inches so I guess I probably have about 30 more
inches left to stock (going by general rule of thumb....1" per gallon). Any
ideas as to what may be the problems here?
<All sorts>
Thanks in advance for your time and help!!!
Jason
<Read on my friend, read on. Bob Fenner>
Re: FW NO3 6/20/07
Thanks Bob. The link you gave me in the last email was targeted toward
saltwater (even though it claims to be freshwater nitrates),
<Ah, yes... we don't have enough mat. as yet to separate. Many of the principles
apply to both...>
and did not answer my questions. The article told you "generally" about nitrates
with no information pinpointed to my current situation. I also checked the FAQ's
and no one
seemed to have the problem I have without probable cause. I have no probable
cause, so with your several years of experience do you have any idea what the
problem may be?
<Yes... a simple balancing of a series of variables/equation... More food,
metabolism on one side... not enough anaerobic digestion by certain groups of
microbes on the other... And insufficient nutrient export otherwise... Again...
please do re-read where you were referred to... the linked files at top.... Your
options are simple to delineate... less food, esp. of a proteinaceous nature,
less livestock... more anaerobiosis... DSB likely, perhaps specialized media
(e.g. sintered glass, ceramic beads/macaronis... made for this...) and the
export... more water changes, the use of chem. filtrants, purposeful
photosynthesis... the DSB, plants likely in a tied in live sump... All gone over
and over on WWM...>
I vacuum once every two weeks along with 20% water changes. My bio load is only
at about half of the maximum it should be
<... not useful thinking... Try covering your "good eye" with your hand, walking
backward for a minute... Really>
for a 75gal tank. I have an Aquaclear 50 HOB and a Filstar XP3. I have bio rings
and stars in both filters but no BioWheel so the bio filtration is constantly
under water with no air hitting. I use no supplements and feed very lightly.
So clearly Bob, can you see any probable cause here? I don't, I need help.
Jason
<Read my young friend, read. RMF>
LOL, thanks for answering my simple question Bob.
<Welcome... RMF>
Giving Up On Salt Water For The Easy Cichlid
Tank – 06/16/07
It's been a long, long while since I've needed to ask y'all a question!
Briefly, I'm tearing down the reef, and, wondered if the live sand bed could be
rinsed, and, left in place for some African Cichlids...Aulonocara nyassae (SP?)
Species will be probable for the future!
< Welcome to the world of cichlids. No problem. Just make sure the organics are
gone and add Bio-Spira for FW .-Chuck>
Thanks, Your friend, Stormbringer
Mbuna Trouble - Not Eating... Env.,
social issues 6/9/07
Hello there,
<Howdy>
I started a Tank about 3 months ago (90 Gallon), let it cycle for about a
month until I could measure no ammonia, no nitrite, and no nitrate.
<How cycled?>
I then added 3 /Labidochromis caeruleus, /and 3 /Pseudotropheus demasoni.
/Things were fine for about another month with everyone eating regularly
(fed twice a day all they could eat for 2-3 minutes). The I added 2 more
(but older and larger) /Labidochromis caeruleus, /3 /Metriaclima estherae,
/3 more /Pseudotropheus demasoni , 3 //Labidochromis hongi/ and finally 3
/Labidochromis caeruleus (white)/.
After approximately 2 weeks the 3 Metriaclima and 2 larger Labidochromis
were beating up on everybody smaller with the exception of the demasoni (who
held their own). This was about the time that most of the smaller fish
stopped eating (all except the 5 aforementioned and some of the larger
demasoni). I removed the 3 Metriaclima and 2 larger Labidochromis, which has
helped the aggression but has not helped the eating situation.
<A typical Mbuna event...>
In the last 2 weeks following the fish removal I have lost 2 /Labidochromis
caeruleus (white)/, 2 /Labidochromis hongi/, 2 /Pseudotropheus demasoni/,
and 2 /Labidochromis caeruleus. /All but one of the remaining demasoni are
eating, and one mother even released fry today. The rest of the fish (1
hongi, 1 yellow and 1 white lab) fail to eat, and seem lethargic. The final
demasoni seems a little bloated and is resting at the bottom of the tank.
Since they have stopped eating, I have curbed feeding due to rising ammonia
(0.25 mg/L)
<Not cycled>
and nitrate (5 mg/L), nitrite is 0. I've been trying to remove all uneaten
food after 3 minutes. I have been feeding them Aqueon Cichlid flakes and
occasionally Aqueon Cichlid sticks.
I want to do something and my local shop has been less than helpful.
Any ideas?
<More filtration... and more decor/rock likely, moving this about to break
up territoriality, plus switching to better foods... Try the Spectrum pellet
brand... is what I feed my Mbuna... developed by a supreme African Cichlid
breeder... Pablo Tepoot>
Also - I have been changing 25-30% of the water every week, I treat the
water with Stress Coat and at the beginning was using API Accu-clear and
AlgaeFix
<Poor ideas/additives... too toxic in this already unstable chemical mix>
as directed to help clear the cloudy water (after changes only) and the
AlgaeFix to curb growth on the Texas Holey Rock (I have not used these for
about a month though - I thought the less chemicals the better).
Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
-Jason
<I'd be reading on the various Cichlid boards on the Net... deciding on
likely removing some of the fish you have placed... or less likely, adding
to the mix here to induce a "dither" effect. Bob Fenner>
Re: Mbuna Trouble - Not Eating
6/9/07
Hi Bob,
<Jason>
Thank you so much for the quick reply!
<Welcome>
One question regarding filtration. I have a Fluval 405 canister filter (2
beds ZeoCarb and 2 beds biological) and a Fluval 4plus mechanical filter. Is
this enough?
<Obviously not... I have two similar sized African Cichlid systems running
just with Eheim canister filters... but they're far less populated...>
It sounds as if this may be a combination effect from the tank not being
fully cycled and not enough hiding spots. I will add more cover today and
keep you informed!
Thanks so much for all your advice!
-Jason
<You have read on WWM re these Systems, fishes? BobF>
Filtration For Large Lake Malawi Cichlid Tank 5/12/07
Hello folks. Quite an overwhelming site you have there. My wife and I have
been avid Malawi cichlid keepers for a while now. We recently bought a 220g
aquarium which will be a new home for several groups of Mbuna. I have several
questions about filtration: Would I be on-track in thinking the most efficient
filter I could have for a large tank with a heavy bioload (say 40 fish, ranging
in size from small fry to 6" adults) would be a wet/dry? If so, what determines
the capacity of a wet/dry system, in terms of bioload- the media capacity; flow
rate; both or neither? Lastly, are there any "DIY wet/dry filters for dummies"
sites out there? I've seen several designs, and I like to think I'm pretty
'handy'; but I'm not the greatest plumber in the world- I'd like to see the
"hows and whys" spelled out step-by-step. Thanks for your time. KLK
< To start out , you should have a filter or filters, that turns the tank's
water volume over at least three to five times per hour. For your tank that
means 660 to 1100 gallons per hour (GPH). The wet/dry component on any filter is
a great feature to have. The bacteria that do the biological filtration or
breakdown of waste is limited by the amount of oxygen that is in the water. On
wet dry systems that are working properly, there is adequate oxygen so you get a
very complete and fast breakdown of the initial waste products. This means the
ammonia and nitrite are broken down into nitrates rather quickly. The nitrates
are removed by water changes. I would recommend that you start out trying two
Marineland Emperor 400 outside power filters (Online $100+). They would pump 800
gph. They are very easy to maintain and are very quiet. The bacteria live on the
Bio-Wheel attachments and is considered the wet/dry part of the filter. Big
wet/dry filters are expensive to buy, expensive to run and noisy too. If you
have no room for a power filter then a couple canister filters may be needed,
but they have no wet/dry component to them unless you add a Marineland Magnum
350 Pro System to the outflow tubes. The sump type of wet/dry filters still
require quite a bit of plumbing no matter what type you get. Check them out
online and see if you could replace them with common material found at a home
improvement store. Some parts may require fabrication.-Chuck>
African Cichlids, sys. 4/22/07
Hi,
<<Greetings. Tom here.>>
I have a 38 gallon aquarium, (fully cycled for about a month) and I am
interested in the Mbuna Cichlids from Lake Malawi.
<<Certainly understandable. Hard to beat, or even match, African Cichlids for
color/beauty in the FW world.>>
I was just wondering how many fish I can keep that tank? It’s empty except for
the snails that keep breeding but I try my best to get rid of them. The water is
hard and alkaline, pH around 8.2 (which is one the reasons why I want them)
because of the naturally occurring buffers, probably. Anything under 5 inches, by
the way.
<<Well, I can’t say that you haven’t handed us the proverbial “hot potato” here.
:) A 38-gallon tank is smallish by Cichlid standards, however, a “heavy”
stocking scheme is commonly recommended to disperse/distribute potential
aggression in these fish. Rather than relying on my limited knowledge/experience
regarding your question, specifically, I’d like to direct you to an excellent
essay on this topic by Paul V. Loiselle at this link:
http://cichlidae.com/article.php?id=149
I think you’ll find it enlightening as well as addressing your question in far
greater detail than I could provide in this space.>>
Thanks.
<<Happy to help. Best of luck in your venture! Tom>>
Keeping Ps. acei 3/27/07
Hello, I am soon getting a 29 or 30 gallon tank I plan to have an under
gravel filter and a regular filter (don't know what brand or type yet). I would
like to get Acei (name at pet store) cichlids I went online to see if that was
the real name and it was, I didn't do much research so I was hoping you could
tell me a little about them ( water qualities, how many I can put in the tank,
etc.) Mainly I would like to know about breeding them, are they mouth brooders
or cave spawners? Any information you could give me would be greatly
appreciated. Veronica
< This is a very interesting cichlid from Lake Malawi. It likes hard alkaline
water at about 77 F. In the wild it eats algae off of driftwood, so it needs a
diet high in Spirulina algae. They are not very aggressive as far as Lake Malawi
cichlids go. You could peacefully keep six or eight in your tank as long as it
is well filtered and you do regular water changes. They are maternal
mouthbrooders with females holding eggs and fry fro up to a couple of weeks. If
the adults are well fed they may not go after the fry.-Chuck>
Temperature fluctuations
Hi Crew,
Just a quick question for you on temperature. I have a 66 Gallon Tank with
African Cichlids. We just moved to a new house and now the fish are situated in
the basement. By the way we live in Canada so the nights get cool. In our other
house I had a Tronic 200 watt heater in the tank which seemed to nicely maintain
80 degrees. However in our new house I notice the daytime temperature of 80
degrees and when I get up in the morning I notice the temperature is around 76
or 77 degrees.
< The temperature range for Malawian cichlids is between 75 to 80 degrees so
you are still well within their range.>
I have even added another 100 watt heater. On the back of heater box it says a
200 w heater is good for 65 gallons so I figured 300 watts should do the trick.
I have the tank about 4 feet from the concrete wall. Should I add yet another
heater or is a 4 degree variance ok? Any other suggestions?
< This all depends on how "Cool" it gets. Unfortunately glass is a
pretty poor insulator. If your tank was in your home and you kept the house at
65 degrees F. Then a 200 watt heater might work. If you mean down to the 50's or
lower then you heater could turn into a little night light trying to keep up
with the heat loss. Overall the temp. is fine right now. If it gets below 75 for
any length of time and there may be problems. The higher the temp . the more
breeding you will get and the better your fish will look. Two things to consider
to maintain the water temperature. Add more heat with another heater and watch
your electric bill get even higher or reduce the heat loss from the tank. Start
by placing sheets of Styrofoam insulation underneath the tank and on the back.
This will help insulate the tank without hindering viewing the fish. Keep the
top tightly sealed too. Lots of heat is lost through openings in the
top.>
Also when I moved the tank I saved about 1/4 of the water and the gravel
and also the filter contents. will this be enough to get the new system
running or should I be performing more frequent water changes then normal?
< As long as the gravel remained wet there should be no problem and the
bacteria should have remained intact.-Chuck>
thx
Ron
Help with Cichlid tank 3/16/2007
Hello-
<Hi there>
I need help figuring out what is happening with my Red zebra (even though he is
orange:-)).
<Okay>
First I have just set up a 29 gallon tank with Malawi cichlids.
<Dangerously small volume... with time, growth, behavior here...>
I have 2 Kenyi, 3 exasperatus, 3 red zebras, 3 Acei, 1krib and 1 cat fish from
lake Malawi he has spots on his body and striped on his tail). When I put my 3
Kenyi (all small1 inch to 1.5 inch) into the tank one seemed to come down with
something- he passed quickly. the other two seemed to have cotton mouth- one on
the mouth itself and one on his one fin. I treated with the antibiotic that
turns the water red can't remember the name)
<Likely Tetracycline... regular water changes...>
with M. green.
Everyone seems great and I did my first water change today to start taking out
the meds. My Red zebras have always had a black belly area (the pet store guy
said it was normal) but tonight I noticed one has a protrusion( it looks like it
is part of his internal area). The one side is slightly "swollen" and the other
has a distinctive "lump". He seems at this point to be eating and active. I am
thinking it is constipation, I was feeding some small cichlid pellets that float
and have switched to Spirulina flakes and tropical fish food with occasional
brine shrimp (frozen). Any help you can give would be great. Thank you so
much!
Christie
<What is your water quality? Do you use salt additions? If so, of what sort? Bob
Fenner>
Re: Help with <African> Cichlid tank – 03/18/07
My water is great-- Nitrates 0-5, Nitrites 0, Amm. 0, Ph 7.6-8. You are
correct with the Tetracycline treatment.
<Easy guess>
I have used salt additions ( aquarium salt) 1 tbls to 10 gallons of water. I
also (last night before this was noticed) added some natural rock with a hard
salt present on it... I could not even scrape it off with a knife with out
breaking part of the rock off.
<Likely not salts, but carbonates... lime...>
It is used to provide caves. I boiled the rocks for about 2hours.
Also last night one of my aceis was swimming erratically but other wise seemed
fine. This morning they both seem fine and the bump seems to be gone. I am
thinking I may be feeding the wrong food...
I would also like to touch on the comment of the volume being too small... I was
told by numerous people that this would work in my tank - is this not correct?
<Not IMO... I only keep African Cichlids nowadays... (just travel too much...).
I encourage all to start with nothing smaller than 55 gallon tanks if possible,
keep only one species per... two males max. and females as they develop from a
batch of younger individuals...>
I do plan on upgradin |
