atmmachine816

Cool tank, I really like the substrate, is it gravel?

atm

Somethingfishy

nope its a mix of black sand (have fun washing it, cause it sucks !!!) and white sand, like 4:1 mix

My tank is almost cycled, my nitrates are up, but my ammonia is steady at like .25 i'll get some actual reading and post them soon. im not sure if the nitrates are cancelleing out the nitrites so it can eat up the ammonia? should i just let my nitrates just get a little higher and just do a water change in a week?

Somethingfishy

Now back to stocking....

def going for cichlids, but I'm either going for the Blue Ram way or the bumblebee way... cause we all know i cant have both... any ideas?

Regards

atmmachine816

If you want the bumblee bee have fun feeding them, they are a pain to feed. Mine is only taking live food and that's what most take, if you are up for it go ahead, it's a little more demanding. As for cichlids it depends what type you want?

atm

Somethingfishy

right right... I'm not really sure, i know i can get either with no problem... its i don't really know whats compatible with what... i get confused to easily... I like the rams, but the bumblebees seem to rule the tank.... which is fine, plus they change color... cant beat that!!!

now... the rams are a community fish? what would go really well with them? I'll probably only want like 9 - 12 fish total, i don't want it to be crowded! I also like the yellow labs.. would a dwarf gourami go in there also with no problem? and then i need an algea eater, i like the blue lobster...

I JUST WANT THEM TO LIKE EACHOTHER!!!! lol

and same with the bumblebees? what goes well with them?

atmmachine816

Ya about the bumblee bee's supposedly they thrive in brackish but also supposedly can live in FW, I honestly don't know but will find out with the fW,so far mine has been fine though they might be compatible with rams since they are only territorial amongst themselves, I have mine in a community tank.

How about
3 rams
1 BN pleco OR 4-6 otos
1 dwarf gourami
4 bumblee goby's

atm

Somethingfishy

Yea, that sounds real good!!! what could i use instead of cats? i would like some craws or the blue lobster, a bottom crawler..., just more interesting than this thing sucking on my glass

atmmachine816

I would be afraid of the blue lobster eating the goby's or attacking the rams since both are bottom dwellers. I would go with a variety of shrimp instead, some bamboo (they get 3"), amano, or whatever you can find in your LFS or online, just make sure there the peaceful type.

Somethingfishy

OK, so my ammonia dropped and my nitrItes spiked!!! YAY!!!!!

Ammonia - .15 ish -----DROPPING!!!!
nitrate - 40ppm / safe -------been about the same
nitrite - 10ppm / danger ---------SPIKED!!!
Hardness - 75ppm /soft
alkalinity - 60pp /moderate -------how do i bring this up?
pH - 7.2

Finally some results!!!

so i guess i just wait until my ammonia and nitrItes plummet to ZERO and do what? a 50% Waterchange?

IS THIS CORERCT!?!?!?!?!?!

Thanks guys/gals

Somethingfishy

so... out of what all we've talked about, what would be good to start with? Rams or the Goby's ? I know the goby will take over my little cave, wasn't real sure on how the rams will react, should i get like 2 more caves? i know they can get in the Pirate ship, until they get bigger... I might get two more caves or something? what do you think?

atmmachine816

Ya you should probably buy a few more pieces of slate and make two or more caves for the rams. I would add the BN pleco and dwarf gourami, wait a week, add the rams, wait a week then add the goby's.

atm

Somethingfishy

not sure if i want a BN pleco, I might do some shrimp, but their not good for eating algae... , but I'd rather not have a pleco, but i do need an algae eater...

and plus, i still need to finish cycling, so i can do more research...

...just so lost....

atmmachine816

You don't need an algae eater, you could just get a magnetic algae scraper. Some shrimp eat leftover scraps of food, some filter the water and use microrganisms to eat, and some also eat algae. You would want amano shrimp then. Are you going to get any mid swimming fish?

atm

Somethingfishy

I'm not totally set on anything right now... I just like the yellow labs, gobys and the rams.... other than that... I would just rather not have something sucking on my tank..... lol


Regards

atmmachine816

shrimp don't suck on your tank, their like mini lobsters/crawfish.

atm

Somethingfishy

LMAO I know!! would the goby's go with the labs?

could Something like this work?




2 Red Honey Gourami's, a few Black Tetras, few ele. yellow labs, German Blue Rams, and like 3 gobys?

then shrimp or something?

atmmachine816

Not sure with the gourami's. Not sure if the labs and rams would go, I don't think so, best to research them, I know labs are african not sure about rams

Somethingfishy

yea, its all in what i get next week, or what they have... then just go from there.... I'm not even sure there were german rams, look a bit different... I just keep confusing myself... Might have to swing by there tomorrow and see whats in stock...

atmmachine816

The bumblebees are hard to feed once again, not even sure if mine is eating, I'm feeding him brine shrimp, bit expensive. Let us know what you still like.

Somethingfishy

So.. If i don't do the Gobys what do you recommend? I just want an aggressive tank that looks awesome.

so Blue rams, ele yellow labs, maybe some tetras? and some shrimp? what else? Like I said, i confuse myself, and i change my mind every two seconds.. I'll probably just base my tank off of what I buy at the LFS for my first fish...

Somethingfishy

ok, did some more research. The pleco is growing on me, i seen a clown / Tiger pleco, and its cool looking...

3 rams
1 pleco of somesort
1 or 2 dwarf gourami
4 bumblee goby's

on the rams, do you really have to do a 50% water change a week? I'm gonna stop at the store to look tomorrow.

atmmachine816

I don't know but I am not sure on the rams too much, haven't kept them myself, maybe PM butterfly, think she has kept them. Clown plecos are cool but don't eat algae at all, you'l need to feed them their own special diet, zuchini, algae wafers, and some wood in the tank.

Somethingfishy

Hmmmm... like i said I'm just waiting on my Nitrites to drop then i can go to the LFS and get what catches my eye in the cichlid world, and go from there... I think I need a smaller air stone, filter once in a while sucks up bubbles, and i cant move the stone. I might put in in the Pirate ship... cool effect... errr yea.....

anyway I'll keep you posted, after its finished cycling, do I do a wter change?

atmmachine816

I'm not real sure since I didn't cycle my tanks right, was a newbie then but when I cycled my 5.5 gallon I just did regular weekly water changes. If you go cichlid tank your not going to have much of a community tank but usually with cichlids you overstock to keep aggression down, can only mix africans with africans and new world with new world.

Somethingfishy

yep, I'm realizing this more and more and it limits me, I'm liking Molly's and guaramis and tetras a little more as the days go one, are they pretty active, i just like that fact that i can put my finger on the glass and the cichlids are checking it out, maybe I'll just do a shark tank?

Some thing with like 5-6 kick ___ fish that can get mean



Update: too bad i cant find these guys anywhere...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...fm?pCatId=1664
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...fm?pCatId=1082
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...fm?pCatId=1666 <~~~~ nice!!!

atmmachine816

Ya they are pretty active, what I'v found in smaller tanks it's better to get smaller fish because they are more active and when you get a couple large fish they don't tend always to get active, depending on the fish. guppies are really active and can add lots of color though some people don't like them, I would go for a peaceful tank with smaller fish, just my opinion.

Somethingfishy

hmmm.. my head is just spinning.... like a keep saying, go with what i find and like at the first purchse, then go from there will be much easier than having every option open!!!

Regards

atmmachine816

Better to just find a fish you really like at first go home research it make sure you can house it then buy it and go from there, not a bad idea.