Pmp

hello, i have 2 african cichlids in my 29 gallon tank right now and both have been in there with no problems. i just saw a green terror today bout the same size no bigger then the fish i have now. can a green terror be in around 7.6-8.0 pH green terros are one of my favorite fish i would really liek to put them together. someone please reply thank you.

Lucy

I don't know about cichlids so here's some information for your research:

For cichlid newbies:How to set up cichlid tanks

From that link there are other links to find the information you need.

Edit: Did a little research for you. Green terrors are from South America. From what I've read you shouldn't mix them with Africans because of the difference in their water parameters.
Some one with experience with them should be able to help you further.

Pmp

alright ill wait for someone to post also.

Shawnie

you need to find out what the other two are in your tank first...green terrors live up to their name and are very territorial mean fishies ...but amazing colors and personality...I would just worry about what you already have in the tank which wont be very big for the others to get away from him

Pmp

alright

Pmp

hye i have .25 ammonia in my tank after i did a 30 percent water change is there somthin i can put in the water all my other lvls r good?

Allie

Just because they are the same size right now, doesn't mean they will stay that way. Fish grow and fast.
African cichlids should not be mixed with other types of cichlid at all. If they got as big as green terrors, the Terrors would have a big fight on their hands. The come from two different parts of the world with water of different parameters, chemistry...
Green terrors get huge 11" and need BIG tanks.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profile...ies.php?id=502
African cichlids need to be kept in groups of 1 male to 2 or more females in long tanks. Most need to be in 55g or more due to aggression and that the fact that you need to over crowd the tank a bit. Malawi African cichlids are not a beginners fish. There are so many to choose from all with different levels of aggression. some are really mean and other are not at all.
Here's a good site to check out before you get anymore fish, and a bigger tank.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/article..._beginners.php
Recommendation for a 29g tank:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/article...cutter_29g.php
Hope this helps and you take our advice here at FishLore.

Angela_96

African cichilds are only compatible w/ african cichlids. You cannot mix different cichilds even the african cichilds from different lakes in Africa (ie the Tang cichilds and Malawis are not compatible).

A 29g tank is not sufficent for an african cichild tank, you need a 4 foot long at least tank, and they do not go well w/ just 2 in the tank. They need to be slightly overstocked with lots of rocks for hiding spots.

If they get together as juvinies, it does not mean that they will not kill each other when they are full grown adults, the fights get a lot more violent.

Angela_96

Did you properly cycle your tank before you put fish in? If not you need to continue to do water changes everyday until the ammonia/nitrites go down to -0-.

Lucy

Angela, we've been down this road before with pmp.

Cycling and stocking question

Angela_96

Didn't see the other thread.

Edit:
But wow, what a thread.

Angela_96

You have to let your tank cycle period there is no way around it. The water quality means how healthy of an enviroment your fish will be living in. The ammonia builds up from the fish poo if there is not enough good bacteria growing in the tank to eat up the waste then the ammonia and nitrites will build up in the tank, end results: oxygen levels in the tank will lower, your fish will have trouble breathing, the ammonia can and will damage the fish's scales, longterm effects to their immune system, growth, color.

It would be the same as us putting you in the bathroom locking the door making you breath the same nasty air for days, throwing food in, never letting you flush the tolit... the waste/food/nasty air just keeps building up. Then we decide we want to put another person in that bathroom to look at, so we do, eventually it will get so miserable and nasty in there....

Pmp

i only have ammonia i nvr had nitrate or nitrite problems. hows the marine land white crystals?

my tank is cycled its over running well over a month

hows this work anyone ever use this wit success http://www.pets-warehouse.com/Vpasp/....asp?id=110646

Butterfly

If you have ammonia and 0 nitrates then your tank isn't completely cycled. Sorry. Sometimes it takes 6-8 weeks for the cycle to complete. Adding any fish at this time will only make it worse.
You are getting good advice from experienced people about mixing Cichlids from different parts of the world.
Carol

Pmp

so i wont get any more fish but dhave anyone used the marineland white crystals that remove ammonia.

Butterfly

In order for the beneficial bacteria to grow and for your tank to complete it's cycle the ammonia cannot be "removed". Using prime as a water conditioner will bind the ammonia and make the cycle easier on your fish but still make the ammonia available for the bacteria to feed on and grow.
I have not used the crystals, but as I said the ammonia needs to be there for the bacteria to grow.
Carol

Pmp

my tank has been running for probably a month maybe more.im doing water changes ever 7-10 days and i clean the filter evry water change what would the black stuff be on the filter just dirt

this filter is workin good though the filter was blackish whe ni took it out so i no this filter is really good.

Butterfly

It's probably poo from your fish
Hope you don't mind I merged your two posts If you need to add/say something right after another post you have made you can use the edit button and add to the previous post thanks
Carol

Pmp

it dont matter i thought i did merge then they were seperate at first then i merged maybe it didnt go through. i think im gonna try the white crystals its form marineland ive never had a problem with them.

Angela_96

Ammonia breaks down to nitrites, then nitrates
If you have ammonia problems it will then lead to nitrites
Treating ammonia will only be temporary if that answers your question. You have to test your water everyday and see an ammonia spike, nitrite spike, nitrate spike, then it will plateu and go down. Thats when your tank is cycled and not until then should you ad fish.

Pmp

dang actually i i started the tank november 7 i got a while new fitler so its pretty much like a new tank. you think the fish will make it what can i do to make the process faster i have 2 african cichlids in there small ones.

mathas

The best thing to do, since there are already fish in the tank, is to perform daily 25-50% water changes until the bacteria colonies have built up enough to handle the waste produced by your fish. As others have pointed out, you'll know that's happened when you have no ammonia or nitrites present, and between 1-20ppm nitrates present.

A good test kit, such as the API freshwater master kit, is strongly recommended since you'll need to test the water frequently.

Angela_96

1. Your tank is too small for african cichlids.
2. It doesn't matter when you bought the tank, filter whatever your tank is not cycled.
3. when you put fish in during a cycle you are hurting the fish, there is no speeding the cycle up.

Pmp

lol my tank has been running a long time i jsut bought a whole new filter and these cichlids only get about 4 iches. also i have a api master test kit.

sirdarksol

We've been down the cycle road before. You've been given the information in a dozen different formats, so I'm not going to go over that again. I am going to tell you that your tank is not cycled. The ammonia in your tank will stress your fish. They will get ICH or some other disease, and they will die.

Second, we've been down the road of "research your fish before you buy them or you'll end up with fish that will not do well in a 29g tank," so I'm not going to go over that too much. I will say that your cichlids will not do well in a 29g tank. They are a communal fish, but unlike most communal fish, they need others of their kind around to really beat up on, not to be protected by. In an area as small as a 29g tank, even two of them are going to get extremely violent. They stake out a certain amount of space that a 29g can't supply. The smallest tank most cichlid folks will suggest seems to be a typical 55g, and they say that bigger is always better.

By my count, you've switched filters three or four times, you've tried a half-dozen separate meds, not to mention a few other chemicals, have played around with various heaters, etc... in a couple months' time. Calm down. Find a filter that has a good reputation, buy it, and leave it be. Find a heater that has a good reputation, buy it, and leave it be. These are pieces of equipment that should survive in your aquarium for years, and you're switching them out like they're charms on a charm bracelet. Spend less time trying to find a med or a chem that will magically fix your tank, and do the work that you know you need to do to keep it healthy. It will take you less time, less effort, and less money in the long run.

Pmp

i only replaced the filter once i had the tetra filter which was junk and got a penguin filter up to 55 gallons which is top of the line. I had 2 heaters the first one was junk and never heated the water and then i got the marineland sleath the water is always at 80 degrees. Also what agressive fish do you think would be good in a 29 gallon. also i cant take the fish back but i wont buy anymore for a while. im not putting any meds in my water only the amquel when i do water changes. also is the amquel with conditioner better then the orange am quel? im almost out of this stuff.

sirdarksol

You can... You choose not to. The only store I've ever heard of refusing to take a fish back is Walmart, and they will do so if you talk to the manager and explain that the fish you were sold will grow too large for the tank you have.

Despite my questioning of your obsession over aggressive fish, as I've said in the past, I'm not going to suggest any fish when you've got a tank that's improperly stocked.
If you bring the fish back or otherwise find a new home for them, cycle your tank fully, then I'd be more than happy to help you stock a 29g tank with fish that are appropriate for it.

Pmp

ill ask next time i go to that pet store idk what to say to make them take it back.

Beeker

It is nice to see you back looking for advice, however, it is unfortunate to see that again, you are not taking the advice you are being given.


You have a few issues going on. I'll give you the two more obvious ones.

1. Your tank is not cycled yet. The bigger the tank, the longer it takes to cycle. Also, you said that you clean your filter every 7 to 10 days. That means you are killing your beneficial bacteria every week which is preventing the cycle from progressing.

2. You want aggressive fish, but you are unwilling to get a tank that can house aggressive fish. The 1 inch per gallon guideline is just that, only a guideline and it goes for small fish, such as Platies, Cory Cats, and other Dwarfs. Larger fish such as Green Terrors and the fish you want to get, because they are aggressive, need a lot more space because of their aggressive nature.

3. You are not putting the effort or patience in that is required by fishkeepers. If you are serious about fishkeeping, you need to research before you make any purchases and not expect a miracle chemical to do all your work for you and erase the waiting time.

Pmp

the filter keeps getting dirty what else should i do.the africans i got are small ones these ones dont get big i know someone with the same exact fish and have been in the same tank for over 5 years and there about 4 inches. i can take a picture of the cichlids i got if you want and the setup.