A Few Questions About Cichlids And My Tank

Hey again everyone. So I believe my 60 gallon tank to be cycled. I have seen the ammonia and nitrites drop from 4ppm to 0 in 14 hours. My nitrates were very high and I did a 95% water change (I did use prime) and turned the heater down. My first question is now that my tank is cycled do I need to keep adding ammonia until I get fish in there, or was adding ammonia just to grow nitrites and nitrates? My next questions has to do with the fish themselves. I am getting african cichlids, here is what I think I know and I also would like advice from you all please. I know I want yellow labs, I know that I need one male and 3-4 females, I know that whatever I get to go with them needs the same ratio and I know that if I get different species I should get 3 different species max. What I don't know is what to get to go with them, my tank is four feet long, I have had some great advice for stocking before but have heard many good and bad for the selections given. I would like a colorful tank so I am hoping for some red or blues to go with these labs so please what should I look at to go with the labs? Also I am thinking as 15 fish total with the above ratio's, I was reading with africans I would want to add them all at the same time so that there is no territory defined if I were to add them slowly, is this correct?
I am thinking of making my own cichlid food, or at least treats any ideas or info on this would be appreciated.

Sorry for the long post. Thanks all

 

Hey again everyone. So I believe my 60 gallon tank to be cycled. I have seen the ammonia and nitrites drop from 4ppm to 0 in 14 hours. My nitrates were very high and I did a 95% water change (I did use prime) and turned the heater down. My first question is now that my tank is cycled do I need to keep adding ammonia until I get fish in there, or was adding ammonia just to grow nitrites and nitrates? My next questions has to do with the fish themselves. I am getting african cichlids, here is what I think I know and I also would like advice from you all please. I know I want yellow labs, I know that I need one male and 3-4 females, I know that whatever I get to go with them needs the same ratio and I know that if I get different species I should get 3 different species max. What I don't know is what to get to go with them, my tank is four feet long, I have had some great advice for stocking before but have heard many good and bad for the selections given. I would like a colorful tank so I am hoping for some red or blues to go with these labs so please what should I look at to go with the labs? Also I am thinking as 15 fish total with the above ratio's, I was reading with africans I would want to add them all at the same time so that there is no territory defined if I were to add them slowly, is this correct?
I am thinking of making my own cichlid food, or at least treats any ideas or info on this would be appreciated.

Sorry for the long post. Thanks all

Two species of Africans I've had great success with are aceI and pindani.....both are colorful and with the latter if you get a pair they reproduce like mad....went from 2 to 9 in a year

 

Thank you Ernest Sacco, I have not heard of pindanI before, I googled them and they are very beautiful.

 

Thank you Ernest Sacco, I have not heard of pindanI before, I googled them and they are very beautiful.

They like to hang out near caves but once they get full size they swim all over the tank....and the color variation is quite nice amongst different individuals....they are also marketed as socolofi

 

Are they good with the yellow labs?

 

Are they good with the yellow labs?

Compared to other Mbuna they are calm so I don't see any problems....just make sure there are areas where the socolofI can hang out near rocks

 

Tanks can un-cycle if you don't add fish for a while. I kept adding small amounts of food to keep it going while I searched for my dwarf puffer. How long do you plan to keep the tank empty?

 

Not long a few days, I wasn't sure if I should keep adding the ammonia until right before I get fish.

 

Not long a few days, I wasn't sure if I should keep adding the ammonia until right before I get fish.

Too many questions in one post.
I wouldn't go too long without adding fish or ammonia, and do a pwc if you adf more ammonia after it is processed.
In the past I did a kenyI tank, they breed like rabbits and have a decent personality.
Currently I have a mixed mbuna tank, I've had to do some adjustments, but have it about right. Cichlids are somewhat a gamble with how they will interact.
I have yellow labs with auratus and few others.`In my experience, the auratus , get 1 male and 3 female to begin with.
And there goes your 55 gallon tank space, lol

 

In my experience, I had my tank running for 3 weeks with just the starter (Prime) chemical put in during filling of tank, added food to tank ever 3 days (minimal amount) to cycle and the day my fish game in I tested my water. My ammonia levels were fine as well as my PH, but my Nitrites and Nitrates were high (very). I still added my fish (2 OB Peacocks, 2 Giraffes, 2 Frontosa's, 1 blue moorriI and 1 Jaguar) when they arrived, with the current water levels. They did fine and on the 2nd day I did a 50 gallon water change (have 75 gallon tank) and recheck the levels. All the levels actually stayed the same. I believe my fish became accustom to the levels as for 2 weeks my Nitrites stayed high even with 20-25 gallon water changes every 3 days; it took about 3 weeks to get all levels to normal and 0 Nitrites and 20ppm Nitrates.! During those 3 weeks though, I was dosing the tank with adding Prime (water conditioner) to the tank and changed out my filter/pump from a MarineLand hang on to a Canister (which I love and think really helped with bio cycle). If you can afford the extra $$ I would go with the Canister upfront as it has the multiple stages of bio cycling. Good luck & hope this helps.!

 

Thanks to you all, I will add ammonia just to be safe and keep everything going. I was planning on making/buying a canister not sure which brand to buy if I go that route. I believe it will help my aquarium a bunch as well.

 

Do not take your time in adding either ammonia or fish.

If you do neither your cycle will crash and your beneficial bacteria will die.

BB colonies need ammonia for food.