FishProfiles.com Message Forums

My girlfriend and I adopted a 55G aqurium with 1 common pleco and filth, well we got rid of all filth and purchaced a new 200 side mounted filter and under gravel filter. Sorry I know "under gravel filter" probably isnt the proper name but, we are doing the best we can.

So long story short everything is either clean now or new and want to start a new fish setup. No soaps or chemicals were used in the cleaning. I have been reading and reading and reading about cichlids and need your help. I have had fish earlyer in my life, swords and the basic what-nots of aquariums, so Im not completely green.

We have looked at everything at the LFS, no petsmart stuff, and Im still set on Cichlids but, still we would like as much a community tank as possible. Im considdering the fire mouth, key hole and maybe the grerman blue. Im still unsure of Latin names. I have read where some people say they are all "community" type fish and others that say no way

Being that this is my first post on a fish forum Ill keep it as short as I can. We just want a healthy tank for our new friends aswell as something pleasing to the eye. We will be planting this tank to the region the fish are from so some help there would help aswell. Also we have almost #50 LBS of small natural gravel newly purchaced in the tank and dont know if it can stay. I hope so or she is gonna kill me, long story. The tank has been cycling for a week.

Thank you for any help. I have really enjoyed the post and pictures you have all posted, great site! Hope to have some input in the future. Dave

Hi Dave,
Welcome to Fish Profiles! It's a great site with even
greater folks.

Since you have had fish in another life, I assume you are
aware of the Nitrogen Cycle. If not, then check out this
link:
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

That would be the first thing the tank will go through
using the waste products from your pleco, that is
currently living in the tank. To keep track of the progress
of the Nitrogen Cycle, you will need a test kit so that
you can test the water from day to day (until the cycle
is fully established) without having to take water samples
to the LFS all the time.
This would be a great, all purpose, test kit:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+4454&pcatid=4454

Once the tank is cycled, then you would want to add the
fish, a shoal or school at a time, allowing a week or two
between additions to let the bacteria responsible for the
cycle to grow to meet the requirements of the new fish.

If you are going to use a few plants, you can put them in
any time. First, you will need to know about the light
you have available. What is the power (wattage(s)) of the
bulbs? Total the wattage of the bulbs and divide that by
the capacity of the tank (55) and that will give you the
"watts per gallon" of your light. Then choose your plants
from the "family" of plants that meet that lighting.
Low light (.5-1.5wpg) Medium light plants 1.5-2.5wpg
and high light plants 3+wpg. Just about every site that
sells aquatic plants will have them rated in that manner.
Such as:

http://www.tropica.com/default.asp

In that site you can choose the "Filters" and narrow down
your plant choices. Write down the names of the plants
that meet your tank's requirements, and then take that list
to your LFS. Most will order them for you. I would shy
away from others in their tanks and stick with what you
know will work in your tank.

Hope that helps...
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--