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i have a question that may drive this off a bit but how accurate are the mandrel (sp?) test strips?

Last edited by DAFRIDGE at 22-Jul-2005 21:07

Ah, I did not know that

hmmmm maybe I should know more about the actual fish than just the reputation of the fish in the area

I have 3 BN's in my 115g african cichlid tank and they're fine. And almost everyone I know who keeps african cichlids have plecs in their tanks. So it's ok to keep them together.

thanks for all of the help. i will be sure ot post if anymore problems arise. now im more well eqiuiped to deal with a water quality situation unlike just a few days ago.

I am in aggreement with Tetratech.

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There is always a bigger fish...

Nameless,

Although plecos do come from S.America many people do have them with Africans because they are tough fish and very adaptable. If acclimated slowly they can thrive with cichlids. But it sounds like DAFRIDGE shouldn't be adding any fish until he has his tank under control.


My Scapes

I was thinking to add a pleco to the tank today but its overstocked so that is out of the question.

Not only is it because of being overstocked, it is also because you can't have any fish from south america or central america in with african cichlids. The water conditions are too harsh for them and if they survived that, the africans would attack them until they die of stress.

Just thought you should know that in case there is room in your tank in the future.

20 ppm is not AS bad as it was, but for future reference keep it below 15 ppm to be safe.



Last edited by Nameless at 24-Jul-2005 11:57

Nitrate was checked a few mins ago and is now donw to 20ppm still have to do 20% change tomorrow and see what it looks like on tuesday. hopefully im not overwhelming the smaller fish.

I was thinking to add a pleco to the tank today but its overstocked so that is out of the question.

Actually that is better results than I anticipated. Your readings indicate that your cycle is completed and working fine. But yes, the nitrAtes are your culprit. With all this knowledge now, it sounds like your tank is overly stocked. I would suggest you either move some fish to another tank. Or keep a close eye on the nitrAte levels and do appropriate water changes. And, reduce your feedings to once per day.

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There is always a bigger fish...

OK, i will proceed as said. and do 20% on monday. hopefully i get it down soon.

Reduce feeding even further and make 20% water changes every second day until you get that nitrate down. No matter what the fish are trying to tell you they really only need to be fed once a day. (unless they are fry)

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

The Latest! i got nitrate and nitrite test kits today. tested for both. nitrite is 0ppm but when i tested for nitrate it was almost maybe higher than 160ppm i immediately changed 50% of the water. i will be feeding onluy 2 times per day now and that will be it, before it was every time i see them following me. also i have been having a Planaria problem so it all goes back to feeding too much. my nitrate is still high. can i use NITRA ZORB and continue my weekly water changes? i feel like such a Noob right now.

Last edited by DAFRIDGE at 23-Jul-2005 18:00

those are thetest kits iv'e been using the only priblem is that they are $10 a piece in my area.

I wouldnt bother with test strips. Not very accurate at all in my experience.
I like to use the testkits made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. Simple to use and fairly easy to read.

[link=http://champkoi.com/test_kits/]http://champkoi.com/test_kits/" style="COLOR: #004040[/link]

There is also a master testkit available which will give you all the testkits you will need if you can afford it.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

hi guys,
i looked at my african cichlid tank last night and noticed that 1 was on the verge of death he was gasping at the top for air. his mrnong i found him dead but i also found another one of his color dead.i want to know what the problem is and how i can fix it.my pH is 8.0 im not sure of amonia and nitrate could they be the reason's for my fishes deaths? i have also been cutting back on feeding for the Planaria problem iv'e been having and found that the dead ones didn't have eyes and parts of their gills. could it be a simple "food run" and i should pick up the feeding? thanks for any help i can get i will be buying a nitrate and ammonia test kit this afternoon. if the ammonia \/ nitrate level is high how can i lower them?

You need nitrAte too! (note the A in there) By the sounds of it you have been overfeeding the tank and it wouldnt surprise me if high nitrAte is a factor.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

hey all,
i check my ammonia as soon as i got home and it is 0 ppm which will take me to only 1 thing. Nitrite i will be purchasing the kit in the morning.i have to admit that there was a pinch of darkness to the yellow and it is about time for the weekly water change. i am really starting to believe it is because my tank wasn't getting correct aeration for those 24-36 hours is what may have provoked those fishes death's but the NItrite test will tell the truth tomorrow!

i posted before that i feed them tetra min pro. will see if i can get it tonight

Have you tested your ammonia yet? If you added all those fish after just one week, this is probably your problem. As your tank, though plenty large enough for those fish at this time, has not had a chance to complete its cycle. Also, you have fish that are mbuna and meat eaters together. This can cause some problems with what you feed them. I would suggest you feed them a good all around flake diet. Though a high veggie diet will not hurt the meat eaters, the mbuna will most likely suffer from too much protien. Try something like Tetramin Pro. It is expensive, but one of the best flakes on the market.

What to do; Keep up on the water changes at least once per week, at least 25-50% unitl the ammonia and the nitrites go down to zero. Yes you will have to buy a test kit for ammonia and nitrites. Do not change more water than that, as you will be decreasing your good bacteria that clean the water out, and they will have a harder time catching up.

HTH....

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There is always a bigger fish...