Aquarium owners please enter

the ph level is fine.....there are already about 60 or so fish in it already....and none of the regs have died since november. i dunno if the new fish die from stress or what...but the new ones generally stay away from all the other cichlids after i put them in. i guess since the others have been in there since the beginning...they're just used to it......*shrugs*

60 fish:eek:What size tank do you have? that maybe too many in one tank. A good rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per 2 gallons of tank size.
 
i have a 55 gallon.....but its natural for cichlids to live in a clustered environment like that. when i went to the GA Aquarium...they had atleast 250 or so in a 300 gallon tank. however my cichlids are much smaller. it got to be that many due to the breeding. there would have been alot more, but 2/3 of the babies were eaten by the others.
 
i have a 55 gallon.....but its natural for cichlids to live in a clustered environment like that. when i went to the GA Aquarium...they had atleast 250 or so in a 300 gallon tank. however my cichlids are much smaller. it got to be that many due to the breeding. there would have been alot more, but 2/3 of the babies were eaten by the others.

Okay i just seem like alot for that size tank. I only have 2 in my 30 long and they are about 3 to 4 in. long. I tried to introduce an Oscar into the tank and he was about the same size and they tag teamed his ass and they eat his ass up.:angry:
 
Okay i just seem like alot for that size tank. I only have 2 in my 30 long and they are about 3 to 4 in. long. I tried to introduce an Oscar into the tank and he was about the same size and they tag teamed his ass and they eat his ass up.:angry:

cichlids are only compatible with other cichlids of the same lake species...with the exception of upsidedown catfish. i did alot of research on em before i got em. some like rock bottoms....others like sand bottoms. hell i knew more about the damn fish than the Petsmart people did.
 
cichlids are only compatible with other cichlids of the same lake species...with the exception of upsidedown catfish. i did alot of research on em before i got em. some like rock bottoms....others like sand bottoms. hell i knew more about the damn fish than the Petsmart people did.


Props I didn't know that I thought shit an Oscar is a cichlid it was cool. I know better now thanks
 
sometimes oscars are referred to as the 'velvet cichlid'....but they're non-related. oscars are generally from south america....while cichlids on the other hand, come from two different lakes in africa.
 
sometimes oscars are referred to as the 'velvet cichlid'....but they're non-related. oscars are generally from south america....while cichlids on the other hand, come from two different lakes in africa.

Shit two Lake Malawi cichlids and them motherfuckers ain't no joke ANYTHING that hit that water is getting fucked up quick.:lol::lol::lol:
 
Got a 45 gallon Bowfront with lava rocks and underwater filter head to keep the current steady. Use white toufa rocks as well...shit is banana's when I turn on the lights that have blue/white spectrum. Makes the water look carribbean/hawaiin blue and also raises the ph level...I purchase cichlids because those fuckers are smart and colorful. Everthing else is just garbage.

If your cich's are dying off it could be water quality mostly...either the ph or the water is so bad which don't say much for your health. Also gotta turn the lights off at night because you'll stress em out. I like to run lights up until 9:30-10:00 and then turn it off so they can rest........But I never had any problems raising them...also use white sand like they use in africa to build nests and mark territory....
 
Oscars are from the south-american variety of cichlids. The other major variety are from lake malawiand a couple others in Africa. The high concentration of fish in that 55 gallon tank will not last for long. I have raised cichlids both african and south american for numerous years. Those fish will grow. That being said they will thin out the herd naturally and eventually out grow the tank. When stocking a tank you have to factor in growth and possible future expansion. Also that many fish in that size tank will be a cleaning and maintenance nightmare. Its better to go with small numbers with creative use of tank implements like gravel and stone.
 
Got a 45 gallon Bowfront with lava rocks and underwater filter head to keep the current steady. Use white toufa rocks as well...shit is banana's when I turn on the lights that have blue/white spectrum. Makes the water look carribbean/hawaiin blue and also raises the ph level...I purchase cichlids because those fuckers are smart and colorful. Everthing else is just garbage.

If your cich's are dying off it could be water quality mostly...either the ph or the water is so bad which don't say much for your health. Also gotta turn the lights off at night because you'll stress em out. I like to run lights up until 9:30-10:00 and then turn it off so they can rest........But I never had any problems raising them...also use white sand like they use in africa to build nests and mark territory....

they're not dying off. only the new cichlid that i add dies. the rest are fine and dandy.
 
Depending on what African cichlids you have like the dwarf species such as demasoni or Saulosi would be fine in large numbers in that size tank. In my 90g tank that was 6ft long i had 30 demasoni, 15 ice blues, 5 bumble bees, 7 ice albino and 11 yellow labs that did fine. In my 60g tank i had about 25-30 Saulosi and they where fine as well. But i also over filtered on these tanks as well with lots of flow. If he is having death issues it would be more towards territory then water quality. Malawi species are very territorial and new tresspassers tend to harm the balance to all the fish once introduced. Water quality and ph shouldnt be an issue if you acclimate the fish properly. Anytime i added fish it was with the lights off and the fish were calm and in there holes.
 
I'll take a pic later....
Just bought a 45 gallon for my new crib.... I went freshwater... Make sure you supplement your basic tap water with some sort of conditioner or stress coat everytime you add it to tank... Fish... I only have 9 right now... Pink Guormis, Gold Guormis, a shark-shaped guy, and a tiger striped guormi... Keep nasty goldfish out your tank... get good filteration system... and of course... water temperature.. Be patient.. Let the fish create the BIOLOGY of the tank... Don't overfeed... Most mofos want to see the fish "dance", so they feed them constantly... Bad move... Buy algae eaters after about a month (you ain't gon have no algae before then)...Keeping your light OFF when you ain't there will also keep your algae growth down... That Doctors Fosters and Smith site is a good one.... Buy natural stuff (rocks, etc.) for your tank.. Plastic decorations from Petco are expensive as hell :smh:

man, i buy those cheap azzed goldfish for my freshwater tank and they keep dyin! :lol: i get like 5 for $1 at the corner fish shop.....what type of semi-cheap fish will survive longer than 2 weeks?????
 
I have a 180 gallon with about 30 cichlids. I also have 2 10 gallons and a 20 for the babies and the nursing mothers. I have one now with about 35 babies in her mouth. One of my other females holds her babies in her mouth for long periods of time so I stripped her a couple of days ago and I am feeding her by herself until she gets her strength back.
 
My Yellow Tang and Lion fish
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nice lion fish, those fuckers are expensive
 
Aquarium heads I need advice. My new place won't allow me to have a dog. So having fish is nxt on the list. I've had Piranhas before. They were okay. This time I wanted to go for a grown up feel/ relaxing/ nontraditional look. I wanted to get an aquarium. The look I'm going for is a tropical one. I wanted to know how should I go about kicking this off. Is this look expensive? I wanted to bring in kind of a relaxing grown feel with the fish tank. I wanted to get a few nemos. A brotha needs help. If not tropical give me a few ideas. Anotha thing I'm not in Flordia. I don't know where in nashville or Detroit where I can get saltwater?
 
Aquarium heads I need advice. My new place won't allow me to have a dog. So having fish is nxt on the list. I've had Piranhas before. They were okay. This time I wanted to go for a grown up feel/ relaxing/ nontraditional look. I wanted to get an aquarium. The look I'm going for is a tropical one. I wanted to know how should I go about kicking this off. Is this look expensive? I wanted to bring in kind of a relaxing grown feel with the fish tank. I wanted to get a few nemos. A brotha needs help. If not tropical give me a few ideas. Anotha thing I'm not in Flordia. I don't know where in nashville or Detroit where I can get saltwater?

Just so you know saltwater tanks are very hard to maintain.Your ph level has to be on point. Besides that the fish are alot more expensive and it doesn't take much for them to die or catch "ick".You don't have to literally get saltwater from an actual body of water. Most aquarium places have the saltwater tank set up.

If this is the first you have ever had a tank then go with the freshwater for right now. At least until you get used to taking care of fish and a tank
 
Aquarium heads I need advice. My new place won't allow me to have a dog. So having fish is nxt on the list. I've had Piranhas before. They were okay. This time I wanted to go for a grown up feel/ relaxing/ nontraditional look. I wanted to get an aquarium. The look I'm going for is a tropical one. I wanted to know how should I go about kicking this off. Is this look expensive? I wanted to bring in kind of a relaxing grown feel with the fish tank. I wanted to get a few nemos. A brotha needs help. If not tropical give me a few ideas. Anotha thing I'm not in Flordia. I don't know where in nashville or Detroit where I can get saltwater?


I rec buying freshwater fish or brackish water fish...very colorful and very affordable. If you want exotic to impress the bitches then go with cichlids like everybody else here. They come in all different shapes and sizes and colors. Very easy to maintain. Just make sure you buy the right kind because some are very aggressive and others are not. My pet store is professional about their shit and seperated cichlids in two long ass aisles based on behavior. You can buy granule white rocks to line the bottom, mix in some lava rocks or tofou rocks with the right light (blue or white) and that shit will look exotic. That shit is hypnotic to bitches because it tells them you have interests and you can take care of shit.

Skip the saltwater shit...if you wanna test the water 2 x a day for ph levels, temp, and bacteria, buy all kind of expensive equipment and then have to pay anywhere between 50-120 bucks PER FISH.....its a rich mans hobby fo sure.
 
Thanks. How do I get that neon affect when I turn out the lights the aquarium glows. I've seen it done before. Should I get some live rock? I don't want any murky green aquarium like a few kats posted
 
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Saltwater tanks are not a rich mans hobby. But it does help:D! With that being said i test my water 3 times a week and dose my tank with calcium and reef supplement twice a week. But if your just doing fish and live rock testing your water 2 times a week is fine probably once would do it. Typical clown fish will run you 10-17 each and only get 2, they are some mean ass bitches. And you buy a synthetic salt mix to mix with water. I live in Vegas so natural salt water isnt an option. There are a few other fish that are not to pricey. But if you want easy go with fresh water. If you want color and easy go with african cichlids and get you some limestone rock or tufu rock. The limestone will keep your ph right. Check ebay for lights and anything that say actinic lights will give you that glow look. But i would go with a 20g-30g long tank with live rock and 2 false perc clowns with a pc light and then get yourself an anemones later on. Easy setup and you wont be out much more then what you would be with cichlids.
 
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Saltwater fish is hard to keep but once you get your system stabalized it will be a breeze. Now, it could take a while for your system to stablize so the tank will be pretty demanding until then, but when is running well it is rewarding.
 
Thanks. How do I get that neon affect when I turn out the lights the aquarium glows. I've seen it done before. Should I get some live rock? I don't want any murky green aquarium like a few kats posted

Most people use moon lights to give your tank a sublte glow at night.
 
where I can get saltwater?

go to a pet store and buy a couple bags of Instant Ocean. just add regular water to it and stir it up like koolaid. turn on your pumps and let that shit filter for about a month before adding fish. u might wanna get some damsel fish and live rock also, to help build up the bacteria in the tank. their probably the only saltwater fish that can withstand the nitrogen levels in the water during that time.
 
Saltwater fish is hard to keep but once you get your system stabalized it will be a breeze. Now, it could take a while for your system to stablize so the tank will be pretty demanding until then, but when is running well it is rewarding.

Wrong. Do you have a saltwater tank? It's not hard to maintain just do your research and whoever wants to try it should be fine.
 
Wrong. Do you have a saltwater tank? It's not hard to maintain just do your research and whoever wants to try it should be fine.

I got a 135g reef tank and it is not all that demanding once it was stable. Doing a simple salt tank with fish and live rock is a helluva lot easier to do then a reef. I do weekly water changes of 10 gallons and replace about 8-10 gallons of water just from evaporation. But with a reef tank RO water is a must. I know dudes that have fish with live rock tanks that dont to half of what i do.

Moonlights does give your tank a night effect but it is the actinic or dusk and dawn lights that make it glow. Salt tank lights typically are 3 phase: daylight, dusk/dawn and moon lights. It is the daylight that is the most demanding and what you need to be successful.
 
uh, anybody know what type of cheap fish i could buy that will last for a while? preferrably in water i don't have 2 clean every month!
 
yeah get a good filter and try some goldfish. Otherwise your nitrates will get to high and poison the fish eventually. you have to do maintenance on any tank and it really isnt that hard. get a magnet scraper and do you water changes get a cat fish or 2 and an algea eater for freshwater and you will be fine.
 
Wrong. Do you have a saltwater tank? It's not hard to maintain just do your research and whoever wants to try it should be fine.

Yes i do have a saltwater tank. If it is as easy as you say it is most people with aquariums would do saltwater, but they are not that easy. Yes you are right research is important,
but everything you do is not going to go the way you want it to.
 
Yes i do have a saltwater tank. If it is as easy as you say it is most people with aquariums would do saltwater, but they are not that easy. Yes you are right research is important,
but everything you do is not going to go the way you want it to.

Look dude I didn't know anything about saltwater when I started mine I did my research and got the info I needed and now my tank that I knew nothing about is healthy. Most people will not try one because they think it's too hard to maintain but it's not.
 
I find that Saltwater tanks are much easier to take care of versus a freshwater tank. Once setup and done properly it is self maintained. I dont have filters to clean and change every month or every few weeks. i dont have gravel or sand i have to clean. I do my water changes, water top offs, test the water and dose the water for what it needs and that is it. It is a self contain ecosystem all the way down to the plankton or pods that are in the tank. There is no big mystery to it and the fish arent that much more then cichlids if not on par in pricing. Just do your research and decide what you want to do. If anyone ever needs help i can lend my advice.
 
Look dude I didn't know anything about saltwater when I started mine I did my research and got the info I needed and now my tank that I knew nothing about is healthy. Most people will not try one because they think it's too hard to maintain but it's not.

And what you are telling me is that you have never had anything die, you have not had to break your system down and bring back up. The most experienced aquarist has issues with a saltwater system and believe me you will to have issue.

And i did say you were right, do your research first and it will make it easier but it will not guarntee results.

What are your current specs on your system i.e. water quality and what additives are you using?
 
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