# Drip system



## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

I have 3 tanks hooked up to a drip system and have been watching some of the setups on youtube. Looks to me it is used for removing chorine and sense I am on well water my water doesn't have any in it. My water is very hard due to all the gypson around here. Is there a need to filter the water any more. I use a water softner for the whole house and have a culligan drinking system that I have T'ed into but just on the first filter. My fish seem to be doing fine but I have been wanting to breed them and they don't seem to be doing anything. I don't know if the water has anything to do with it or not. I have a 75, a 55 and a 46 gal BF all with crushed coral. All have external filters on them and gravel filters. The tanks seems to stay very clear. I raised these before with great success at my old house and we were on city water and didn't do much about it but treat it. I had some red jewls breed 1 time and they were very small and nothing sense. It's been 6 months now and no more fry. Once a week I will put about 5 gals of fresh water in them and just let it run out the overflow to make sure it's all working right and it cleans the lines out. Any Ideas on what I can try. :-?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What kind of fish...just jewels?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Are you asking if you need to filter the tap water prior to entering the tanks or about keeping the external filters on the tanks?

What are your water test results for GH (hardness) and KH (alkalinity) for the tanks since installing the drip system? Your drip system is after the water softener so this will alter the hardness of your water.

Finally, what fish do you have besides the jewels?


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Bumble Bees and yellow labs in 46. blue labs, one large convict, yellow tail aceis, Goldem Auratus, in the 70 gal and red jewls, jack dempsys, convicts in the 55. All tanks have a plexco or two in them. Water test results are PH 8.2 and the rest 0 out. Could it be because the water is too clean. I have heard that you should have some nitrates and nitrites. The 70 and 55 are heavey stocked, the 46 has only 3 bumble bees and 4 yellow labs in it. Again any ideas. Thanks Gene


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Filters are Sun Sun 3 stage on 46 and 55 and a Sun Sun 4 stage on the 75. Little over kill on all of them but keeps water moving good. They dig up the tank all over making it hard to keep anything straight but that what they do. I was looking at a 3 stage filter system on the drip system but I don't think it's needed. I didn't have all this stuff in my old tanks and very seldom did a water change and had more fry than I could keep up with.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The lack of nitrates is a red flag for me and usually only seen in tanks that are not cycled, heavily planted or another type of nitrate reducing feature.

Nitrites should not be found in a cycled tank.

I'm guessing you haven't tested the GH or KH of your water since you didn't post the results. You may want to consider picking up test kits for these 2 items since they are not usually included in the regular test kits.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You want to stock bumble bees (crabro) and auratus 1m:7f in a rectangle 48" x 18" or larger. Usually a water softener works against your water quality, try taking the water before the softener. I second the need for a test of KH.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Not to sound stupid but never heard of those tests. Always thought hardness was pH and have no idea what carbonate testing is. Where can I read up on this. Should I turn the drip off for awhile and see what happens.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Try Googling aquarium kh test and you will see a bunch of vendors. I would not change anything until you test the water before and after the softener and in your tank.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Maybe keeping water from cycling due to fresh water always co ing in. The tanks have been running over a year now or longer. It will have to wait till spring for me to get under the house to tap into water line. I will order a test kit and check outside and inside water and see what I get.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No a drip system should not impact your cycle, the bacteria live on the filter media and on surfaces, not in the water.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

So do you think there is a problem or not. Fish all seem to be active chasing around the tank. Digging everything up and I see some tail dancing every now and then. I was just trying to figure out why they have not spawned yet. Maybe it's still too early. I have used my water for 20+ years here and no problems that I know of. I just got back into African Cichlids almaot 2 years ago and saw this drip system and figured it would be a good way to go. Also saw the 3 stage external filters and I really like them. Easy to manage and clean and they keep the water moving good. I am going to order the test kit so I can check all the parameters and make sure there is nothing going on here. What do you think about hooking the drip system to the output of the reverse osmosis system and using that. I was afraid it would be too soft of water for them. When I rinse out the filters looks like everything is working good in them. I just lightly rinse them and dump sediment out of the bottom.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

When I raised these fish before the Golden Auratus was my best breeding fish. I could hardly keep up with them. In fact it got where I left them in the tank and they were on their own. All I had them was a 45 gal Hexagon tank with some smaller tank for the fry. 20 gal low I believe. The blue labs did very well to. I know I had way too many fish in all the tanks and one summer night the power went off and when I got up all were dead. That's when I gave up for a while. When I got back into fish I left the African Cichlids alone and raised Oscars for a long time. That's when I got the 75 gal tank. I have had some huge Oscars and the last one I gave away to start back on the African Cichlids. I couldn't see keeping that much tank for one fish. She killed everything that was in with her even her own kind. Only one that made it with her was a very large plexco or sucker mouth catfish or alage eater what ever you want to call them. She would mess with them but they were too big. One about 14 inches long.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would not use RO water and I would test before making decisions about spawning problems.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Yesterday while cleaning up around the house I noticed something cloudy in the lower right side of my 55 gal tank. When I got down to look at it closely to my surprise in was a school of fry.  My Red Jewls had done it again and it's the same ones as last time. I keep a 10 gal tank setup and running, which I didn't have before, for this reason so I caught all I could and put them in there. All are still doing good and have gathered down in the lower corner of the tank. Impossible to count but a lot of them, maybe 50 to 75. I didn't catch them all and the few that are left with mom and dad are still doing ok. Dad was not happy with me taking them out but he will get over it. I guess I was in too big of a hurry for them. I never did see the eggs anywhere but with all the rocks they must of laid them where I could not see them or I just didn't notice them. Anyway I guess the water isn't the problem but would still like to know all the parameters so I will go ahead and get he kit to test it. Still leaves the other fish and why no fry yet. Maybe to early for them.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

I guess I'm going blind in my old age. Meghan was here and I was telling her about the fry, She is my stepsons girlfriends daughter 17, and she was looking in the tank and found more fry. They are being guarded by a pair of convicts and are hiding behind ornaments I have in the tank. I caught some of them and put with the red jewels fry. It's hard for me to believe that these are so small and doing this. The convicts are maybe 1/2 dollar size and I have one in the 75 gal tank that is approx. 5 inches. These convict fry's are in the same tank as the red jewels. Got fry everywhere now.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

late yesterday Meghan, 17, was checking the tanks out and spotted some more fry in the center of the tank. When I checked it out I found more fry that 2 convicts were guarding. I got some of them out and put in the raising tank with the Red Jewel fry. You can't tell them apart at this stage. My old eyes are not what they use to be I guess. Those Convicts are very protective, when a fish come by they both attack and shake the **** out of them. I have enough fry now so tell them to stop, no more room. Still some of each in the 55 gal tank and they are on their own. The Convicts are awful small to be spawning but this is their first. I have 1 large male in the 75 gal tank, the female disappeared somewhere, that is 4 or 5 inch's and these are about size of a half dollar. So much for the water problem at least in this tank. All fry are doing good in a 10 gal tank I have set up. Going to have to get a bigger tank. My son in law has a 55 he was talking about trying some Cichlids so I might be able to fix him up. Last time I was up there he tried to give me the 55 tank. Him and my daughter went to England for Christmas to be with his family so I will wait till he gets back and find out what he wants to do. Still need to work on the Golden Auratus and figure out what's up with them. I had 4 large females and finally found a large male to go with them. Nothing going on yet which is good for now. The Yellow Tailed Aces should be ready but nothing there either. Then the Electric Blue Labs and all of these are in the 75 gal tank. Then in the 46 I have the Bumble Bees which are 1 male and three females and Yellow labs. Nothing going on there either. All tanks set up the same with crushed coral and running on the same drip line. Plenty of rocks and cover for them. I will get a test kit and check them all after the holidays and make sure all is ok. I will post the results then. Thanks Gene


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Update. Had another batch of red jewels the other day. Looking this morning I found another batch of convicts. No room for them so they are at the mercy of the fish in the tank. Couple other Jewels doing the tail dance. Wish I could get my other two tanks to do as well.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Another update. I saw my first batch of eggs. A pair of Red Jewels laid some on a flat rock up front where I could see them. I see why they are hard to see, very small and almost clear. Couple days later I watched them pick them up and place them down in the corner of the tank. Man there where a lot of them. Keeping an eye on them I noticed two more guarding a spot behind some ornaments and I could see little fry wiggling on the bottom. Then looking at a pair of Convicts in a cave in the back in my 3D background I spotted more fry, bigger than the rest. Watching closer now I spotted a Electric Blue Lab looks like she is holding. I watched her when I feed them and she is not eating which is a sign she is holding. That is in my 75 gal. In my 46 BF I saw a Electric Yellow Lab looked like she was holding. I watched her as I feed them and she also is not eating. The bumble bees are acting funny and I think they are ready too. I have spawns in all the tanks now. I haven't changed anything so I don't know what happened. Going to have to get more tanks to raise some of these. Tanks are all full for now. I have Red Jewels and Convicts in my raise tank and they are growing. Some I think I can tell apart but not sure yet.


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## kd5exp (Mar 21, 2014)

Latest update. All the fry I saved are doing good. Getting big. Traded for a couple 30 gal tanks to raise them in. I have lots of red jewls and some convicts. My blue was carrying again and this time I caught her and stripped the fry from her. It's hard to believe they have so many in their mouth. I put the in a breeding net so the big ones would not eat them. Then I noticed a lot of them were dead. Watching them I saw the bigger fish biting them while they would lay on the bottom of the net. Saved about 16 out of 27. They have their own 10 gal for now and are doing good. I have seen more eggs but do not have anywhere to put any more room so they just disappear. A guy would have to have a lot of tanks to do any kind of raising of these fish.


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