# New cichlid tank setup



## Sicklid77 (Jan 5, 2009)

hi *** set up a cichlid tank..sand at the bottom plenty of rocks and caves, temp is at 26 C, its been up for about aweek and half now and jus before i get some mbuna's for my tank i was wonderin if they was anything i should do before i go ahead???


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

You should probably test the water to make sure all your parameters are correct.


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## cevvin (May 2, 2008)

Are you going to be adding established media of some sort?
How are you cycling the tank?


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## Sicklid77 (Jan 5, 2009)

i have checked all the ph and hardness and nitrate etc..and its all how it should be for cichlids, its fiited with a nice jewel filts which i thought made the cycle anyways and i have a large airstone in their which is quite noisey!


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## ademb (Nov 19, 2008)

mate ur tank would of only just starting cycling. u can either chuck in some cheaper fish to move the cycle along or do it fishless and just add ammonia. search in the library, ull find more info


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## Sicklid77 (Jan 5, 2009)

so what do you mean by cycling, its been runnin for a week and half and *** been told to leave it for 2weeks, *** added plenty of stress zyme and stuff is tht jus like tht amonnia ?


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## cevvin (May 2, 2008)

Wow where to start, lets start by some very informational links:

The Nitrogen Cycle:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cycling.php

Fishless Cycling:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycling.php

Water Changes:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/water_changes.php

Water Treatment:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/water_treatment.php

Read those very carefully. 2 weeks isn't really long enough to cycle a tank, and if you are not adding ammonia, then its not going to cycle at all. We are here to answer any questions you have.


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## Sicklid77 (Jan 5, 2009)

ah rite i understand, so would it be ok if i bought ammonia from the supermarket as it says or the actual NH3 u could buy from then fishstore, and how many drops would be efficient??


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

I bought ammonia from the supermarket, just make sure that is is pure ammonia with no additives. As far as how many drops it totally depends on how big your tank is and how concentrated your ammonia is. You need to get a test kit if you don't already have one, and add ammonia until your tank water reads about 5 ppm ammonia and then follow the steps listed in the articles already posted. you should be good in about a month or so.


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## cevvin (May 2, 2008)

And when you get a test kit, make sure its a drop reagent test. Test strips are highly unreliable.


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## Sicklid77 (Jan 5, 2009)

is that how long id have to wait..its been up for like nearly 2weeks i was gonna giv it one more week until i started introducin fish, i had an old tank before and dint use no amonnia jus tht stress zyme stuff n tap conditioner left it for a week and brought cichlids into it n they wer fine until i sold them


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

but the 2 weeks that it has been up... nothing has been happening. You haven't even started the cycle yet. The cycle won't start until you start adding ammonia.

Some fish can handle the cycle, generally cichlids are a little more fragile... and can often die during a cycle.

If you don't want to worry about the whole ammonia adding thing (... I can't believe I'm suggesting this...) just buy like a dozen danios and throw them in... wait 4 weeks... check your water parameters...

if they read 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and a good amount of nitrate (like 40 or more ppm) you know that the tank is cycled.

then do a large water change take the danios back to the fish store and get credit towards the cichlids you will be buying... get a few cichlids (THAT DAY) and go home and add them to the tank.

However, I am a much bigger proponent of the fishless cycle because even though the danios will most likely survive the cycle, most agree that it is very painful for any fish to go through it... imagine being stuck in a room inhaling ammonia fumes for a month straight...


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## Sicklid77 (Jan 5, 2009)

ok thats abit more helpful but *** jus used one of them test strips and the nitrite is at about 3 and the nitrate is at 40, so could i say thts been cycled?


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

no nitrite needs to be at 0, wait until you get to 0... then you should be cycled...

however, i only stand by my word if you are using an API drop reagent test... called a Freshwater Master Test Kit... I don't like those test strips at all... verrrrry unreliable.


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## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

another bit of advice...

You must have patience!!! I know you are excited to get fish in your aquarium, but your life will be so much easier if you do this the right way and have patience.


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## Sicklid77 (Jan 5, 2009)

yeah i know i have plent y of patience its jus i didnt really click on about this cycle buisness in that stress zyme i put in it says theirs amonnia in their, so if i wait afew more weeks should the nitrite level drop to 0 and the nitrate stay at 40 wel its was actually at about 80 it changed? plus *** only put that in twice it told me to put it in on the 1th 7th and 14th day so maybe after then it will read nitrite 0 and nitrate 40 ?


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

Do you have any friends with established aquariums? If you do see if you can buy them a new filter sponge and take their old one... The old ast sponge will have the neccessary bacteria and you'll be good to go


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