# New Tank! A few questions...



## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Hey everyone! I am not a newbie to fishkeeping, although I have taken a rather lengthy break. I have recently decided to begin again and I have a few questions. In every other aquarium I have had, running it for a few days and dropping fish food in has been good enough to consider it "cycled". However I have recently gotten a 55 gallon and ran it for about 2 weeks, then added a few fish, and within hours they all died! After that I did 2x a day water changes and recently added 3 tiger barbs, a pictus catfish, a red tail shark, and a convict cichlid. Needless to say everything has died EXCEPT for the convict. Actually, the convict looks as though he's doing alright, and actually relishes in 55 gallons all by himself!

Is it necessary to still have an air stone even if I have a filter that hangs and pours water like a waterfall. I would think that's enough water agitation. I do have a small airstone anyway, as it's mostly cosmetic.

Though all the fish deaths, I thought I had _new tank syndrome_, so I bought _tetra Safe Start_, which says it prevents NTS, and allows immediate placement of fish. Are convicts just really hardy fish, and eventually he will succumb to this?


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## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

whenever i have cycled a tank i have left it for three weeks and water changed once a week. Doing it twice a day just recreates a new tank each time. When you add fish then water change twice a week for four weeks then begin a normal routine. However, if the fish died within hours id say your problem is not nts but something else. Have you tested the water. What are the parameters as everyone will ask that? Do you have any plants etc. And have you added any hardy fish to create an eco system. Danios are great for this. Hope *** helped.


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Adrian101 said:


> whenever i have cycled a tank i have left it for three weeks and water changed once a week. Doing it twice a day just recreates a new tank each time. When you add fish then water change twice a week for four weeks then begin a normal routine. However, if the fish died within hours id say your problem is not nts but something else. Have you tested the water. What are the parameters as everyone will ask that? Do you have any plants etc. And have you added any hardy fish to create an eco system. Danios are great for this. Hope I've helped.


Thanks for replying!
I have a crappy strip test kit, but for all ballpark figure my ph is 7.6, my alkalinity is 220 ppm, the hardness is very high at 425 ppm, no nitrites, and around 40 ppm of nitrates.

I currently do 20% water changes 2x a day. Do you think I should do more or less? And a higher percentage? I have 2 plastic plants.

*I think* the problem may stem from an ornament that I had in the aquarium. It was advertised as for terrariums, and when I touched it it was all slippery and slimy. I took it out last night, as I really don not want my aquarium to end up being a graveyard for fish. :-?

The first batch of fish I had were tiger barbs and a green terror cichlid. The tiger barbs all died within hours, but the green terror lasted a few days. Now all that I have in is the convict cichlid. Is it normal for convicts NOT to swim around the aquarium, because mine just sits in his flower pot all day unless it is feeding time?


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## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

id say do twenty percent water changes twice a week not a day. And just get some Danios to live in there for a couple weeks. Not sure bout convicts as never had them but its best to throw in some hardy fish rather than loose better ones. Lol. *** only ever done live plants and bog wood etc so Cant help in that sense. Hopefully one of the mods will be more help.


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Since I last posted it seems like my convict got a sudden jolt of energy. He or she is swimming around the entire tank, exploring the brand new world I put him in. He really loves the air stone and the bubbles they create!


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## ceech (Jul 4, 2010)

i would say the problem could have ben the ornament for sure, you should be very careful what you put in you tank.Also the test strips are no good at all get a liquid test kit.
as far as i know convicts are usually active.


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Yea since I removed the ornament, the convict is active as ****!


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Well I just got back from my lfs. I swear I can't go in that place without spending some money. This time, I came out with 2 small African cichlids. I know, I know, it was totally an impulse buy!


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## lil_gold_ram (Mar 1, 2011)

Convicts are very hardy but be careful what you put in your tank as far as fish go. I had a convict for a short time that I rescued and she was a total bully. I gave her to my lfs and they said they had her in a tank with a betta and she beat the snot out of it, poor thing lol. As far as your fish dying it sounds like a cycling problem or maybe your convict took care of business lol. Definitely pick up a liquid test kit or bring a water sample to your lfs. Good luck


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

lil_gold_ram said:


> Convicts are very hardy but be careful what you put in your tank as far as fish go. I had a convict for a short time that I rescued and she was a total bully. I gave her to my lfs and they said they had her in a tank with a betta and she beat the snot out of it, poor thing lol. As far as your fish dying it sounds like a cycling problem or maybe your convict took care of business lol. Definitely pick up a liquid test kit or bring a water sample to your lfs. Good luck


Well the consensus seems like it was that decoration that I had placed in my tank that killed all of my fish. I removed it a few days ago, and my fish are thriving! For now the African cichlids are somewhat getting along with my convict. But, the larger African cichlid took over the convict's cave, so he just hides behind a plant when he wants to hide. I ordered a few cichlid stones so he has more hiding places.


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## lil_gold_ram (Mar 1, 2011)

Elijah said:


> lil_gold_ram said:
> 
> 
> > Convicts are very hardy but be careful what you put in your tank as far as fish go. I had a convict for a short time that I rescued and she was a total bully. I gave her to my lfs and they said they had her in a tank with a betta and she beat the snot out of it, poor thing lol. As far as your fish dying it sounds like a cycling problem or maybe your convict took care of business lol. Definitely pick up a liquid test kit or bring a water sample to your lfs. Good luck
> ...


I read about the ornament but that may have been a coincidence. Testing your water is vital to fish keeping and would help you narrow down what the source of your problem was/is.


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

Have you read:
http://www.firsttankguide.net/
(note that it is outdated, and that it is mroe than possible and reccomendable to cycle without fish)

Also worth trying the library here.

Next thing, get your water right first. Stop buying fish, until you know where you're going with your tank. A convict, now two misc africans? How big is your tank? What do you want out of it?


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## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

Nina_b said:


> Have you read:
> http://www.firsttankguide.net/
> (note that it is outdated, and that it is mroe than possible and reccomendable to cycle without fish)
> 
> ...


 +1 also as i said get some cheap shoaling fish to live in there and stabilise your water parameters.


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## lil_gold_ram (Mar 1, 2011)

Nina_b said:


> Have you read:
> http://www.firsttankguide.net/
> (note that it is outdated, and that it is mroe than possible and reccomendable to cycle without fish)
> 
> ...


 :thumb:

I was thinking about the convict with the africans, but kept my mouth shut.


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## lil_gold_ram (Mar 1, 2011)

African cichlids need a higher PH and harder water as a rule. Although the convict should adapt to a wide range of water conditions you will have to adjust the water to suit the Africans. I have never seen anyone keep these fish together, but that's not to say it can't be done. I would not add anymore fish at the moment until you know for sure what your water parameters are, not to mention the fact that the convict will have to be housed with fish of equal size, I'm not sure how big Africans get but I have a feeling they stay on the smaller side, depending on what they are. As your convict grows it will become aggressive so fish with equal attitude and size will make good tank mates. Honestly, if I were you I would trade the Africans in for something else, like another convict....but that's just me


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