# Aquarium stocking help



## Danzo (Jul 11, 2016)

I have a 55 litre cube tank with 4 fish in it. I have a Spilurum cichlid, a Convict Cichlid, a Firemouth Cichlid and a clown pleco. They all are 1 1/2 - 2" at the moment but I know they will get much bigger. The aquatics shop I purchased from assured me that the tank size and the amount of fish in it is fine but I'm starting to think it's overcrowded. I am having a terrible time with Nitrates. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Hi and Welcome to C-F!!!

Could you post the dimensions of the tank please?

Nitrates are usually reduced by more frequent water changes, what is your nitrate reading now? Also test your tap water for nitrate and post the result.


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## Danzo (Jul 11, 2016)

Hi, thank you for your reply.

My tank dimensions - 48x48x48
Nitrate today between - 0.5 & 1.5mg
Tap water - 0.0mg

I have the fish and tank for about just over a month now. Before I put the fish in the tank I brought some filter starter and test the PH and Nitrates which was all suitable conditions for the fish. As soon as I put them in we tested after a few days and it rocketed to 1.5mg and stayed there for a few weeks. I did my usual 25% water change and had to do an emergency full tank change as the nitrates were dangerously high. I started feeding less like twice every 3 days to try and help it came down to 0.1mg 2 days ago and now back up to between 0.5 & 1.5mg.

Regards


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Are your tank dimensions measured in centimeters? If so, your tank is approx. 29 gallons or 110 liters. Your 1st post said the tank is 55 litres so I'm a bit confused.

Your test for nitrate shows a tiny amount, assuming the reading is in mg/l. It is usually suggested to perform a water change when the nitrate reaches 20-30 ppm.

Have you tested for ammonia and nitrite yet? If so, please post those results.


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## Danzo (Jul 11, 2016)

Hi again,

I got a little jumbled. My tank size is actually 40X40X40CM.

My readings were indeed in mg, sorry is PPM American? If so I'm not sure how to convert it. We had an ammonia test a few weeks ago as I could smell it so that was the emergency water change I did. I have not got an ammonia testing kit but I can barely smell it.

Hope I have given you the correct information you asked for.

Regards.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Sorry for mixing measurements but 1 mg/l is the same as 1 ppm for our testing purposes.

I highly recommend also getting the ammonia and nitrite test kits as they are handy, especially for a newly set up tank as both ammonia and nitrite are toxic to your fish.

OK, now that we have the correct measurements, your tank is a bit smaller than 18G or 68L.

The fish you currently have will probably outgrow that tank fairly quickly so are you willing or able to upgrade to a larger tank?


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## Danzo (Jul 11, 2016)

Hi,

I used my last nitrite kit tablet in the morning today which read between 0.5 & 1.5mg as I stated in the first message. I will invest in an ammonia test kit aswell aswell as more nitrite tablets. I have no space really to upgrade my tank, as I said the aquatics centre I purchased my fish from assured me that for my 55L tank that I could fit all of these fish fully grown, now I'm thinking otherwise.

Should I carry on feeding twice every 3 days or do it more regularly? I also brought a live plant for my tank earlier which im hoping will also help with the nitrites.

Regards


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Nitrites are different than nitrates and should not be present in a cycled tank. I suggest either returning the fish to the store or performing daily water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites as low as possible.


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## Danzo (Jul 11, 2016)

Oh, i must have confused everything. I thought Nitrites and Nitrates was the same thing, so i need to get a nitrates test kit and ammonia test kit. The results I have given you has been nitrites not Nitrates. Sorry for all the questions I am very new to this. So I need a Nitrate (not nitrite) kit now as I have already tested the nitrites yes?

Just wondering, I read you mentioned about taking the fish back? Could there be something wrong with them or something?

Regards


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

There are usually 6 tests that I like to keep for my aquarium use, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH plus a GH (hardness) and KH (alkalinity). The last 2 tests are helpful to see check if your tap water pH 'bounces' up and down from the time it leaves the tap (faucet) and after a day or two in your aquarium.

Many people get confused with nitrite and nitrate so don't be worried about the mistake. When initially setting up a new tank without fish, the ammonia begins to rise over 4-6 weeks as the ammonia eating bacteria start to colonize the tank, then the nitrite eating bacteria begin to populate the tank. Once both of these bacteria have established themselves fully, you will see Zero ammonia and Zero nitrite when you test the water. Nitrate is the end result of the cycling process and is removed by water changes.

I don't think there is anything wrong with your fish, my suggestion to return them was twofold; 1st, ammonia and nitrite is harmful to the fish and 2nd, the fish you've chosen based on poor advice from your fish store, will grow too large for your tank size. If you have the option of returning the fish to the store, I think it would be a good idea but if you decide to keep the fish, I highly recommend performing daily 50% water changes to keep any ammonia or nitrite levels low enough to not harm the fish. You may have to do these daily water changes for a few weeks until your tests show Zero ammonia, Zero nitrite and some level of nitrate.


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## Danzo (Jul 11, 2016)

Thank you so much. You have been very helpful. I am still very new to this so all this new knowledge is brilliant.

However I think it is to late to return them unfortunately. How many of the fish I have already can I potentially keep in my current tank permanently fully grown?

Regards


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I think you will have problems with even one of the species long term in that tank size.

Here are some links to your fish profiles:

Convict cichlid

Firemouth cichlid

Cryptoheros which I think is the latest name for the spilurum but I may be wrong.

On a side note, these are all Central American and not South American cichlids so I'll be moving this post to the correct forum for you.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Deeda said:


> Cryptoheros which I think is the latest name for the spilurum but I may be wrong.


That is a link to the C-F profile on _Cryptoheros myrnae_. Different species. 
The common name used (Blue eyed cichlid) is one of the common names for _Cryptoheros spilurum_ (and not one that has ever been used for _Cryptoheros myrnae _ to my knowledge!)
This particular profile used to be the C-F profile for _Cryptoheros spilurum_ but when it was brought to the attention of one of the mods by some one outside of this forum, that the picture of the fish was not that of _Cryptoheros spilurum_ but likely _Cryptoheros myrnae_ the name was changed, resulting in a profile that is sort of a mix of info for the 2 species! Even though I think it likely to be a picture of _Cryptoheros myrnae_, IMO it may even be a picture of one of the other "yellow" Cryptoheros! I suggested that the picture be changed rather then changing the species name of the profile, but the mod wouldn't listen to me. I mentioned the fact that myrnae is an obscure species that most of us will probably never see in our lifetime and that spilurum is, and has been, a very common species that many of us in the hobby will encounter, so a profile for spiliurum is really needed and the mod assured me that new profile for spilurum would be made very soon. That's 4-5 years ago. Never happened; nothing has changed. I regret providing a link of info on myrnae to the mod because I think the mod used the info very silly (for example listing a specific pH with 3 digits :roll: ).
The C-F profiles for CA/SA is in complete shambles. Not only are many of the scientific names wrong or severely outdated (eg. _Aequidens portalgrensis_!!! 34 years out of date :x :x ) but much of the info is even wrong. It was in poor shape when I come to this forum in 2007.....and it has not been updated since, at all. The few little changes, such as was done to the profile in the link, serve to make it even worse IMO. I find the C-F profiles for rift lake cichlids to be very useful, and this part of the profiles has been regularly updated. 
Unfortunately, linking to any C-F profile for CA/SA is probably more likely to misinform and confuse, then it is to educate!


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## Danzo (Jul 11, 2016)

Thank you so much for your help. Now I must decide what to do.

Regards


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

BC, thanks for the info. I'm completely lost in the CA/SA cichlids so your post was helpful for me since I just made a guess at what the OP had.


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