# My 36 Gallon Bowfront



## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am quite new to Aquariums and also Cichlids.

I had bought these Cichlids at a local Petco because 1 they were on sale, and 2 I love the colors(and so does the kids and wife) I also need some help identifying them!

Problem is my Nitrites are WAY high, and I have lost all Nitrates, It was fully established a few days ago, but I had performed a 50% water change before adding in the Cichlids, as well as rearrange things. I have the API master test kit, and My tank was perfect before the water change, but I am thinking I took out too much now.  I really messed up and in a bit of a pickle.

Tank is about 2 months old.

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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What are the dimensions of the 36G? If it is a bowfront, measure on the sides, not the middle. When I Google the typical dimensions, I see that it is a 30" long tank. The cichlids in your pictures are not suitable to a 30" tank and you may need to rehome them.

If your nitrites are high and you have no nitrates, you are back in the middle of your cycle. Not sure how it happened (would not be because of removing and adding water), but apparently it did. What are the actual test results for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? When you test the nitrates, did you shake the bottle before adding solution #2 and shake the test tube after very vigorously? If the shaking is not sufficient, you could get a false zero reading.

If you rehome the fish, you can cycle your tank with ammonia and stock with a cichlid or other fish that fits the size of the tank better.

Nitrites are very toxic for the fish. If you are going to keep the fish in there and upgrade tank size soon, you really have no choice but to do water changes until the nitrites are low enough to keep the fish alive. For example, if nitrite = 1 and you want it to be 0.5 then you would need to do a 50% water change.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

1. Pseudotropheus acei
2. Metriaclima lombardoi
3. Metriaclima estherae
4. Labidochromis hybrid

The tank is going to be too small to house these fish long-term.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

DJRansome said:


> What are the dimensions of the 36G? If it is a bowfront, measure on the sides, not the middle. When I Google the typical dimensions, I see that it is a 30" long tank. The cichlids in your pictures are not suitable to a 30" tank and you may need to rehome them.
> 
> If your nitrites are high and you have no nitrates, you are back in the middle of your cycle. Not sure how it happened (would not be because of removing and adding water), but apparently it did. What are the actual test results for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? When you test the nitrates, did you shake the bottle before adding solution #2 and shake the test tube after very vigorously? If the shaking is not sufficient, you could get a false zero reading.
> 
> ...


It is 30"x11" with out the bow part measured.

I figured I would be getting a 55 gallon with in the coming months... because I know the tank isn't big enough for them fully grown. But at the moment, they are about 1-1 1/2" big.

I followed the instructions to the T. I am going to be running another test here in a bit now, so I will post up the results in a bit.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Even the 55 gallon will not be sufficient. I would start with at minimum a 75 gallon aquarium.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Just did the testing, I am guessing I shouldn't use an LED for light at night.. lol

PH - 7.8
AM - .25ppm
N02 - 2.0ppm
n03 - 40ppm


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Fogelhund said:


> Even the 55 gallon will not be sufficient. I would start with at minimum a 75 gallon aquarium.


For 4 Cichlids? I have seen tanks with far more cichlids in a 55 gallon fully grown, and the fish were perfectly fine.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

halffrozen said:


> Fogelhund said:
> 
> 
> > Even the 55 gallon will not be sufficient. I would start with at minimum a 75 gallon aquarium.
> ...


It is not the numbers, it is the species. In fact, four isn't enough to spread the aggression of these cichlids around. Metriaclima lombardoi in particular is a pretty aggressive fish, that will relentlessly attack any fish in it's territory... you need enough space and enough other fish in the tank, to prevent this from occurring. Metriaclima estherae and the Lab hybrid could be an issue in the 55 too, but the real problem is the lombardoi. For best success, I would find a new home for the lombardoi, and stock your tank with 10-12 fish that are best suited for a 55 gallon. Pure Labidochromis caeruleus, Rusty cichlids, some of the smaller Cynotilapia afra for example.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Fogelhund said:


> halffrozen said:
> 
> 
> > Fogelhund said:
> ...


Thanks for all of the information man, really appreciate it!

I will be taking back the Lombardoi tomorrow then.

In my current tank, what kind of Cichlids can I stock in it? I know it is small, but what can I get that stays small?


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

So, telling the wife what was going on, she said she put in 4 cap fulls of the bottle of Prime that was sitting next to the sink I was filling with. And she thought she could help by adding some to a bucket, so she thought it was a completely different tank size... so she put 4 cap fulls.

She WAS trying to help.. :/


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

If you are planning on staying with the bowfront for a bit, I suggest swapping the four you currently have for six yellow labs, and have it as a species tank until you get the 55, that way you can see breeding and stuff, whilst keeping problems with aggression to a minimum. If you want more color in the meantime, some people have had luck with rainbowfish in with milder cichlids.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Robchester_2000 said:


> If you are planning on staying with the bowfront for a bit, I suggest swapping the four you currently have for six yellow labs, and have it as a species tank until you get the 55, that way you can see breeding and stuff, whilst keeping problems with aggression to a minimum. If you want more color in the meantime, some people have had luck with rainbowfish in with milder cichlids.


I am perfectly fine with a Species tank, great idea!

Thanks for the great suggestion!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Great news, after doing a 55% water change a few hours ago.

My levels are now:
PH - 7.8-9ish
AM - .25ppm
N02 - .25ppm
n03 - 40ppm


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

Yellow labs are labidochromis caerelus (I've spelled that wrong I think) and they are generally considered the least aggressive mbuna.

You would still need to keep an eye on them, and remove and replace any rogues.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

halffrozen said:


> Great news, after doing a 55% water change a few hours ago.
> 
> My levels are now:
> PH - 7.8-9ish
> ...


Just keep an eye on those levels (ammonia/nitrite) and be ready to do more water changes to keep it there. Levels can spike up in a hurry.

Don't touch the filters for a few weeks after ammonia/nigtrite levels go to 0 again.

Start testing KH also, it stabilizes pH.

Then it sounds like you need to re-evaluate what you're stocking.


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

prov356 said:


> halffrozen said:
> 
> 
> > Great news, after doing a 55% water change a few hours ago.
> ...


Yeah, looking into further, besides the fact that I had bought them on impulse because of a hook up for taking in 30+ Molly Fry. I am going to do SA and CA Cichlids, particularly Rams I think.

Or maybe just go back to Mollies, and then make or buy a bigger tank and start a Cichlid tank then...


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## Robchester_2000 (Nov 8, 2008)

don't get too nervous about yellow labs, they are lovely fish, and quite chilled out compared to most cichlids. But it's your tank, so you do what you gotta do!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

I am possibly going to be getting a 55 gallon for $30 any day now, so I am thinking I am going to just do a heavily planted/rocky Ram tank..


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