convict cichlid help i know nothing about fish

[mark and marley]

yeah ill check that one out..hmm i may have to get a new air pump too.the one i have is a constant blurmmmmmmm on my wall. wait canister or hang on filter???

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Canisters are expensive but definitely do the trick. You just need to buy all the filter media separately. A mesh filter bag for carbon or amocarb (which cuts ammonia as well as keeping water clear). Then the fiber filters and bio rocks for the different baskets in the canister.

Slightly higher maintenance and filter media cost but less frequent water changes are needed and they certainly work great.

It just depends on your finances I guess.

[mark and marley]

well ill be buying everything seperately.this week ill pick up the filter and possibly a quieter air pump(and some stuff for my bp and scorps) and the next week a bills,and the third week tank,hood and gravel and the week after that decor.so itll fit in if its the my best interest to use one. so Doc will have to make due for three more weeks cramped.hell manage considering he survived his swamp of a tank with the past owner.well as long as i keep up with these excessive water changes.everyother day ill tell you.hmm maybe ill buy a cheap 30gl filter for his 10gl tank to help with the cleaning til i get his new one setup. it wouldnt be a waste cause i could just put the lil tank and accessories downstairs with something like a snail in it.hahaha

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

If you pick up a 5 gal jug of water and refil it at a grocery store that has the do-it-yourself water station, the filtered water would cause a little less stress on the fish with many water changes.

If you have city water though, that should be fine. Well water generally has much more chemicals and is very hard.

Plus if you just leave a jug of water sit with the cap off overnight, all chlorine will dissipate and you won't need to treat it. Unless you're adding a bit of slime coat stress treatment for the fish.

[deathfromabove]

the problem is since its cycling you dont have beneficial bacteria in the tank yet it takes about a month, if you want it to cycle faster put a moss ball in there, also when it cycles think of an s chart, your nitrite and ammonia are going to spike twice during the cycle after that it will level out, thats why its better to cycle a tank with out fish your basically gonna have to ride it out, im not an expert but my g/f has fish and i learnt alot from it

actually i forgot theres if you go to a petstore one that specializes in fish they have instant cycle its not called that but if you ask about it im sure they will know what ur talking about its about 10 dollars

[deathfromabove]

also doing a water change even small ones while its cycling is removing what ever good bacteria you have in tank, and basically starting the process all over again

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Those bottles are pretty much pointless though. If you think about it, there isn't anything in there to feed the bacteria after it's been sitting on a shelf so it's very low potency.

The moss ball is a good idea though. Also a couple chunks of any veggie that won't fall apart as it rots. Like squash, zucchini, potato or broccoli would work.

The cichlid will also nibble on these things as a treat.

A piece of drift wood will also help keep the water stable once it's cycled. Then if you ever add a pleco, you already have some wood for it to rasp on.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Good point, but the frequent water changes should be taken from the top. Scooped with a pitcher. If the gravel is not disturbed, a beneficial colony will survive and grow. Don't start stirring the gravel and vacuuming during water changes for at least 6 weeks. Even then, only do the top of the gravel. Don't change filter media for a couple weeks after water changes (after it's cycled).

If you get a filter system which takes some sort of bio rocks, never rinse these in clean water. Always gently rinse them in tank water and replace in the filter immediately. These provide a place for good bacteria to live. They are especially important if you are the type of person who wants crystal clear water and spotlessly clean gravel every time you clean.

[mark and marley]

ive been talking to a fish expert on another forum and he says that this benifical bacteria wouldnt be able to even start growing if the ammonia and nitrites are too high and those already living bacteria you get from stores are basicly dead by the time you get em.
my tap water here is in the range that the convict would thrive in.i just have to let it get to room temperature and treat it for chlorine and chloramine.i usually treat it and let it sit for 24hrs before using.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Exactly. Which is why you need to keep removing water and replacing it. Using other means of adding bacteria like dirty fish gravel, filters, and veggie/moss chunks. At petsmart they sell large cartons of the ammocarb I mentioned above. It's loose so you need to use a small mesh filter bag. Rinse it well to get the black dust out before putting it in the aquarium. Change it weekly. It has white pebbles mixed in with the carbon. These white ones help neutralize the ammonia.