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#1 pl6608

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Posted 03 December 2008 - 05:55 PM

Hi Everyone

Well I have read so much on this forum about time I added something.

Last year around April, my wife decided that we needed a little fish tank for our back sideboard. So out we went the next day and bought a 68 Litre all in one Jebo tank little did we know it would have been much easier to go out to start with and buy a bigger tank (I bet that has never been said before)!!! After cycling properly of course unsure.gif we ended up with a community tank. Should have read more before I started and wouldn't have put the little fish through the stress, but I didn't have any casualties for about 8 months until ich hit. Had a few peppered corys, 2 bristlenose catfish, cardinal tetras, and dwarf gourami's. I have recentlly given this tank to my brother-in-law as his kids already have the aquarium bug.

Little did my wife know how big a mistake she made by introducing me to FISH. HEHE. After a month I was already planning a bigger tank (common theme I have read everywhere), but money and many other bills put that on the back burner. An uncle of mine was getting rid of a 3 foot tank so I jumped at that and finally was able to get my hands on some malawi cichlids with 2 Electric blues but the male has turned out to be stigmatochromis modestus I think. 2 Blue Aceii, 2 Dolphin Moori, 4 Electric Yellows, 2 Bristlenose and 2 Synodontis multipunctatus. Sorry about not having the proper names still learning them.

As you are all thinking that tank is too small and I am just in the process of paying off a 6x2x2 tank cabinet and hood, I have a Eheim Professionel 3e 2078, 140kg of crushed coral and a number of pieces of limestone. On the weekend I bought 2 pieces of Texas Holey Rock from Vebas, hope to add more to the collection over time. I will be adding the Eheim 2215 from the 3 ft tank to the 6ft as well.

So thats about it. Any ideas on the best way to set up the new tank that I will have in a couple of weeks, will be greatly appreciated. I intend to keep the 3ft tank running with all the fish in it for a while once the other tank is cycling. Would it be of any benefit to add any of the dirty water that I vacuum out of the 3ft tank from under the gravel into the inlet valve of the new filter? Or adding some of the gravel from the 3ft tank inside a stocking? Like I said any ideas would be very much appreciated and needed as I still have so much to learn.

Thank you

#2 golden_dase

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  • Location: Noranda

Posted 03 December 2008 - 06:08 PM

Hi mate!

Welcome to the fishy place! tongue.gif

One of the best ways to get to know people etc.. is to post pics of your tanks and have a general chit-chat about your setup etc.. A good way is to start a set-up journal of your new 6ft and keep us up to date with your progress. Experienced members will guide you along the way. There are heaps of members with experience and knowledge in different areas of fishkeeping, and our PCS sponsors are great too!!

Have fun! biggrin.gif

Kevin



#3 Sazabi

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Posted 03 December 2008 - 07:02 PM

Welcome to the forums, noticed your username online from time to time biggrin.gif

QUOTE (pl6608 @ Dec 3 2008, 06:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
little did we know it would have been much easier to go out to start with and buy a bigger tank

It happens to the best of us, so you are not alone lol

QUOTE (pl6608 @ Dec 3 2008, 06:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Would it be of any benefit to add any of the dirty water that I vacuum out of the 3ft tank from under the gravel into the inlet valve of the new filter? Or adding some of the gravel from the 3ft tank inside a stocking?

There is little beneficial bacteria in gravel and even less in the water column of the tank. Although it may help a little in cycling the tank faster. More than anything you would be adding more waste to the filter.

One of the fastest way of cycling I found out from Den is to use Seachem Stability and Prime, it cuts it down quite quickly.

Anyway, there will be more experienced and helpful members that can offer more suggestions to you biggrin.gif

Cheers



#4 pl6608

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Posted 06 December 2008 - 08:06 AM

Thank you Golden Dase and Sazabi for your comments. Now you mention it I have read about the Seachem Stability and Prime so will have to buy some.

If anyone else has any ideas on the best way to cycle the tank please let me know.

Thank you

#5 Sazabi

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Posted 06 December 2008 - 08:21 AM

1) You can try and take some media from the established tank's filter and put some in the new filter
2) if you have a sponge filter, you can put some of the established tank water in a bucket, then squeeze some of the gunk out of the filter into the bucket and soak the new filter's media into. Then tip some of the gunk into the new tank. (provided there is no fish in there) and then add some seachem stability and prime. Or use some other aerobic bacteria cultures such as Hagen's cycle or Aquarium Science's Eco-Start.

Personally I found Seachem's products and Aquarium Science's Eco-Start works well for me, other people might find it different. I guess it all depends on the size of the aquarium, the bioload, the water temperature and other factors.

#6 dazzabozza

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Posted 06 December 2008 - 03:39 PM

Some useful info here on the cycling process here - http://www.perthcich...showtopic=15412


Daz

#7 jack

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Posted 06 December 2008 - 06:35 PM

throw up some pictures of them electric blues if you bought them as that what they probably are. i havnt really seen any stigmatochromis modestus for sale but i have heard of them.

#8 pl6608

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Posted 07 December 2008 - 08:06 PM

Attached File  PC070307.JPG   461.06KB   41 downloadsAttached File  PC060282.JPG   361.38KB   40 downloads
QUOTE (jack @ Dec 6 2008, 06:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
throw up some pictures of them electric blues if you bought them as that what they probably are. i havnt really seen any stigmatochromis modestus for sale but i have heard of them.

to

OOPS unsure.gif should have looked at more photos of electric blues. Sorry about that! Here are the photos anyway. The photos on page 116 in Back to Nature Guide to Malawi Cichlids 2nd Edition were what I based my "EXPERT" opinion on tongue.gif HEHE. Approximately 10 cm tip to tip, the other electric blue is about 7cms and hasn't coloured at all.

Thank you for the cycling of tank link Daz.



#9 jack

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Posted 08 December 2008 - 08:42 AM

i have an EB male that looks just like that

bare in mind there are a lot of different colour and pattern morphs on this fish from different locations and eventually when they have been bred with the run of the mill EB you can get a bit of everything




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