Beginner setup

[Incredible319]

big tank.jpgleft.jpgright.jpg

Further to my previous post, attached are some pictures of my tank - without the clown loach etc. It is a 3 ft tank.

I am waiting for the tank to settle down for a couple more weeks more in case there are some issues with water quality.

Is such a tank fine for 2-3 cichlids or does it need to be planted much more?

I intend to go down to Aquaone (unless you have other shops to suggest) to check out some cichlids (just so that I can see the fish/setup etc) some time soon.

I notice that the water temp remains constantly at about 33 deg. Hopefully no issues for the fish.

I would appreciate any kind of feedback/input if any.

thanks a lot.

[EdwinTay]

hi bro Incredible319

Nice tank - clean. However, if you want to keep dwarf cichlids, I suggest that you put some long grass-like plants at one corner (away from the filter).

Also, test the ph level - should be around 6.5.

Watch the fishes you put in - generally mollies, swordtails, platies prefer alkaline water.

Your temperature is puzzling & of great concern. I believe it should be 28-30 deg. Higher temperature increases metabolism rate of fishes (i.e. makes them age faster) & also accelerates decay of food etc. Is your tank in the sun? If so, I recommend providing some shade. Some brothers are even more extreme - recommending a fan.

[Incredible319]

hey bro Edwin,

Thanks for the suggestions - both online and offline

Thanks for the feedback. Actually, my gf does the planting and stuff but we do the planning together..Yes, we intend to get some long grass plants..As seen, we have put some stocking on the filter to prevent the fish/other organisms from being swept in..

Over the weekend, we did the ph test and it was slightly alkaline - over 7 but it was to be expected because we added some kind of fertiliser/soil to the plants next to the filter..

About the fishes, that will be about about it as i only intend to put a couple of apistos in..

Yes, temperature is very puzzling to me - the tank even though in my living room is not in direct sunlight.. Actually, the water was 35 deg but we removed the fish tank cover to get some cooling in..Now the daily temp is about 33 deg..

I have checked the fiter and it does not seem to overheat..

As a last resort, the only thing i can think of is to put in a fan or change the light completely to LED types. At the moment, I am using two aquaone fluorescent tubes..(one T5 and one sunlight)

thks!

[vic_tan0911]

hi bro Incredible319

Nice tank - clean. However, if you want to keep dwarf cichlids, I suggest that you put some long grass-like plants at one corner (away from the filter).

Also, test the ph level - should be around 6.5.

Watch the fishes you put in - generally mollies, swordtails, platies prefer alkaline water.

Your temperature is puzzling & of great concern. I believe it should be 28-30 deg. Higher temperature increases metabolism rate of fishes (i.e. makes them age faster) & also accelerates decay of food etc. Is your tank in the sun? If so, I recommend providing some shade. Some brothers are even more extreme - recommending a fan.

bro EdwinTay so what is the temperature is good for apistogramma??
my temperature is 30c, its ok? will make them age faster??

[EdwinTay]

hi bro Vic_tan0911

according to the Romer book, temperature should be around 24-26c - because that's what it is in South America. The higher temperature "rule" with regards to ageing is true.

The funny thing is that I put all my apistos in my covered balcony (I did not measure but should be 1-2c lower that whatever is outside) & I have had successful spawning & my fish still show signs of mating. And, my Wilhelmi actually spawned even though I did not change water fo more than 1 month (unfortunately the fries were all eaten p).

[Incredible319]

tankupdate_1.jpgtankupdate_2.jpg

Short update. We got a few more plants today and an extra cave for the cichlids (by coincidence, the cave happens to be sold as a cichlid hideout).

Now just have to wait for the tank to settle for a couple more weeks.

Strangely, I bought a bunch of neon tetras last week and now, I am left with only one. They all seemed fine and eating well but I lost one almost everyday. I tested ph, nitrate, ammonia etc and everything is perfectly fine. So, to prevent any more mishap, i will wait for everything to be running smoothly.

On the other hand, my newly bought platies (purchased same day as neon tetras) are doing just fine..

Next step will be to move the corys and clown loaches in a couple of weeks or so..