Cichlid Tank Cycling

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

justin85

AC Members
Jun 30, 2012
30
0
0
39
Birmingham,uk
Hey all.
So my tank's be cycing for a week now and I wanted to run the results by you guy's so you could give me some advice. I will be stocking Pseudotropheus Saulosi only in this tank.

Week 1


Is the PH, GH and KH around the right area ?





 

Manafel

AC Members
Oct 10, 2011
573
1
0
Tulsa, OK
Real Name
Kayla
Looking good, your ammonia rose, and now the ammonia is dropping, and the nitrites rising, and the appearance of nitrates. I would say your about halfway done :)

Sent from my PC36100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

justin85

AC Members
Jun 30, 2012
30
0
0
39
Birmingham,uk
I was expecting it to take longer to even get a nitrate reading so i was happy to see if after 1 week. Do you think my PH,KH and GH are ok ? this is my first time keeping cichlids
 

Manafel

AC Members
Oct 10, 2011
573
1
0
Tulsa, OK
Real Name
Kayla
Well for african cichlids you want a high pH(around 8 is in the good range) but as long as you aren't buying WC, it shouldnt be a big problem, your pH is high enough. IMO the harder the water, the better because if the water is hard, then you won't have as much pH swings, the softer you go, the more you have to worry about it.
 

justin85

AC Members
Jun 30, 2012
30
0
0
39
Birmingham,uk
Well for african cichlids you want a high pH(around 8 is in the good range) but as long as you aren't buying WC, it shouldnt be a big problem, your pH is high enough. IMO the harder the water, the better because if the water is hard, then you won't have as much pH swings, the softer you go, the more you have to worry about it.
I'll be keeping Pseudotropheus Saulosi as iv been advised due to my tank size.
 

Jannika

MTS Survivor
Mar 17, 2010
1,498
0
36
N. California
Hi Justin
Your cycle is coming along. It's kind of hard to read, but it looks like your Gh (60) and KH (70) (mg/l?) are way too low for Malawi cichlids. You'll need to raise the hardness, alkalinity and pH with a Malawi salt mix or make your own with the following:

Rift Lake salt mix, per 5 US gallons

1 teaspoon marine salt mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon Epsom salt
 

justin85

AC Members
Jun 30, 2012
30
0
0
39
Birmingham,uk
Hi Justin
Your cycle is coming along. It's kind of hard to read, but it looks like your Gh (60) and KH (70) (mg/l?) are way too low for Malawi cichlids. You'll need to raise the hardness, alkalinity and pH with a Malawi salt mix or make your own with the following:

Rift Lake salt mix, per 5 US gallons

1 teaspoon marine salt mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon Epsom salt
Thanks for your reply Jannika, I just dosed the ammonia back up to 4ppm, and decied to test my GH + KH again because i added crushed coral to one of the filters, The results were GH=80 KH=70. I will be adding another bag of crushed coral to the second filter, just waiting for my new media bags to come. Hopefully that will help bring up the ph, I will probably buy a malawi salt mix if it's not to expensive.

Thanks for the advice
 

justin85

AC Members
Jun 30, 2012
30
0
0
39
Birmingham,uk
Can any one recommend a malawi salt mix i could purchase ?
 

justin85

AC Members
Jun 30, 2012
30
0
0
39
Birmingham,uk
I need to run the last 2 days of results passed you guys as something has happened I was not expecting.




Ok, so as you can see i dosed the ammonia back up to 4ppm yesterday, and it has already gone back down to 0, wasn't expecting that, the other levels are sky high so I am guessing I should carry on dosing untill nitrite drop's, but should I do a water change to bring down the nirtrates ?
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store