Hello I need advise on my new cichlid tank.I have been trying to cycle this 130 gallon tank since the beginning of November. My filter is a Eheim 2217, and has been running from the beginning. I started with three electric yellow to begin the cycle after getting some info on line. The guy said I could do a silent cycle and because of the water volume I would probably get no ammonia readings at all, and in time my tank would cycle. Over some time (6 weeks or so) I began to get nitrite readings, very happy. And after some time they also had gone to zero readings. I thought I was done.
I went to a cichlid breeder here in Quebec, and purchashed 10 great looking fish. 6 Aulonacara 2 1/2 inches, 1 blue moori 4 inches, 1 limbido 2 1/2 inces, 1 Red Empress 2 1/2 inches, and a blue electra 2 1/2 inches all male. Got them home dripped tank water on them for 45 min or so, and put them in. They were all acting normal for the first day or so, then I noticed that they were all hanging at the bottom swimming in place. When I tested for ammonia there were small traces. Some of the fish(blue moori, and some others) were flashing in the sand now and then. Not knowing what to do, I pulled them all out and put them in a 40 gallon tank which houses 1 medium sized angelfish and is well established. This was Christmas day. On Christmas day I also treated myself to a new fluval fx5 and set it up with good media and has been running in the 130 gallon with the 2217 ever since. I started to add pure ammonia to the tank and getting readings of 3 ppm to 4 ppm and starded a fishless cycle. After the first couple of weeks in January I was able to convert 3 ppm of ammonia to nitrate in less than 24 hours. So I did a large water change (60 per) to drop the nitrates down. This brought them down to 50 so I did another smaller water change (30 per) which brought the nitrate levels to under 20. Meanwhile the cichlids are living in this 40 gallon gravel bottom tank and loving it! They were showing of their colors, swimming and playing like mad. They look fantastic.
All this time I have been using Prime conditioner for water changes and the like. I have now put all the fish into the big tank, and just like before they were fine for the first day and now day two they are swimming in place alot at the bottom, flashing has also started (maybe because of the sand?). The good thing is that they are all eatting well. They have all paled in color and I am really worried now. Has my tank cycle stalled?
Is it because of the water changes and the Prime conditioner? I just did a ammonia test and got 0.25 ammonia traces I read that this might be because of Prime in the water and getting false positive readings? Should I move the fish again? Should I add more prime? Should I just leave it and wait? Any help would be gr8 Thx ( sorry for the long post)
I went to a cichlid breeder here in Quebec, and purchashed 10 great looking fish. 6 Aulonacara 2 1/2 inches, 1 blue moori 4 inches, 1 limbido 2 1/2 inces, 1 Red Empress 2 1/2 inches, and a blue electra 2 1/2 inches all male. Got them home dripped tank water on them for 45 min or so, and put them in. They were all acting normal for the first day or so, then I noticed that they were all hanging at the bottom swimming in place. When I tested for ammonia there were small traces. Some of the fish(blue moori, and some others) were flashing in the sand now and then. Not knowing what to do, I pulled them all out and put them in a 40 gallon tank which houses 1 medium sized angelfish and is well established. This was Christmas day. On Christmas day I also treated myself to a new fluval fx5 and set it up with good media and has been running in the 130 gallon with the 2217 ever since. I started to add pure ammonia to the tank and getting readings of 3 ppm to 4 ppm and starded a fishless cycle. After the first couple of weeks in January I was able to convert 3 ppm of ammonia to nitrate in less than 24 hours. So I did a large water change (60 per) to drop the nitrates down. This brought them down to 50 so I did another smaller water change (30 per) which brought the nitrate levels to under 20. Meanwhile the cichlids are living in this 40 gallon gravel bottom tank and loving it! They were showing of their colors, swimming and playing like mad. They look fantastic.
All this time I have been using Prime conditioner for water changes and the like. I have now put all the fish into the big tank, and just like before they were fine for the first day and now day two they are swimming in place alot at the bottom, flashing has also started (maybe because of the sand?). The good thing is that they are all eatting well. They have all paled in color and I am really worried now. Has my tank cycle stalled?
Is it because of the water changes and the Prime conditioner? I just did a ammonia test and got 0.25 ammonia traces I read that this might be because of Prime in the water and getting false positive readings? Should I move the fish again? Should I add more prime? Should I just leave it and wait? Any help would be gr8 Thx ( sorry for the long post)
