My African Cichlid Tank Troubles...

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

What happened is you killed off all your beneficial bacteria when you cleaned your filter. A big no-no! Your tank has been thrown into another cycle like when you first started up your tank. The only thing to do is wait it out.... or add a filter sponge from an established tank and DONT CLEAN IT!

Its the most common mistake that new fishkeepers make... and I admit I did it a few times too before figuring it out.

When your filter sponge becomes all gunky then you just squeeze it out into a bucket of OLD TANK WATER, stuff you just removed when doing the water change. If you clean the filter sponge in chlorinated water then you kill off all the good bacteria that breaks down the fish waste.

Ask your LFS if you can borrow a stocking full of gravel or a filter sponge or something with established bacteria on it... that way it will help shorten the cycle and reduce the shock on your fish from ammonia/nitrite poisening.


HTH
-Diana

 

[PumaWard]

PumaWard: glad to see you back.

Thanks


blueprint, I am going to have to assume that your ammonia (and, possibly nitrite) is high. If you want to keep your fish alive, follow LuvMyKribs' advice and be doing daily water changes, although I'd bump it up to as high as %50-%60. If you don't have test kits for ammonia and nitrite, you can take a water sample to your LFS and they will most likely test it for you. If you do that, make sure that you get the *exact* numbers as LFS's sometimes like to say "it's fine."

 

[wataugachicken]

this happened to someone else recently. . is it possible that your power went out while you were asleep and came back on before you woke up? i don't know if it would cause big problems like you seem to have, but it could be something to check.

 

[yellowlab]

this happened to someone else recently. . is it possible that your power went out while you were asleep and came back on before you woke up? i don't know if it would cause big problems like you seem to have, but it could be something to check.

Not likely that would have such an effect as he describes

 

[theblueprint]

I emptied about 80% of the water last night....I didnt add any chemicals...just salt for my sick fish....thats about it

 

[NatakuTseng]

And still you have given us nothing we have asked you too..... next time don't bother asking for advice if your just gonna do whatever anyway.

 

[theblueprint]

And still you have given us nothing we have asked you too..... next time don't bother asking for advice if your just gonna do whatever anyway.

:rant2: DRY UP.....OR ACT YOUR AGE...ONE OR THE OTHER...

 

[kayla]

theblue..
People can sit here all day and spit out possibilities and maybes but without test results it's really hard to say what the problem may be. Do you have a test kit that you could just quickly do some tests and let us know? It would be more helpful and less work for you in the long run. :thm:

 

[NatakuTseng]

Look man you ask for help, then ignore it. You won't give us any tools we need to help you and then you get pissed off cause someone points out that your just doing things your own way anyhow. As I stated, if your gonna do that, next time don't bother asking for help if your not willing to listen.

 

[theblueprint]

Look man you ask for help, then ignore it. You won't give us any tools we need to help you and then you get pissed off cause someone points out that your just doing things your own way anyhow. As I stated, if your gonna do that, next time don't bother asking for help if your not willing to listen.

OK FROM NOW ON...YOU *POINTS FINGER* STAY OUT OF MY THREADS...THANKS!