I NEED GENERAL CICHLID'S KNOWLEDGE

[9winDuDown9]

I recently bought a 55 gal. fish tank, I got 4 fish all togehter,and one amphibien a frog. what I'm trying to say I don't know what kind a cichlid's they are I was told that one is an african and the bigger one that is all blue is one also they have the same chareteristic's as some of the fish you got on here. I just want to know the breed of the fish so I give better care etc. I got another fish out of the four that I have know idea what it is, he kept on calling a "pufferfish"? and the fourth one I don't really care all I know is he eat's feasis off the side of the tank... I put my albino frog in their to? and added salt it say's malawi/victoria buffer to the tank because the man said that is what those kinda fish need. I hope that I'm not killing them I have followed all measuring instruction's for salt and food instruction's as well. I feed them those hard pellet's an freeze dreied shrimp, the tank has been cleaned with no chemical's I have two powerhead's in there and two filter machien's, undergravel filter and a water heater that's set at 86 degree's and say's that temp on temperture strip on the side of the tank as well. The cichlid's tend to rub up on the lava rock that is in there, I imagined that lava rock naturally does that to fish although he had anti itch medicen? for gravel I have sea shell's and that pretty much explain's every thing. Thank's

[Lisachromis]

This is easy.

The top fish is a puffer fish (probably green spotted puffer - Tetraodon nigroviridis)
The middle fish looks to be an Aulonocara sp. (peacock)
The bottom fish is a Sciaenochromis fryeri. (electric blue cichlid)

I'll assume the fish that eats off the sides of the tank is a pleco. Do a search on that and see if that's the fish you have.

What is your local water like? If it's good enough, you won't need to add the "malawi/victoria" buffer. (pH, hardness, etc)

Your temperature however, is a bit too high for these guys. Bring the temperature slowly over a few days down to around 76-78F. 86 is only needed for disease treatment or for discus fish.

Let us know if you can test the water for nitrite, nitrate or ammonia. It may be that your levels are high and that could explain the flashing you are seeing.

[Hudson Ensz]

you have a good tank going
One thing i would suggest is taking out the undergravel filter asap, because all the waste just collects, rots and you cant get it out with out ripping the entire UGF plates its like a layer of waste to pollute your tank. I had one that after a month was so full of junk i couldnt see fish an inch away from the glass, so much for water clarity. i think it looks better to use natural sand or very fine gravel but it doesnt matter much.
Also very important is doing water changes with a siphon or clean hose.
Dont buy any more fish until you do a lot of research on the species and if it is compatable with your current residence it looks like youl have to go with mbuna but i have never kept ny mbuna so i cant help you their.
good luck and keep us posted!

[Mike Wise]

Properly maintained tanks with undergravel filters work very well. It is important that the tank be cleaned with a gravel cleaner/siphon, however. For cichlids that like to dig (like yours probably do) an undergravel filter is not the best system. When the fish remove the gravel from places on the plate, it does not work efficiently at all.

[Hudson Ensz]

very sorry for the misinformation just my personal experience

[Lisachromis]

It's not necessarily misinformation. It's your experience. Personally, I also don't like undergravels for the reasons you mentioned.

[Mike Wise]

I do not like undergravel filter either. But I must say that I had a community tank in my living room with an undergravel filter. It was the only filter on the tank. I gravel cleaned this tank every week or 2 along with its water change. It operated just fine for over 20 years without being broken down. It would still be working now if the tank had not leaked. I guess those old Metaframe brand all-glass tanks didn't use the best silicone sealent. I also have an original early 70s model All Glass brand aquarium that still holds water well, but the separate parts of the bottom frame have come loose. Oh well, I guess nothing lasts forever.

[9winDuDown9]

you have a good tank going
One thing i would suggest is taking out the undergravel filter asap, because all the waste just collects, rots and you cant get it out with out ripping the entire UGF plates its like a layer of waste to pollute your tank. I had one that after a month was so full of junk i couldnt see fish an inch away from the glass, so much for water clarity. i think it looks better to use natural sand or very fine gravel but it doesnt matter much.
Also very important is doing water changes with a siphon or clean hose.
Dont buy any more fish until you do a lot of research on the species and if it is compatable with your current residence it looks like youl have to go with mbuna but i have never kept ny mbuna so i cant help you their.
good luck and keep us posted!

Yea I don't know how to use this site to repy next to your name so I try quote... Well all the fish most of them died in a water change cause, What happen is my siphon didn't have it's hook up to the sink so I usually let the water go in the toilet and fill hot water buckets but I can't take 55x5 buckets of water upstairs couldn't up stairs cause I was between residencies and one of my oscars got a terrible parisite that was just eating her away, When I was gone my grandma through all kinds of fish flakes in the water and polluted the shit out of the water. BIG MESS? Now I have had a stable tank for a year with jack demsey that are very healthy and spoiled along with victoria zebras and I know a whole lot more about water testing etc. I feel bad about all the fish I lost but I guess that happens when you have very little exp.

[9winDuDown9]

I do not like undergravel filter either. But I must say that I had a community tank in my living room with an undergravel filter. It was the only filter on the tank. I gravel cleaned this tank every week or 2 along with its water change. It operated just fine for over 20 years without being broken down. It would still be working now if the tank had not leaked. I guess those old Metaframe brand all-glass tanks didn't use the best silicone sealent. I also have an original early 70s model All Glass brand aquarium that still holds water well, but the separate parts of the bottom frame have come loose. Oh well, I guess nothing lasts forever.

I had a bad mess with those fish my grandma killed them all why I was swithching houses. I now have a stable tank and know more. Look out for my posting jack demsey's cause I may need some experience from a guy like you use full. Thanks for your reply

[9winDuDown9]

I do not like undergravel filter either. But I must say that I had a community tank in my living room with an undergravel filter. It was the only filter on the tank. I gravel cleaned this tank every week or 2 along with its water change. It operated just fine for over 20 years without being broken down. It would still be working now if the tank had not leaked. I guess those old Metaframe brand all-glass tanks didn't use the best silicone sealent. I also have an original early 70s model All Glass brand aquarium that still holds water well, but the separate parts of the bottom frame have come loose. Oh well, I guess nothing lasts forever.

Yea there junk for ciclids or any fish for that mater maybe if you had some river rocks may they be usefull cause of size and all.

[9winDuDown9]

This is easy.

The top fish is a puffer fish (probably green spotted puffer - Tetraodon nigroviridis)
The middle fish looks to be an Aulonocara sp. (peacock)
The bottom fish is a Sciaenochromis fryeri. (electric blue cichlid)

I'll assume the fish that eats off the sides of the tank is a pleco. Do a search on that and see if that's the fish you have.

What is your local water like? If it's good enough, you won't need to add the "malawi/victoria" buffer. (pH, hardness, etc)

Your temperature however, is a bit too high for these guys. Bring the temperature slowly over a few days down to around 76-78F. 86 is only needed for disease treatment or for discus fish.

Let us know if you can test the water for nitrite, nitrate or ammonia. It may be that your levels are high and that could explain the flashing you are seeing.

I no longer have those fish but here in lakewood I might still be having the problem the still move up on the rocks and they have this line that goes from there gills down to their tail its on all my big fish this lady told me salinty and st that time I didn't have salt in my tank now know that a little salt can help not to much though. Keep me posted and also look out for my next posting 2 Jack Demsey's

[Lisachromis]

I no longer have those fish but here in lakewood I might still be having the problem the still move up on the rocks and they have this line that goes from there gills down to their tail its on all my big fish this lady told me salinty and st that time I didn't have salt in my tank now know that a little salt can help not to much though. Keep me posted and also look out for my next posting 2 Jack Demsey's

Just so you know, that line you see on the side of their bodies is called the lateral line.
As to adding salt, generally speaking, most freshwater fish do not need this in their water.

[LewC]

Hey 9's, do you live in Lakewood, Ohio? If so, you should join the Ohio Cichlid Association! If you go to our social meetings in Middleburg Heights (you don't have to be a member to attend), you'd meet a lot of Cichlid keepers who would be happy to share their experiences and knowledge. You'd also have access to a lot of cool fish at great prices.

Here's a link to our website:

http://www.ohiocichlid.com

If you have any questions, give me a call. After 4:00 is best on weekdays.

419-681-1628

Lew

[9winDuDown9]

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[Mike Wise]

The Denver area has 2 good, active aquarium clubs:

Rocky Mountain Cichlid Association (cichlids): meets in Englewood http://www.rmcichlid.org and
Colorado Aquarium Society (general): meets in Wheatridge http://www.coloradoaquarium.org

Both have experience fish keepers who are more than willing to help new hobbyists.