Tips to Help New Aquarists at Oakes or Anywhere

[Chuck Pollet]

We have several new club members at the school, and I thought we could really use a thread to discuss some of the basics of keeping Chiclids. Even some of the more knowledgeable members at the school now are asking a few questions to where I realize we may have never covered some of the beginner basics. They may have figured out a way to do something, but maybe it doesn't have to be so difficult, or there was some misinformation out there. So I will post a few things as I am able to just get to some of the basics. I have been keeping cichlids now for 17 years and find that I still enjoy learning new things every time we have a knowledgeable guest. It is a common saying in education that the best teachers are life long learners. So while I have helped give cichlid advice on other forums across the internet for years, as I proceed to put out some information, I am also looking forward to input from the RMCA members that still make me look like I just started yesterday. So here we go…

[Chuck Pollet]

Ok, so starting at the very beginning… There are vastly different approaches to keeping cichlids. I would recommend first deciding what makes you fulfilled in the hobby. Would you be most interested in having lots of color and motion in your aquarium? Are you more interested in show specimens or in breeding? The basic equipment of your tank will vary depending on what you choose. Perhaps you have a different purpose for each tank and may like a variety.

Any type of set up is going to require water changes. The typical recommendation that I hear of is usually a 30% water change monthly. What is 30%? Well if you take the water down 1/3 of the way, you are close enough. I have heard Bob say many times that you will get to know your fish after a bit. Some will love the water changes and show great color and activity even during the water change, and it can be a treat to see. Some will actually act badly, look badly, and perhaps even die from a simple water change. Generally, very generally, most of my cichlids seem to love water changes and can handle them just fine. Some Tanganyikans tend to be the more sensitive ones that I have run across. Sometimes I will do frequent small water changes as I make changes to my tanks or work on them, but sometimes I won’t do one for months, and then I will do a 80% change. Again, I would not attempt that with a more sensitive variety though.

[Chuck Pollet]

Any aquarium you set up for cichlids should usually have the three basic types of filtration. The three types I am referring to are biological, mechanical, and chemical. I am going to cover biological first.

Biological filtration refers to the nitrogen cycle and basically is concerned with changing harmful waste products in your water to less and less harmful ones. This allows you some time between water changes. You still need to eventually remove wastes from the water by replacing it, but instead of constantly changing the water every day, we can use filters to buffer the process to a realistic time frame.

[Chuck Pollet]

For show tanks I would recommend a siphon based filter, back filter, sand filter, or under gravel filter. The siphon based filter keeps most of the perhaps unsightly parts usually under your tank. The water is siphoned out of the tank and then goes through some sort of media that supports the nitrifying bacteria that will process the waste matter. These filters are all usually fairly expensive. They could be various canister filters like Magnum or Fluval, or consist of some type of tank where the water drips through bio balls or some sort of porous material designed to support the bacteria. These I have usually heard called trickle filters because the water will trickle through the media where the bacteria live and then be pumped back into the tank. Think of nature’s devices where water trickles through a march of reeds or grasses, or a waterfall of rocks that oxygenates the water and provides the environment for the beneficial bacteria.

[Chuck Pollet]

Back filters are actually my preference. I like how the filters tend to agitate the surface of the water to allow for better oxygen exchange. I also like how you can find all three types of filtration in one unit. As far as the biological bed goes though, it does not seem to have the capacity of the other options. I usually don’t have any trouble running a tank with just a back filter, but it makes me nervous, so I typically will have redundant filters. This is a good idea anyway with cichlid tanks because of the overcrowding that is frequently done to reduce aggression. Impeller based units can also go bad when a stray snail shell or grain of sand gets in there and it suddenly stops working. I have run into a few that leak too, so be careful to check when you initially set it up.

[Chuck Pollet]

For some reason I can’t think of the name sand filters usually go by at the moment, but they consist of a constantly churning tube of sand that is usually behind the tank. You can really see the sludge get chewed to pieces and it can be fascinating to watch. Apparently this is similar to a swimming pool filter, but I have never seen one of those. The idea is that the bacteria will live in the churning sand just as it would in a constantly shifting beach. I ran one for a few years and really liked it. It took me a long time to get the flow rate just right though. Too much will blast the sand easily right out of the filter, and too little will not create the right type of churning that you want in the sand.

[Chuck Pollet]

Sometimes the easiest option is to use what the tank comes with and many of them initially come with an under gravel filter. Many people happen to like the look of a thick gravel base, and the under gravel filter is really a must for that. If you don’t have water going through the gravel, you just want enough to barely cover the bottom glass. You don’t want pockets of stagnant sludge to create a toxic pit. Some consider the under gravel a somewhat outdated form of filtration though, especially with an air pump instead of power heads. If you use an air pump, you should be checking to make sure it doesn’t loose air pressure over time as the air bladders can wear out. The air stones that diffuse the bubbles should also be checked frequently as they will eventually become clogged. Cichlids also can dig pits that will really limit the effectiveness of the filter, but that can be minimized with heavier or larger pieces of gravel that they have trouble moving.

[Corey Theis]

Lets not forget a sponge or box filter. I just switch my fish room to they strictly for the electrical bill. Sponge filter are great way for a biological and mechanical filtration and the box filter are great for all three depending on what filter media you put in them. I put some filter floes (mechanical) carbon (chemical) and some matrix (biological) which really isn’t needed but makes me fell better. Both sponge and box filter will do well off a little air pump. The downfall is that they take up presses real estate in your tank and look bad in a show tank.

[Chuck Pollet]

You know... It was late and for some reason I was going crazy trying to get all that out. ha ha. Yeah, I meant to cover show tanks first and then get into breeder tanks. I think Sponge filters or box filters are very effective for that purpose, but perhaps don't look that great. You can hide them behind a rock or something though. For a breeder style tank, it really is the easiest and most relighable. Just ran out of typing steam before I got there... ha ha

[Chuck Vasquez]

for some of the club members i think there just wanna go for the cheapest kind of equipment that will work, some of us are on a budget.