6 Questions from Newbie; Please Help!

[pistonville]

1. ARE WATER CHANGES NEEDED EVEN WITH GREAT TEST RESULTS?

I'm running a Fluval FX6 on a 125 gallon tank with a total of 8 small cichlids in it (see signature). I have had the tank setup with fish for about 2 months and my water tests are all coming back pretty good. My most recent water test results was:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrate - 5
Nitrite - 0

Do I need to do a water change if my water tests all come back good? I had been doing it every two weeks, but I'm wondering if I need to with the tests results I have. Thoughts?

2. IS MY PLECO EATING?

I have a 2" pleco in my tank. My tank and water look pretty good, with little algae. I drop algae wafers into the tank every few days but never see my pleco eat them. I've had him for about a month and he seems fine. Even if I do not see him eat...is he eating? Does he eat more than algae? Does he eat left over food my other fish may not eat?

3. WHAT HAPPENS TO LEFT OVER FOOD?

What happens to the food that my 8 cichlids (see signature) don't eat right away. When I feed them pellets and flakes, some sinks to the bottom. Do they scavenger for it later and eat it? Does my pleco eat it? My ammonia and other water levels are really good, so I assume I'm not over feeding them or they eat it at some point. Thoughts?

5. COVICT CICHLID NO LONGER A BULLY, NOW TIMID

I have 8 cichlids in a 125 gallon tank (see signature). All the fish are pretty small as I've only had the tank a couple months. My convict cichlid was the first (and only) fish so far to be aggression to the other fish. He even nipped at the larger Oscar. All of a sudden, he went from being the only bully in the tank to being timid and hiding much of the time. I never saw another fish fight back, so I'm not sure what happened. Does this sound normal?

6. ANGLE FISH...FIGHTING?

I added two Angle Fish to my 125 gallon cichlid tank. I know this probably wasn't the best idea because they may end up being killed when all the fish get bigger. When I brought the two of them the pet store told me they needed to be pairs so they would watch each other backs and bond. As it turns out, they do not swim together as much as I thought they would AND...one even nips at the other one. My cichlids have not started going after them, but they go after each other. Does this sound normal?

Thanks so much for any help!

 

[ehh]

You need to remove those angel fish before they're stressed to death.

 

[Azedenkae]

1.) Probably yes. I didn't change water in my previous tank too, but the thing you gotta remember is that ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is just one of the parameters that can be measured. There are many that can't. Water changes ensure those that can't be measured don't go out of whack.

2.) Probably, if he seems healthy. One reason why your tank may be devoid of algae in the first place could be because the pleco is eating it all up before you can really notice it. Possibly.

3.) If it is gone within a short timeframe, something ate the food.

4.) ???

5.) something spazzed and fought back and won. Now it is scared for its life. Most likely.

6.) Could be two of the same sex.

 

[ehh]

To adress your first question and the response to the first question from asedenkae...
From your current readings, you don't need to do a water change now. But the nitrates will increase. And they always will. The purpose of water changes is mainly to keep nitrates low. So, today you don't need to do a water change but sooner than later you will. Most people do 30-50% weekly or something in that ball park. You may not need to because your tank is so lightly stocked... For now. Once those fish start to put size on you'll see the nitrates skyrocket all the time.

 

[fisheatfish]

1. Yes, water changes are necessary. You flush the toilet when you do your business right? Fish waste & uneaten food have to be removed somehow.
2. Pleco's probably eating fine. Check its belly...if flattened, it's not getting enough. It'll scavenge for uneaten food, algae off the glass & scavenge for uneaten food.
3. I'm assuming you have some kind of substrate in your tank...uneaten food will be embedded within the the gravel like fish waste. They'll need to be siphoned out.
4. Trick question right?
5. Not sure what could've happened. Other fish might have retaliated from its bullying behavior. When you have new fishes, some may take longer to get comfortable to its new surroundings but when they do, they'll establish a pecking order.
6. I feel those angels are not a good combination with your other cichlids...esp with the oscars. Normal for them to become territorial and attempt to defend their area.

Not an expert...just from experience. Hope this helps.

 

[skjl47]

3. WHAT HAPPENS TO LEFT OVER FOOD?

What happens to the food that my 8 cichlids (see signature) don't eat right away. When I feed them pellets and flakes, some sinks to the bottom. Do they scavenger for it later and eat it? Does my pleco eat it? My ammonia and other water levels are really good, so I assume I'm not over feeding them or they eat it at some point. Thoughts?

Hello; Fish can and do seek out the excess food. Some are better than others at this. Catfish such as the corydoras and the kuhli loaches will primarly feed this way and are good at it. The cichlids you have I do not consider to be very good at this. I think of them as messy eaters.

Plecos I am familiar with go more for vegitation based foods.

My take is that yes you can have the water parameters be ok and still be overfeeding. The small bits of uneaten food will decay in time. One of the more common issues with those new to the hobby is some form of overfeeding. I did this the first couple of decades. Fish, other than fry, do not "need" to be fed every day. I went to fasting days a few decades ago with good results for noth the fish and the water quality of my tanks. I was also somewhat lucky in that from early on I liked to have both live plants and snails in most of my tanks. The snails are very good at finding the extra food. The live plants take up some of the nitrates.

ARE WATER CHANGES NEEDED EVEN WITH GREAT TEST RESULTS?

Hello; As mentioned there are other things going on in a tank not covered by our current testing. Consider the issue of evaporation for one. Whatever dissolved minerals and salts that are in your source water will be concentrated over time if a tank is topped off. I like to do a water change for both replacing evaporated water and for diluting whatever may be building up in the tank.

Another benefit of a water change comes when a siphon tube is used to vacuum the substrate. I use the type with a large tube that necks down into a much smaller tube. I stick it into the gravel and pull up a lot of the detritus/mulm/uneaten food/solid waste at the same time as doing a water change.

In the end we each get to run our tanks any way we want. Water parameters as indicator for water change is your call.

Good luck

 

[skjl47]

Catfish such as the corydoras and the kuhli loaches will primarly feed this way and are good at it

Hello; After looking at your stocking list these two fish are not a good match. They are too small. At some point they will be snacks for the Oscar. Might be bad for the Oscar to try to swallow a cory as it will extend it's spiny fins and may lodge in the throat. The kuhlis have small spines too, but likely not as effective. Snails might be a good scavenger choice.

 

[duanes]

Water changes not only remove bad stuff, they also replace good things that are are used up by normal fish metabolism, and needed in a healthy system.
Water changes also remove built up hormones and pheromones which can hinder fish growth, and health. (fisheatfish, used a great bathroom example)
Depending on your source water, new water helps replace buffers, like calcium which keep the alkalinity in a normal range, and keep pH from dropping.
Freshwater fish are constantly urinating, producing acid, which is removed with water changes, used by beneficial bacteria, and neutralized by new water that contains buffers (alkalinity).
Plecos are often nocturnal feeders, so while you are sleeping it is eating.
I also agree with the others about some of the problems in the stock list.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; It seems that you have repeated the very same questions in at least two other different threads. Not sure what this tactic does to help. Will make it hard for those of us who wish to help you in terms of keeping track of what has already been posted.