Have a Problem!! Please any advice..

[LouieV]

I have been a BIG fan of SA cichlids since 9 and im 33 now.. back then there wasnt all this quarintine tanks and cycling such.. we purchased fish and off to the main tank they go! but I know times have changed and I go with the flow with practicing the right way to introduce fish's to the main tank but Lately all the fishes I have purchased have died in my quarintine tank!! last one was a Black Nasty 2.5" man I was pissed..cost me money, then i purchased a loiselle and that died.. now I check the water its all checks fine and then after the last massacare I did a total cleaning and filter changing then the other died.. please help..do I need a new tank?

 

[cichlidfish]

Is your tank fully cycled? I would test the water by getting a test kit at your local fish store. Never fully clean out your filter or tank. Bacteria need to establish themselves there, so they can break down waste. If you do clean out your filter, use the tank water, and no tap water w/ chlorine in it.
Those cichlids are CA btw.

 

[balton777]

It sounds like it might not be cycled. Take some of your biofilter media from your main tank's filter and put it in your Q-tank filter to seed it with beneficial bacteria (bb). That might help. Also, you have to keep a continuous source of amonia and nitrites being produced to keep the bb alive. If you go a while in between fish being in the Q-tank, they don't have a source of food. Then you have to start over and recycle or reseed or the new fish will die. Maybe you could keep a couple of little female convicts or something in it to keep it going continuously.

 

[LouieV]

yea that sound about right....I dont really keep anything in the Q tank only when I bring in a new member...But I'll do that then...I'll throw in some convicts to build up some bacteria...see if that works.....