Help I am a novice

[memryan]

I actually got a good SeaClear guy and we walked through the entire setup. Everything was correct except the carbon cup was hidden and thus empty. So when I went to get the Cycle I found a really fish knowledgeable pet guy and I paid him to come to my house at 11 last night. He fiddled around and tested the water, put the carbon in for me and amazingly said that the tank looks terrible but to leave it alone. He added a ton of good bacteria, a bit of salt to keep the cichlids happy and boost the ph a tiny bit and essentially said that this is in fact the cycling process well underway and NOT to disrupt it. He said I already have some good bacteria going (based on Nitrate levels I think he said?) and that even though it looks like hell, the levels are all safe for the fish. He suggested I change to a crisp food that is cleaner and tells "the kid" exactly how many crisps to feed based on measuring the inches of the fish. He suggested 1 chemical simply to make it look better while it is cycling (AccurelF) but warned it is only for aesthetics and to keep testing water. He said the tank could afford to lose a few members but that the fish looked healthy and some he agreed are spectacular. He suggested that out of the 40 gallons I change only 10 gallons in 7 days, and for another 2 weeks continue to add the good bacteria when I do the change. I had got a second pump but could only get a fluvel submersable one because of the shape of the tank. He told me not to bother with it and to let the filter do its thing as it was working properly. So this has been quite interesring. I didn't know the tank could look like hell and actually be doing what it is supposed to. I bet I have been emptying and screwing with the cyling process every time I have been cleaning it in a panic when it goes cloudy and yuck. So I am hoping this guy knows his stuff tho he sure seemed to and keeps some massive tanks himself.

He also mentioned that down the road...sand can be easier to keep than gravel if done right. Anyone? Also can anyone suggest a decent book for beginners that "the kid" and I can read bearing in mind that we have a cichlid tank and know essentially nothing?
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[memryan]

oh and he also removed 5 rocks from the tank which were actually rusting...how that was affecting things I don't know...

 

[deeda]

I'm glad you were able to get someone to help straighten out your filtration issues.

As far as a good book, no suggestions from me. I bought a couple early on but I get much more valuable info reading through the forum for any solutions to problems.

 

[kallmond]

Having 12 cichlids in a 40 gallon is right about the maximum. As they grow they're going to get a little more aggressive, and you could run into trouble.

One of the ways to solve this *without* over-feeding is to make sure they all have a little 'area" to call their own, or at least a good number of hidey-holes.

When I first started collecting cichlids, I went to Lowes and bought about a dozen clay pots and smashed them with a hammer. once broken, I laid them on their sides in the tank and created a big network of caves. Each fish had a 'cave' they call their own, and it has pretty much solved my aggression problems.

I've since replaced those clay pots with stone for a more natural look, but the nice thing about the pots was I could put the big opening near the glass and see into them really easily, while allowing the fish to come in the back (so from the fish perspective, their caves had a glass back wall)

They're fighting over territory so give them each a spot to hang their hat.

The next thing you'll have to worry about is them fighting over women.. And then baby fish.. Though baby fish (Fry) won't last long in that tank!