New Tank & Baby Green Terror!

[Kustrud]

Setup a 20 gallon tank with an AquaClear 50 and some decor my kids picked out lol. Aquaclear 50 for filtration and I use Seachem Prime and do weekly 30% water changes. Only two fish I have and plan on keeping are a baby 1.5” Green Terror and a 2” Colombian Spotted Placo. This tank is temporary and I’ll replace it with a 55 or 75 even. Tank is about 5-6 weeks in and just added the fish about a week ago. Couple of questions:

1. GT seems like a picky eater. He will eat Spirulina flakes but wants nothing to do with the NLS pellets. He’d sometimes grab em but spit them right out! He goes nuts over the flakes but I feel like they are just messier and main reason is the NLS pellets are just so much healthier/better balanced ingredients it seems. I let him go 2-3 days and he still wouldn’t eat them, but devours the flakes. Should I let him go longer?? Any other options for a healthier food for him?

2. Tank has been cycled, 30% changes weekly, and vac graveled when cycled. Prime every time water is changed. Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonia all where they should be. Temp 76, and PH 7.5. So water stays good as well. Tank still seems a little cloudy though and never crystal clear….should this come with time?

3. Here’s a couple pics of the fish. Will his color come in once he gets a little older?

Appreciate any and all advice!

 

[Midwater]

Nice freshwater fish in a saltwater themed tank.

 

[Deadeye]

Definitely go for the 75 - a male gt can cap at 10-12 inches and needs all the space it can get.
How large are the pellets? It may be having trouble at this size.
Colors will come in with age, but with the bright white gravel and bright lights, it will be trying to blend in with surroundings as best it can.
Filtration and water changes are your best friend for clean water and clarity.
What level are your params? Without numbers, one persons perfect is another persons unacceptable.

 

[Kustrud]

Nice freshwater fish in a saltwater themed tank.

As stated above, I let me 3 year old daughter pic the décor...appreciate the reply though..?

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

For keeping green terror cichlids, I would definitely recommend darker gravel. The darker gravel brings out the beautiful neon green spangles on the green terror. But anyways, green terrors are a nice fish to train your kids' patience. They grow super-duper slowly (though mine had an unexpected growth spurt recently at 4 inches).

 

[Kustrud]

Definitely go for the 75 - a male gt can cap at 10-12 inches and needs all the space it can get.
How large are the pellets? It may be having trouble at this size.
Colors will come in with age, but with the bright white gravel and bright lights, it will be trying to blend in with surroundings as best it can.
Filtration and water changes are your best friend for clean water and clarity.
What level are your params? Without numbers, one persons perfect is another persons unacceptable.

Thanks! Yes, leaning towards the larger for sure in a few months! Pellets are the 1mm so they're pretty small. I went on the large size for the filter, say's it's good for 20-50 gallon tanks so I was thinking it'd be great for 20. The water changes are done every Friday and my Nitrate, Nitrate, and Ammonia never show a reading more than 0 really (all the lowest color levels) on the API Master Test Kit. PH is 7.5, temp is kept at 76.

 

[Kustrud]

For keeping green terror cichlids, I would definitely recommend darker gravel. The darker gravel brings out the beautiful neon green spangles on the green terror. But anyways, green terrors are a nice fish to train your kids' patience. They grow super-duper slowly (though mine had an unexpected growth spurt recently at 4 inches).

Good to know, I'll try going to something dark! What's the easiest way to this? Would it be safe to save 25% of my water, replace the gravel, put everything back in and then 75% new water plus the 25% old water?

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

Good to know, I'll try going to something dark! What's the easiest way to this? Would it be safe to save 25% of my water, replace the gravel, put everything back in and then 75% new water plus the 25% old water?

To be honest I'm not sure, because I've never switched out my gravel before.

But when you change your gravel be conscious that you are disturbing the existing beneficial bacterial community (the ones that facilitate the nitrogen cycle), and you might have to re-cycle the tank again.

I remember how I removed the decor/fake plants of my 29 gallon once and it disrupted the entire system as the nitrate levels increased heavily and there was an algae bloom.

 

[Kustrud]

To be honest I'm not sure, because I've never switched out my gravel before.

But when you change your gravel be conscious that you are disturbing the existing beneficial bacterial community (the ones that facilitate the nitrogen cycle), and you might have to re-cycle the tank again.

I remember how I removed the decor/fake plants of my 29 gallon once and it disrupted the entire system as the nitrate levels increased heavily and there was an algae bloom.

Yeah I wondered that, I'll go darker for sure but probably wait a bit. Really wanting my water to clear up first.

 

[FINWIN]

Good to know, I'll try going to something dark! What's the easiest way to this? Would it be safe to save 25% of my water, replace the gravel, put everything back in and then 75% new water plus the 25% old water?

Just sprinkle dark gravel over what you have now.