Yeah... Over there they talk brands like Penguin, Eheim and Dolphin... over here we jus say "i hav a top filter/ hob filter/ canister/ sump.."
RTC UPDATE FROM PHILIPPINES
- Thread starter Fish_Admirer17
- Start date
Fish_Admirer17;4097622; said:
The GG can breath off the top no matter how deep the water is, the RTC may not need deep water to swim but that was not my point...it needs VOLUME to dilute the waste....listen to the advice and fill it up....then get a bigger tank ASAP.
You need Ammonia to be reading zero, the more water you have the easier it will be to acheive...if you fish goes to the toilet in a swimming pool nobody would notice, if it does it in a glass of water then this is a different matter!
As for the nitrate and nitrite tests, you should have them with these fish as I still struggle to keep the nitrates down in my tank. These guys are amazing at eating and thus pooping, so water quality can crash really fast.
To give you an idea on what it takes for filtration on these guys, I have a 600 gallon tank with an above ground pool filtration system (insane, but awesome filtration). Think you've gone way over what you could ever need, then it might just about be okay.
With my well cycled tank, I need to do a 50% water change once a week. I make the water I use, so the pH, temperature and hardness match the water in the tank. If you have soft water, your pH may swing wildly causing the fish to go into shock. Same goes for the temperature and hardness. The biofiltration process causes the pH to drop, so the water you are putting in will not maintain the pH. The softer the water or the greater the bioload, the faster the pH will drop.
Right now you need to be doing daily water changes to get that ammonia down to zero. Is the tank new?
I ask the following truthfully for the sake of the fish, and not to pester or offend you. I see that you are aware of their eventual size, but just I want to make sure that you are also aware that the 120 will not hold the fish for even a year. My cats in a 180 gallon were desperate to be upgraded after a little less than a year, and keeping the water quality good was horrible until I got them moved. Also, the quantities of food these guys consume in incredible, and feeding them is expensive. Housing, food, medication, electricity, water,etc.... these were all things we had to build into our budget when we were looking at buying a house. Just a heads up on the reality of owning these guys.
My big cats are repeat offenders on snacking on tankmates, even if there is no physical way to get them down the hatch. They have just stuffed the other fish's head in its mouth, suffocated the fish and then spit them out after hours of trying. Some are worse than others. I don't feed live, but the instinct is still very much there.
To give you an idea on what it takes for filtration on these guys, I have a 600 gallon tank with an above ground pool filtration system (insane, but awesome filtration). Think you've gone way over what you could ever need, then it might just about be okay.
With my well cycled tank, I need to do a 50% water change once a week. I make the water I use, so the pH, temperature and hardness match the water in the tank. If you have soft water, your pH may swing wildly causing the fish to go into shock. Same goes for the temperature and hardness. The biofiltration process causes the pH to drop, so the water you are putting in will not maintain the pH. The softer the water or the greater the bioload, the faster the pH will drop.
Right now you need to be doing daily water changes to get that ammonia down to zero. Is the tank new?
I ask the following truthfully for the sake of the fish, and not to pester or offend you. I see that you are aware of their eventual size, but just I want to make sure that you are also aware that the 120 will not hold the fish for even a year. My cats in a 180 gallon were desperate to be upgraded after a little less than a year, and keeping the water quality good was horrible until I got them moved. Also, the quantities of food these guys consume in incredible, and feeding them is expensive. Housing, food, medication, electricity, water,etc.... these were all things we had to build into our budget when we were looking at buying a house. Just a heads up on the reality of owning these guys.
My big cats are repeat offenders on snacking on tankmates, even if there is no physical way to get them down the hatch. They have just stuffed the other fish's head in its mouth, suffocated the fish and then spit them out after hours of trying. Some are worse than others. I don't feed live, but the instinct is still very much there.
oh ok man..we have a small pool so maybe he will go there once he outgrows the 125..my ammonia is zero right now but even if it is does that mean tat there is a chance of the nitrates and nitrites not being zero?and when he gets big doesn't he only need to eat once a week?please correct me if i'm wrong..THANKS FOR YOUR ADVICE!!
Fish_Admirer17;4127816; said:
Glad to hear the ammonia is under control. Almost certainly you have some nitrates and possibly some nitrites (You'll always have some level of nitrates). Make sure you are fully familiar with this cycle, as it is the key to keeping your fishies happy and healthy, as well as giving you peace of mind that you're not guilty of poisoning your fish.
You can feed weekly when they are larger, but I find that smaller meals frequently is the best. I generally feed 5 times a week or so (If I'm not able to do a water change, I skip feeding). The main reason for this is your biofiltration. Consistent bioload, means consistent amount of biofiltration. If your fish are not eating much, they are not pooping a whole lot. If you suddenly feed a large meal, the fish produces more ammonia than there is bacteria to break it down, and bam! you've got yourself an ammonia spike. When you are feeding a consistent amount and have adequate filtration, the amount of good bacteria breaking down the ammonia and nitrite is at the optimal level so you avoid these spikes. No matter what you do, you get nitrates, so just have to embrace doing water changes, or get an autowater change system.
oh ok buddy but does the bacteria decrease if fish doesn't produce ammonia?i mean i have put in driftwood in my tank to promote good bacteria growth and my filter media is way thicker than it ought to be so bacteria will grow but will they decrease if my fish don't poop enough? i do water changes regularly and when I say regularly i mean everyday..about 30-40%..sometimes a skip a day when i'm busy so i check the ammonia and it is just fine..the highest ammonia content i ever tested in my tank was 0.25ppg..THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!
hey can anyone give me dimensions for a 130 gal tank for my rtc..something that is more wide than it is deep for him to have lots of swimming space
Get something at least 6 feet long and 2 feet wide. Height isn't critical but it should be around 21" or so.
Preferably you want something 8 feet by 2 feet - if you can get it.
If you are looking to get something big enough to last you a few years- try for an 8 or 10ft long tank that is at least 3 feet wide. But truth be told they will outgrow even that.
I just bought a 224g, 6ft long, 2ft wide, 2.5 ft tall for my Redtails and hybrids. I hope to get a year or two out of it for them before I upgrade to something larger.
I have a Rena XP4 canister filter, a Fluval 405 Canister filter, a marineland HOB w biowheel, and I just bought a Fluval FX5 for the tank (that hasn't come yet though- waiting for it to arrive) I have two heaters on the tank, power heads, and lots of bubble things.
Good luck!
Preferably you want something 8 feet by 2 feet - if you can get it.
If you are looking to get something big enough to last you a few years- try for an 8 or 10ft long tank that is at least 3 feet wide. But truth be told they will outgrow even that.
I just bought a 224g, 6ft long, 2ft wide, 2.5 ft tall for my Redtails and hybrids. I hope to get a year or two out of it for them before I upgrade to something larger.
I have a Rena XP4 canister filter, a Fluval 405 Canister filter, a marineland HOB w biowheel, and I just bought a Fluval FX5 for the tank (that hasn't come yet though- waiting for it to arrive) I have two heaters on the tank, power heads, and lots of bubble things.
Good luck!
When you say pool- do you mean a human swimming pool? Is the pool heated? It will need to be. How is the pool treated chemically? Chlorine and other chemicals you might add to the pool will be bad for the fish. Unless you plan on giving up the pool for human use and turning it into a giant tank- I wouldn't put the fish in the pool.
