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Flying in

M

Mr Cichlid

Guest
I've gone flying in (as usual), my 200 litre tank is quite heavily plated with Java fern (I use a phosphate buffer to lower the pH and it's the only plant that it won't rot - if anyone has other plants than can withstand this buffer, please let me know!).... plenty of bogwood and a sand substrate. Internal filter and stock as follows:

1 x gold nugget plec
4 x synodontis nigrevtris
5 x x-ray tetras
3 x rosy barb
3 x neon tetra
4 x cardinal tetra
5 x corydoras
1 x Apistogramma agassizi (male)
1 x pair Cuckoo's (A. Macmaster?)
1 x pair Keyhole cichlids.

I have had absolutley no luck with Rams - or Gold Rams they have never lasted more than a month although they are my all time favourite dwarfs I have resigned to the fact I will never be able to keep them. The Agassizi killed the two females I had in with him but he looks quite happy now, and the latest additions seemed to have brought him out of his shell a little.

My questions are:

1) Can my tank hold more - there seems to be plenty of room in there
2) Any tips on plants that will stand up to a phosphate buffer?
3) Rams - any tips gratefully received.

Apart from that, having kept fish for a number of years, the dwarf cichlids, and South American in particular are the most enjoyable I have kept so far. In terms of behaviour, and colour they are hard to beat I reckon.
 

dunc

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
14
Location
Newcastle, UK
Rams are very sensitive to water conditions, they don't like nitrate build ups at all - regular water maintenance is absolutely essential. They don't like being hassled, either.

Cuckoo/Cockatoo cichlids are Apistogramma cacatuoides (like the one in my sig - though that's a sunset, yours could be a triple red or something).

Hope that helps a little :)
 
M

Mr Cichlid

Guest
Thanks Dunc

When I was keeping Rams I was changing the water every 2-3 weeks at about 25 - 30% each change, I had hardly any nitrate or nitrite - usually the readings were nil and my ammonia reading was always 0, but at the time I had a pair of Kribs in the tank who were breeding regularly. Would these have bullied my Rams?

Can you share your maintenance regeime and set up for successful Rams? I'm in a hard water area and just use a straightforward phospahte buffer to drop the pH to 6.5 - 7.0
 

dunc

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
14
Location
Newcastle, UK
I've never kept Rams at home, but I did look after a display tank with them at work (LFS).

Personally, I think every 2 to 3 weeks is too infrequent for Rams. I would definitely recommend doing a 20% water change every week if you can. 30% a fortnight at the very least.

Kribs can be absolutely awful when they're breeding, so yea I guess that could definitely have been your problem.

Just as a matter of personal taste, I prefer filtering with peat/peat granules to using phosphate buffers.

Hope that helps mate.
 
M

Mr Cichlid

Guest
peat filtering

Thanks Dunc, do elaborate - obviosuly peat filtering the water first is more natural, but I am hesitant about using peat when we hear so much about the depletion of peat throughout Europe.

How fiddly is it, and how does it compare cost-wise? Are there any other alternatives, and how do you do these methods? Soak the peat in the water to be added in a change? (My tapwater is very hard!)

I am using "proper pH" for cost, and ease of use. But it's downsides are only Java fern can stand up to it!

It was definately the kribs - since I gave them back to the shop the tank is a much more peaceful place. I'd say kribs are definately a species tank fish - with hard catfish only. Mind you they even terrorised my gold nugget plec....... more trouble than their worth! - but beatuiful in their own right.
 

dunc

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
14
Location
Newcastle, UK
Lol yer mate they can be awful. They'll be fine in a community until they start breeding, then.. oh dear :)

The way I peat filter is to ram a small internal filter full of peat granules - specifically JBL's Tormec.

Works a treat, cost me £15+£8 total for everything I needed. If you have a bigger tank you may need a bigger internal filter but either way they're not expensive these days. Not fiddly in the slightest :) The easiest form of water softening IMO.
 

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