CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

ii have been having some water issues but i spen approximately 4 hours a day tending the water. i do a 25% water change daily and vacuum twice daily just in case of over feeding because they all love to spit their food out. the second time i vacuum i vacuum inot a bucket and then with a plastic container i pour the water through a strainer to get the crud out and the cleared water into the tank. i cant seem to keep the nitrite levels to go down and stay down. i have tried every method i have seen on the net and what i can find at the store. i just got another tank to seperate some of the fish in the tanks as i overstocked as i didnt research before i acted. i have 2 penguin filters on the 75g tank a 350 and a 200. they have 2 24 inch bubble strips in the back and i even added a couple plants (that my dempseys love to eat  ). my 55g i only have one filter that came with it that is where i will put my africans as soon as the babies i put in there to start the cycle look like they wont be dinner. i was thinking of possibly a divider to seperate them for the time being to keep the larger african from having a snack but wasnt sure if it would work. in the 75 i have a catfish and plec to try and do cleanup in the 55 i just have a baby cat in there havent gotten a pleco or algea eater yet. is there anything else any of you can suggest to help me out. all this was a present for the boyfriend because he got tired of me playing fish tycoon and raisiny my fake fish   now he complains i spend more time with the fish then him. i sit and watch them in my spare time, havent watched tv since i got them. they are so much better.

one of my dempseys colors are coming in beautyful but the others i got a week after him is staying kind of pale ( the other fish chase him alot )

one of my oscars has ich which i am trying the salt method on so i dont have to yank apart the filters.

the colors on most of the other fish are doing really well so i am asumming from reading that i am doing ok with them because if they were stressed they would fade like they did when i brought them home ( please correct me if i am wrong)

all these guys are dear to me and i am doing my best not to lose any of them. i work midnights and forfeit my sleep each day so that i can tend to my little babies. i have gotten off to an uneducated rough start but am trying to make it up to the little guys. i have a variety of food i feed them each day. basicall some of everything so they have a well balanced diet. i feed them about 3 times a day as the instructions say. they all stare at me when i walk by when they are hungry its adorable. i have been a bit long winded now so i will go ahead and leave you be for now

For one, STOP FEEDING them so much!!.. Once in the mornings and ONCE at nite.. They are spitting out the food as you are feeding them different foods at one time.. Do one flake/pellet morning, a different one at nite.. As it is, they will eat the one they like and the rest goes to the bottom making your nitrites high.. Feed sparinly.. When they finish one, do  another one but dont' add in a lot.. fish's stomachs are only as big as their eyes.. ( I read that somewhere, but someone needs to tell the fish that!!)

REMEMBER:  FISH ARE NATURAL BEGGERS!! YOU are the food sorse and they learn this FAST.. Say hi to them and RESIST the temptaion to feed them..YOU are making a situation worse with your tank tying to cycle..

To many water changes too.. DAILY is not needed and your tank wil never cycle like this..
But I see why you are doing so, with the feeding and ICH issure it is a double problem..  Also you placing back in the water even thou you strianed it is not a good deal.. Nitrites is invisable and this alone keeps it going.. Once you STOP feeding them so much, your nitrites will leavel out and go down.. The way you are going that is going to be weeks from now..

As you work nites?? or go in at midnite to morning?? feed them when you get home, and then feed them again when you get up, but make sure it is several hours from the first time..
Take care of any water issures AFTER you feed them in the mornings and WAIT an hour to test the water to see where it is at..Please refrain from feeding them so much.. feed them only what they will eat in 1 min and NO MORE..  Those test strips are  NOT good to use.. Simple thou, but a liquid test kit will do you better although they are a 5 min test.. Hate that.. Once your tank cycles, you won't do as many tests, unless you dont' do your WEEKLY tank/filter cleanings..
YOU said you didn't want to tear down the filters?? do you know that feeding flakes is what the filter is going to collect more of?. WHEN the cichlids get bigger, change over to some pellets so this does not affect your nitrites any.. I do think you need to clean the filter BOX's out.. This alone may be feeding your nitrites to stay high.... 

On the fish's color, with every thing going on in the tank right now, I am surprised every one is not just colored out.. To much salt, to much food, high nitrites.. they are troopers to go through all this and stil beg for food.. Fish are stronger than they  seem...   

i will do what you say. am working on them right now thank you so much with your time and patience