CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I haven't posted here in a long time (actually the last time I did was when our Oscar died) Anyway we want to get another one now but our nitrates are still unsafe and I cannot get them down? Would it be bad to redo everything and take it all out etc.. We're also using an undergravel filter and I have heard that we should get that out of there? I don't know how alot of people keep there tanks so clean b/c ours get's nasty all around the sides! I guess It would help if I did vaccuum every so often uh? All we have are 2 Pleco's in it!

I would take the pleco out and put it in a bucket, they will live. Then get that undergravel out there, it will keep producing large amount of nitrates. They don't work with cichlids because of the heave bioload of them. Just get a few HOB filters and keep them cleaner.
O don't clean the gravel, just remove some of the water then stir it up and remove the gravel and put it in the bucket. You don't want to kill off the bacteria in it.

Good Luck
JR

Okay thanks. we haven't yet done it yet but need too as we are adopting an Oscar soon from someone that can't keep it anymore! So what is a HOB filter?

thats a hang on back filter. I would go with the aquaclear 500, they aren't that much and they have a lot of flow. Go to http://www.bigalsonline.com, they fun about $30. I have dealt with them many times and never had a single problem and they give a 1 year warranty on all eletrical equipment.


Good Luck
JR

Cathy, you don't mention the size of your tank.

I'm sorry I haven't been here in a long time it's a 50 gallon.

I aggree. Go with the AC500.

thanks! right now we just have the Aqua clear 300 so I'll look into getting the 500 in June as I'm broke right now!