PonderEthereal

You’ve cycled your tank and so you’re ready to add a few more fish. How many fish can you add to your aquarium? How soon? In what order? The answer is, err on the side of caution. A mistake could be fatal to your fish.

How many Fish Can I have in my aquarium?

The number of fish you can have depends upon the size tank you have. It’s less about how many bodies you can cram into your tank and more about how much waste your tank can reasonably handle. Too many fish causes ammonia levels to remain too high and could kill your fish.

There are two rules that people often quote when stocking a tank - 1 inch of fish for every gallon of water or 1 inch of fish per every 12 square inches of surface space. These are great guidelines - but not great rules if left at face value.…

In Cycling the Tank, I covered HOW to cycle a tank and what it means and how to gauge the process. Here is what my tank cycle looked like for a 30 gallon tank.

I left out the days where there was no change. There were fluctuation sin my readings on some days which over all amounted to nothing and which can probably be chalked up to inaccurate measurements.

Day 1 :

Day 2 : added one fish
Day 4 : still no change - added a second fish to tip the balance
Day 7 : The ammonia rose to a 1 - and we’re off!
Day 9 : The ammonia rose to 1.5 and we look like this :

Day 11 : The ammonia rose to 2
Day 12 : The ammonia was holding steady at 2 and 2 is a pretty high amount. I want the fish to live so I added 3 quarts of water to top…

Previously : New Cichlid Tank 4) Setting up the Tank

Your fish tank is the world for your fish. Unlike other pets, a fish’s water is responsible for it’s air supply, food and is entirely responsible for it’s health. Just like other organisms, fish require specific living conditions such as a specific ph, temperature and water hardness. To figure this stuff out, it requires a little bit of study and to cycle the tank requires some extra watching and time.

Cycling and It’s Victim… er.. Volunteer… er… Draftee?

Cycling a tank refers to the beginning of an aquariums life cycle when healthy bacteria are becoming established. This healthy bacteria will break down waste so that it doesn’t become toxic to the fish. In order to get the bacteria you need, you can buy an over the counter product - but these often do not perform, perform poorly or when they DO perform do…

An aquarium hood, cover or canopy is on your list of Stuff You Need For a Cichlid Tank and can cost $40-$200, depending upon what size tank you have. You need a hood to stop evaporation, to keep fish inside the tank, the cats outside the tank and to lay the light fixture on.

You can get a plain glass canopy for cheaper. A glass canopy allows you to see through the top of the tank - which for a shorter tank, is ideal, IMO. But for even less money (about $12), you can make one yourself and in fact, it’s so sinfully easy that I kept thinking I must be missing something. Surely there is a reason they charge an arm and a leg for the plastic ones? Nope. It’s really that easy and that cheap.

You will need :

• piece of glass (36″x12″ glass was about $6)
• aquarium sealant or adhesive (about $3 for…

Previously : New Cichlid Tank 3) How to Get Fish Tank Stuff Free or Cheap

Put the background on your aquarium. Set your tank up on it’s stand. Set up the filter, heater and powerhead without plugging them in. Add the substrate. Don’t add any of your rocks, driftwood or other decor yet.

You should have a test kit that tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph and hardness. Keep a pad of paper with the test kit. Every time you test, jot down the results. Here’s what these readings mean to your chichlid aquarium :

• Ph : the alkalinity or acidity value of the water. For every whole number the Ph increases or decreases, there is 10 times more or less acidity or alkalinity in the water.
• KH is the alkaline buffering capacity of your aquarium… or the stability of the Ph. The higher your KH, the more stable your Ph will…

Previously : New Cichlid Tank 2) Stuff you Need for a Cichlid Tank

In shopping for anything, not just fish, you can often exchange money for time, patience and effort. You can spend more money and get it perfect and now or you can spend less or no money and take more time shopping the best deals and doing some of the projects yourself.

Fish tanks, aquariums and cichlid fish are typically very expensive. If you buy everything new from your local pet shop, expect to spend, on average, about $100 per 10 gallons for the setup and fish. So, where your new setup is concerned, you want to set a budget and stick with it. It’s easy to get carried away with convenience.

Never fear, though - owning cichlids doesn’t have to be expensive. As I am putting together my tank, my son and I are putting it together as…

Previously : New Cichlid Tank 1) Choosing the Occupants and Tankmates

Once you’ve picked out who will be in your tank, you should have an idea of what kind of stuff you will need to take care of your cichlids appropriately.

Here is a list of things you will need along with considerations for each.

• The Tank - The aquarium you choose should be suitable for the fish you choose. For instance, choose a taller tank for fish that need depth or lots of ‘middle’ water and a bigger tank for fish that grow to very large sizes. The shape of the aquarium is up to you. Some prefer bow front or hexagon aquariums, some prefer standard shaped tanks.
• Cabinet or Stand - An aquariums should not be left on the ground for a million reasons. You will need an aquarium stand for the tank but this can be something off the shelf or a repurposed…