Beginner here, Building a 60 gallon aquarium.

sidluckman

I didn't have an aggression problem with the Saulosis since the females are yellow, but you're right: probably best to stay away from similarly colored fish. Polit males are pretty aggressive, but worth it.

I agree with what's been said about adding more rockwork. Jumble it up. Fold an old towel to the same dimensions as the footprint of your tank and play with piling the rocks in interesting ways. Then transfer them into the tank. You can also cement some together for the sake of stability. Don't strive for a symmetrical arrangement, necessarily, but just a balanced one. Consider piling about 2/3 of the rocks on one end of the tank and the remaining third on the other, along with a tangle of branchy driftwood. "Play" with the arrangement until something exciting happens!

sidluckman

You may be right: though the saulosi females are yellow, probably best to stay clear of similarly colored fish.

I agree with what's been said regarding rockwork: get more. Consider making the arrangement less symmetrical. For example, you could pile about 2/3 of the rock at one end of the tank, and use the remaining rock plus some branchy tangled driftwood for the other. Makes it seem a little more like a lake bottom and less like a couch set between two identical end tables! Sometimes I will fold an old towel to the dimensions of the footprint of a tank and play with arranging the rocks until something interesting happens. Then, for the sake of stability you can cement some of them together and allow it to set before transferring the "rockpile" into the tank in convenient, manageable sections.

Tazman: your Rusty Cichlid is the most outstanding one I have seen.

gwljr1314

Thank you for all the advice everyone. I'll have to find some more rocks and use some imagination. lol. I'll check out that site Tazman.

gwljr1314

Hi everyone, I'm in the early stages of cycling my tank using ammonia. I just noticed some articles say to add enough ammonia until you get a reading of 1-2ppm while others say 3-4ppm. Which do you all recommend? I am currently using 1-2ppm.

Tazman

3-4ppm will create an enormous amount of beneficial bacteria and once the cycle is complete will allow the tank to be FULLY stocked at once. I did this with my 180g, 75g and 55g tanks and had no mini cycle once all the fish were added at once.

gwljr1314

Thanks Tazman, So I add enough ammonia to get a reading of 3-4ppm then wait until I get a reading of 0. Then add the same amount every 2-3 days until I get a reading of zero within 24 hours? When that is done I start testing for nitrite while adding ammonia every day and doing small daily water changes until I get a reading of zero? Then water changes over the next few days until nitrate down to 20ppm or so? Sorry for all the questions. I just want to get off on the right foot.

Tazman

No problem in asking questions...you are here to learn

Add the ammonia to keep the level at 3-4ppm until you see the Ammonia dropping off, this will at the same time show a rise in Nitrite concentration. KEEP DOSING the tank to 3-4ppm. Test the water DAILY. You will be fully cycled, when the dose of 3-4ppm is FULLY converted in 24 hours.
I did not do partial water changes in my tank. As there are no fish or anything in the tank, there is nothing to be removed. You want the bacteria to have the best environment to grow in. At the end of the cycle I did a massive 80-90% water change to reduce the massive level of nitrates. I then did partial water changes for a few days after to reduce the level of Nitrate each time. Allow 24 hours after doing the big water change before testing your Nitrate level again..this will give a more accurate reading. Once you know the level from this big change, then partial water changes of 30-50% will further reduce it. Once the level is around 20ppm or less (Nitrate) then you can add the fish.

If you are using the API master test kit it is VERY IMPORTANT to shake the #2 bottle of the Nitrate test for 2 MINUTES prior to adding it to the test tube and then shaking the test tube for 1 minute. The solution in the test kit is prone to separating and shaking for 2 minutes will allow it to fully mix and give a more accurate result.

Now that you have started DO NOT rush anything..spend the time the aquarium is cycling which can be 6-8 weeks if no media from an established tank is being used (which you shouldnt with the ammonia method, as the high ammonia can kill any good bacteria already present), to research you chosen fish species. The more you research, the happier the tank will be.

gwljr1314

Thank you for clearing it up for me.

gwljr1314

I started the cycling process a little over a week ago using One & Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria and Eco-Complete Cichlid sand. I've added enough ammonia to get to 4ppm the past two days and after 24 hours I've gotten a reading of 0ppm both times. Is it normal for it to happen so soon or am I possible reading the chart wrong? (The colors can be confusing) It seems like a short time even with adding the Vitrifying Bacteria. As always thank you for your help and input.

LyzzaRyzz

If your getting a reading of 0ppm 24 hours later or even earlier, you should be all set.
But wait for someone else to confirm, just to make sure.

I hope it is all set, cause i cant wait to see what you choose!