cycling a 29 gallon tank?

Question

im setting up a 29 gallon small african cichlid tank with only 5 or 6 of the cichlids that get from 4-6 inches long. im going to put in lots of big rocks to decorate.
the tank had ick before thanks to walmart fish, which im not buying any more.
should i replace all the gravel, or should i rinse it with hot tappwater? to get rid of the ick? and hot tapp water the filter and other plants and heater?

im completely redoing the tank and moving it to another room in myhouse

how do i properly cycle it?

should i addone or two cichlids after a few days of it being set up and add like one per week until i have the number needed?
or is it more complex than that?


thanks

Answer 1

You can cycle your tank without using any fish - called fishless cycling. see directions on how to do this in the first link below.

There's no evidence that ich will live for any extended period with out a fish host (see second and third links below). All you should have to do is clean the tank with warm water (don't use very hot), vinegar, salt, or a 5% bleach solution ( 1 part beach to 19 water) for 15 minutes. Bleach is the most certain way to sterilize all surfaces, because some bacteria enclose themselves in cysts and are resistant to temperature, pH and air. I worked in a university for several years, and this is how we cleaned our tanks and equipment between uses. Just be sure to rinse very well before using with fish.

Answer 2

Step 1: Wash all decorations and rocks well, for hard to clean stains use vinegar and water as a cleaning solution, never use soap. Be sure vinegar is washed completely off and let everything dry out. Ick lives in the water, so if all water is removed the ick will die off.

Step 2: Refill the tank with water, put new cartridges in the filter, if you had biological filtration like a bio-wheel make sure it was washed and dried out as well. Add dechlorinator, allow tank to run with filter for 48 hours.

Step 3: Okay you're back to a brand new tank - no bacteria - what I suggest to most of my customers setting up an African Cichlid tank (by that way be careful some Cichlids can get up to ten inches) is to use feeder guppies, or larger feeders for larger cichlids. I'm assuming you'll be starting with babies so guppies are your best choice, five would be good. Your cichlids will likely eat them when introduced. The bacteria cycle usually takes about a week, when ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are all at zero (sometimes they're slightly higher) your tank is fully cycled. Don't test it after two hours and think it's cycled though! :)

Once its cycled add your cichlids, while I'd usually never recommend adding more than three fish at a times because cichlids are so territorial adding them all at once usually gives the best results, after about a month it will be their tank and they may not be willing to allow new comers. It's always a risk that your cichlids will become territorial and kill their tank mates. I see you mentioned plants, cichlids LOVE vegetation so you might want to steer away from live plants.

Answer 3

Do NOT rinse with hot tap water! This destroys all valuable bacteria in the tank. Ick is a parasite and needs a live host to survive. Gently rinse all the decorations with COLD tap water, and take an unused or thouroughly rinsed toothbrush and scrub all the algae off of the decorations.

As for the cycling, let your tank run as usual only without the fish for about a couple of days or more. If you don't use hot water to rinse all your decorations, then all the necessary bacteria is already there. This should be sufficient for your cichlids to be all right in your tank.

Answer 4

My tanks have had ick before, it comes even from really good stores sometimes. I just put a preventative in my tank from the fish store I go to usually, it wasn't very expensive. I didn't lose any of my fish or have any other episodes, it helps a lot. I don't think you should worry too much about it coming back. The preventative I have is called "aquari-sol" but that was the one the guy at the store recommended for my tetras, there's probably other versions that would be specifically for your cichlids. And just add some every time you change the water or add more fish, just as a precaution.

Be sure to set up your tank for at least a few weeks so it can stabilize before you add your fish though. Cichlids are really picky about pH and temptrature. So be sure that you have everything set well before you bring home your fish. I lost two cichlids (some pretty expensive ones) because my pH wasn't right before I put them in.

Answer 5

Ok, a little complicated answer but I'll try and give you the "reader's digest" version :)
Ick can be present in a tank and not affect any of the fish in it - if the fish are healthy and resistant to disease. Good diet, no stress, no bullies, good lighting, good non-fluctuating temperature all contribute to healthy fish. Stressed out fish (even not turning the lights out at night can cause stress which in turn can lead to ick) are normally the ones that get ick.
It is not necessary to replace the gravel. Rinsing the gravel with hot tap water would work or leaving the tank running but without fish for a couple weeks will allow any ick to die off. It can also be rinsed (and all the other equipment) with salt water. Please use aquarium salt or un-iodized salt. We use salt in our aquariums every time we do a water change. There is special salt and supplements for Cichlids, based on where they come from (Lake Victoria or Lake Malawi)
Cycling - I don't think 1 or 2 small cichlids will begin the cycle in that size tank. There needs to be enough waste to feed the new beneficial bacteria and usually that isn't enough. I would definitely add a product weekly like Hagen's Cycle to get things moving along. Seachem's products are awesome and PRIME is a definite must for any tank, new or established. If they are baby African's, I would add the 5 or 6 that you want all at once. In my experience, adding more Cichlids to a tank that already contains some can give the existing fish a bully complex. Test your water for Ammonia during the first week. If you detect ammonia levels above .25 ppm, do a 10-20% water change without disturbing the gravel. Test your water for Ammonia and Nitrites the second week. When you begin getting any levels of Nitrites, you can then begin to test for Nitrates. Ammonia turns into Nitrites and Nitrites turn into Nitrates. Ammonia spikes, then when it comes back down it is because it is turning into Nitrites. Nitrites spike, then when it comes back town it is because it is turning into Nitrates. Once you have no ammonia, no nitrite and small (under 15-20 ppm) amounts of Nitrates, your tank is cycled. If you detect levels of Ammonia after the tank is cycled, something is wrong. Over feeding, not enough water changes.... It normally takes about a month give or take, to fully cycle a tank. Find a reputable store and stick with them, even if their products are $1 more. The advice of a GOOD pet store personel is worth that $1 anyday!
To basically run it down:
Rinse your gravel with hot water or salt water if necessary
Add all 5 baby cichlids at once (by the way, your rock work is perfect for africans)
Test water for Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. If you get levels of Ammonia above .25 ppm, do a 20% water change NOT using a gravel siphon. Test Ammonia daily until Nitrites appear. If you get levels of Nitrites above 1ppm, do a 20% water change, gently using a gravel siphon to get rid of any waste and uneaten food. Test Nitrites daily until Nitrates appear. Once Nitrates appear, the Ammonia and Nitrites should be gone or nearly gone and you can begin your normal routine of 10% weekly water changes WITH a gravel siphon. Test Nitrates weekly just before doing your water change. If Nitrates continue to rise (which they shouldn't), do an additional 10% water change as needed. Once your tank is cycled, you should not ever have to tear it down (unless you need to move it). African Cichlids can be bred in captivity fairly easily and are fun to watch and have! They do have personalities!
I hope this helps! And sorry, I know Reader's Digest is usually shorter :)

Answer 6

you don't need to redo your tank there is medicine for that you should never change water in your tank aged water is important to the life of your fish consult a specialist for more details on how to be successful with the life span of your fish