Re: Re: 55 gallon Tank, New to Apistos, You make the Call!!

["Darren J. Hanson" <djhanson@calweb.com>]

>Thanks for your reply. I'm thinking that there may not have been enough
>circulation in the tank (Eheim cannister filter).  When I took out the
>driftwood, it smelled like sulfur.  This may have collected in the substrate
>which is 3-4".  The tank has been set up for 3 months beofre that it was a
>Tanganikan tank.  I will give what you said a try, that is test out with some
>less expensive fish.
>Thanks again.
Andy, I really don't do Tanganikan's but from what I have heard they require
hard water. If you were using the Eheim and gravel I would probably take
them out like you said. (Or seriously clean them out.) It probably doesn't
matter but I, myself, would have felt safer especially switching to a soft
water world. With my apistos I only used about an inch of fine sand, plants,
pots for spawning and Hydro-Sponges for filtration. I did 25% water changes
ever 2 weeks. (I found that waiting 2 weeks usually brought my breeders into
breeding.) Your tank may have had a high pH buildup from the previous
'tenants' even though you made it a soft water tank. Did you add chemicals
to the Tanganikan tank to make it a high pH and harder water? If so there
may have been some still lingering in the filter and gravel so that the fish
built up a tolerance to the pH going up again and then when you did a water
change the serious drop in pH (to them) may have done your new 'borders' in.
Just a speculation.

I hope this helps.

Kaycy