Help with breeding setup

[CBon]

Hi all, I have set up a 60L tank for my pair of WC Pelvicachromis Taeniatus (Dehane) to breed in. It has a fair amount of redmoor and manzanita wood in there atop a 1" layer of playsand, along with 2 coconut shells. Heated internally to 24degrees and filtered by an Eheim Pickup internal filter. I have concerns about the conflict between tank cleanliness and interfering with the breeding process. I have noticed of late that the water was getting discoloured. I put it down to tannins from the wood but water changes did not seem to make a difference. Since the fish have been showing spawning behaviour I have been reluctant to interfere in the tank too much but today I decided enough was enough. In every nook and cranny, at the point the wood touches the sand, inside the caves, in the corners, everywhere you looked there was fish waste (and shrimp waste as I have amano shrimp in there too). What was worse, the filter was absolutely filthy. I could not get over how dirty it had become in such a short amount of time with only two fish in there. So I guess my question is should I be getting in there every week and moving everything about and giving it a thorough clean, even at the risk of disturbing the breeding behaviour of the fish ? What sort of maintenance regime do others out there instigate in your breeding tanks ? Thanks

 

[Mike Wise]

Contrary to popular opinion, there is nothing wrong with a little mulm build-up. I just take a ½"/12mm hose and siphon around the areas where it builds up the most when doing water changes. I wouldn't disturb the decor/spawning sites, however. As for the water discoloration, this is certainly due to the wood. New pieces are especially good at darkening water. If the fish don't mind, it should be OK. If you don't like it, then just make more frequent partial water changes. It will leach out of the wood eventually (in a few months).

 

[CBon]

Thanks Mike. I need to keep the filter foam cleaner though right ? Happy to leave a bit of mulm in there but was horrified at how dirty it all seemed, as I am usually meticulous with my other tanks.

 

[Mike Wise]

You can rinse the foam filter in old tank water every time you do a water change. That should keep it adequately clean and not disturb the 'good bacteria' living in the sponge. Meticulously clean tanks?? You should see some of mine ... no, best that you don't! I often show a photo of one of my previous 'cesspool tanks'. It had a 1"/2.5 cm layer of mulm/algae on the bottom. Fish would swim into the mulm and tons of fry would swim out. Try this at your own risk.

 

[tjudy]

Sounds like your filter may be inadequate to the task. Sometimes those internal filters are, simply because they have a lot less media than external filters usually do. That does not mean, however, that the tank is somehow imbalanced or is not healthy. It just means that the filter is not large enough ot mechanically remove solid waste, but the biological filtration in the tank is fine. Dehane is an interesting location compared to the other places where P. taeniatus is collected. The waterways in Dehane (at least the mile or so of water we stomped around in) were smaller and shallower, with faster flowing water. This would indicate a higher oxygen level. There was also the absence of larger, slower pools with a lot of leaf litter or detritus. Dehane is often considered to be a bit more finicky than other types of P. taeniatus from southern Cameroon, and maybe they have a slightly higher demand for cleaner water.