What to do?

[J19Reynolds]

Woke up this morning to my tank like this.. It's more cloudy than looks in pic



What do I do about this?
What are the ph an gh and all that supposed to VE for cichlids ?

 

[garfy]

What size is the tank and what filtration are you running on it?

 

[J19Reynolds]

It's a 10 gallon and the filter is a top fen I believer and it's a 20

 

[garfy]

I hate to say this but a 10 gallon tank is way too small for any cichlids let alone lake Malawi cichlids.Your fish need a minimum of 55 gallons in my opinion and a tank of 4 feet long.As for filtration the higher the better for African cichlids as they have a large bio-load and I don't think your filter is up to the job.You also need to do weekly partial water changes of up to 50% to keep the water in good condition.
Is your tank cycled and do you know your water parameters?

 

[J19Reynolds]

I had only 2 "LABS" in there for a 2 weeks and it was fine then I added 2 blue ones now it's like that.... I don't have a 55 gallon tank for them right now :-/ maybe upping my filter to a 30 be better?

 

[J19Reynolds]

What's parameters?

 

[garfy]

http://www.fishforever.co.uk/cycling.html
Have a look at this link it will tell you all about what you need to do for your fish.

This link will help you with the care of your fish http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0866223673

Fish keeping is a lot more involved than people realise after all we all want our fish to be happy

 

[kelbaker79]

I had only 2 "LABS" in there for a 2 weeks and it was fine then I added 2 blue ones now it's like that.... I don't have a 55 gallon tank for them right now :-/ maybe upping my filter to a 30 be better?

A 10 gallon tank is WAY too small for 1 yellow lab, much less 2!! And you've added 2 more fish?! IMO, they all need to be returned to the store that you got them. You will always have problems with that tank with those fish in it, its just entirely too small. Check out this link!
http://theaquariumwiki.com/Stocking_a_10_Gallon_Tank

 

[tetrafan]

I had only 2 "LABS" in there for a 2 weeks and it was fine then I added 2 blue ones now it's like that.... I don't have a 55 gallon tank for them right now :-/ maybe upping my filter to a 30 be better?

Cichlids need much more space then you are providing them ... More filtration will not help this as there is not enough physical space in a ten gallon tank for these magnificent fish.

 

[J19Reynolds]

Even if they are tiny ?!! :-(

 

[kelbaker79]

Even if they are tiny ?!! :-(

YES!!! They need to go back, or in at least a 55 gallon tank. They won't stay "tiny"....lol

 

[garfy]

Even if they are tiny ?!! :-(

They grow very quickly and simply need more swim space and space for territories.African cichlids are very aggressive to each other and other fishes too.Try to do a little research first.

 

[J19Reynolds]

Ok :-( ill take the 2 extras I bought back tomorrow

 

[kelbaker79]

Even if they are tiny ?!! :-(

I'll put it this way,

You can go into petsmart and buy a red bellied Pacu around an inch big. That does NOT mean they will survive in a 10 gallon. They get 2 feet long, picture that. Would you like to live in a bathtub? Same thing.

Same way an eagle needs room to fly. If you put him in a cage and never let him out, it will cause problems...not to mention you'll have a pretty unhappy birdie....

 

[garfy]

It is possible to keep a pair of yellow labs in say a 25 gallon tank.No smaller than that though.10 gallons though is far too small.
Nobody on this site can tell you what to do with your fish but we are passionate about our fish and their needs.It is good advice you are being given but it is only advice and ultimately it is up to you.
I wish you the best of luck with your fish

 

[J19Reynolds]

I totally understand ... I only got them bc I wanted something other than goldfish :-/ and the lady said that the 2 would e fine in a 10 gallon :-/ guess that's what I get for going to petsmart thanks for the advice and I will returne the extra 2 tomorrow thanks again everyone

 

[Talvari]

Hey now, dont lump all petstores in the same way. The woman who sold them to you should have paid attention to the fish's tank... The recommended tank size is 29 gallons.... And that is just for one or two fish.

Not to mention.. You should ALWAYS do your own research on a fish species before buying them. That way a) you dont have to worry about returning fish and b) you have noone to blame but yourself.

 

[VioletEmber]

I think everyone learns this lesson the hard way! I must have said "I have a 10g tank" 14 times to the guy at the LFS and he still sold me two bala sharks... Got home and did the research I should have done first and found out my mistake! I can't say that I have completely stopped impulse buys at the store,(d'oh) but at least I have my phone with me to do a quick search before I buy something completely unsuitable!

 

[J19Reynolds]

I'm not downing all petsmart stores... I've always had problem w this ladies info :-/ I learned big time now... And I have done some research now wished I would have before.... And this won't happen again

 

[garfy]

Unfortunately you will get bad advice from time to time but now you have a bit more knowledge you are better prepared for the future