Iiiiiiiaaaaaahhhh my tank is now fully cycled!!!

[hamstercaster]

Got the water tested at the pet store this morning as I have yet to buy a master test kit of my own...  Here are the results:

ph 8.4
kh 90 ppm (moderatly hard)
amonia 0, nada, zilch
nitrites 0, nada, zilch
nitrates traces

It's now time for me to start shopping fishies.... and find a new home for my danio zebras as I will be going the African Cichlid route as my ph and water hardness seems to be just what the doctor ordered for these fishies!!  I have about 20 inches of fish in the tank (20 zebras) so I will probably add enough cichlids to reach about 15 inches of fish as they are more sloppy fishes than the zebras and the last thing I want is to have my tank enter a mini cycle.  In the 4 weeks and a half it took for my tank to cycle, I have not lost a single fish and they have been very active all along which makes me think that the fishies have not been stressed too much during the cycle... that's what I hope anyway.  So off to the classifieds to see if there are any fishies that suit my needs and that I would like in my tank.. but first, a stop at the cookie cutter on cichlids forum and see which species I can somewhat safely keep together
:-).  Next.. try and convince my wife to let me add more rocks to the tank.... but that's another story onto it's own 

[sniggir]

you can put some brevis, or you could go with some brichardi, I alway love the judiochromis, go and check out cichlid form, and look under profiles

[homestar726]

That happened to me last week, man was i ever psyched!!!

[PoisonJello]

well cichlids I think are the best fish to have but if your putting them in with zebra danios you might have a problem, at least i know my cichlids would eat all the zebras for breakfast then ask for more
I guess it will depend on what cichlids you are planning on getting

[hamstercaster]

I won't keep the zebras.  I'll be giving them away as they have served me well during the cycle and I wouldn't want them to end up as a "five star" meal for the cichlids lol

[oenology]

If you go with some types of tanganykin cichilds like calvus or compresseceps, julies (these are all rock dwellers) and a shell dweller then the zebras can be your open water dither fish, taking the role of the more delicate (and expensive) cyprichromis. Not high action and colour like a malawi tank but nice none the less.

[sniggir]

true not as much action but very interesting to watch... very cool behavior characterisics

[hamstercaster]

But wouldn't the Calvus being a carnivore be a problem for the zebras though?  My zebras like to swim around everywhere in the tank, bottom, middle and top..  Yesterday I housed a peacock in my tank to help a friend who had nowhere to put him as the peacock had gone through quite a beating and we were trying to save him.  You should have seen the zebras when I put him the tank... they automatically schooled and stayed away from him.  He did not pursue them in anyway but they seemed stressed as anytime he made his way to their side of the tank, they'd speed at the other end really quickly lol... I don't want to impose undue stress onto them but if this could work, it would be an interesting mix I would be willing to try that's for sure.  I like the calvus, it's a nice fish..