Cycling a New Cichlid Fish Aquarium

With a new aquarium, cycling your tank is the first and most important thing you need to do. This is the process in which your aquarium needs to establish good bacteria. When you first setup your aquarium it will be contaminated with bad bacteria. Before putting cichlid fish into the tank it is important that this bad (harmful) bacteria converts into good bacteria. The first stage of bacteria will break down ammonia into nitrites, and the second stage of bacteria will break down the nitrites into nitrates. Both ammonia and nitrites are harmful to your fish, but nitrates are not, as long as they are at a safe level (below 20ppm).

There are two ways to cycle your tank: with or without fish. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but most fish enthusiasts prefer to do a fishless cycle. Doing a fishless cycle (which I recommend) has many more advantages: it's faster, easier, and avoids permanently harming fish. Plus, the water will be completely ready for fish once the cycle is finished.

Fishless Cycle

One effective way of doing a fishless cycle is to use media, gravel, sand, or decor from another (disease free) aquarium that already has good bacteria established. If you can't find any of these materials, you can purchase bacteria in a bottle from your local fish store. Also, during this process I suggest raising the temperature in the aquarium to around 85 degrees, this allows for a faster chemical reaction.

Cycling with fish

If you decide to go the other route, then you will need hardy fish that can withstand these harmful water conditions; I suggest using either tetras or guppies. Cycling your tank with fish can take anywhere between 4-6 weeks for the nitrates to become established. You will need to do frequent water changes (20%) 3-4 times a week until the cycle is complete. Of course if you are doing a cichlid fish aquarium you will need to remove the starter fish before adding any cichlids to the tank.

Conclusion

Whichever method you chose, it is important to realize that this can be time-consuming(3-6 weeks), therefore patience is a virtue. It is also important to constantly test your water during this process to ensure that your tank is cycling properly. I recommend using a liquid test kit rather than the basic test strips. Make sure before you add sensitive fish, your nitrates are at, or below 20ppm.

Tips for Teaching Your Dog to Skate

Teaching your dog to ride a skateboard can be an enjoyable experience for both parties. Try to keep things as simple as possible. If the dog is energetic then the task will be made easier as long as it is able to concentrate on a few basic steps for a period of time. The trainer needs to know what they are doing. You cannot teach tricks which you do not understand. First practice the moves before attempting to get your dog to repeat them.

1. The behavioral dynamics of the relationship: By teaching your dog to skate you will be reinforcing the type of behavior that you expect from it. According to Pavlov's experiment, this is the only way to get our canine friends to mimic human behavior. The dog will benefit from the process of learning about the environment and solving problems. This is a uniquely human trait but the pets have a capability of attempting similar achievements. You may have the added advantage of releasing tension and relieving the stress that the pet may be suffering from. Physical exertion can help with mental relaxation.

2. Have some simple goals: Before you start confusing the pet with constantly changing routines make sure that you have an objective list. You may want him to use his foot or paws. Ascertain whether he is capable of back flips. When you have the head objective you can break it down into smaller tasks. Some people have found that starting backwards is helpful. For example they might make the dog dismount the board in order to teach them how to mount. During the early stages you will notice whether there are mental or physical bottlenecks that affect its learning process.

3. If the dog is not interested then you are wasting time: It is important that you get your dog interested in the activity. Allow the pet to climb onto the equipment and sniff it. Playing with the skateboard will ensure that the dog is familiar with certain routines prior to moving on to the real stuff. Praise him when he achieves even the smallest feats. Once you add an element of fun to the learning process then the pet will be eager to start the activity even when you are getting lazy about it.

4. Find ways of approximating behavior: At the heart of this exercise is an animal with all its limitations. Therefore you will need to give them an equivalent task. This is all about communicating your needs. For example you can step on the skateboard and push on one foot. The dog will try to mimic you if you repeat the activity. Praise and attention will be the reward. Do not feed them too much or they may become physically incapable of doing the work.

Try to attend dog fares so that you get hints from your fellow pet lovers. They might give you the breakthrough that you need in order to get your dog to skate.