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[emma1487]

Hey there, I am about to take on a friends aquarium. It's tropical an seems to have various types of cichlids, a large black shark (around 10-12cm) along with a red finned shark (6-8cm), quite large goldfish and two kinds of catfish. Sorry cant tell you more bit of a fish beginner
The tank has not been cleaned for a while is quite grubby and I assume that the pH for these fish is around 7-8.5 having surfed around for a few hours yesterday. I would really like to sort it all out as the current owner has not done anything to it not even really filled the water up as its only half full! Would love to know anything about this from plants to other fish that can be placed with them (with no ill effects from the sharks!) How to best clean it without disturbing the nitrogen cycle, pH or the fish or even any dealers that are tried an tested that will post overseas as im in Germany.

All answers will be greatfully recieved
Thanks guys (an girls)

 

[rabbut]

The beginner resorce center at the top of this forum will give you plenty to read about for a few hours.

Considering the state you are describing, I'd assume that sudden large waterchanges would caurse a case of old tank symdrome. Can you post any water stats? I'm mainly interested in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and KH here.
I'd get the filter out, and clean it's media in a bucket of old tank water. Drop the water level to start to about the 60% line, then when done cleaning the filter, fill to 60% full (not all the way as this will shock the fish), with dechlorinated tap water. Repeat taking out 10% and filling 20% daily untill it is full, and then go on to 20% dailys for a fortnight, to remove nitrate and disolved organics, while raising the buffering capasity again, but at a rate slow enough to stop the fish stressing over this. Once this is done, you can get into the usual 20-30% a week change regeme When you take water out, use a gravel vac to remove dirt from the gravel.
Can you get pics of these fish, and then we can ID them for you? Also, could you please give us the tank dimentions. This will alow us to better advise you on tank stocking and care
To finish cleaning, wipe round the inner walls with a new scouring pad (the type used for waching up). Make sure this pad isn't used. Soap/detergent+fish tank = tank wipe-out. I could use a cap full of the new concerntrated (presumably refuring to it's water content ) fairy liquid to wipe CFC's (one of our moderators) 900gal system That stuff is seriously toxic to fish.

For plants, we again need to know dimentions and the lighting over the tank.

I think I covered everything you asked for, but any other questions, just post

All the best
Rabbut