125 Gallon African Cichlid Aquarium Rescape 

I have a tough time leaving anything alone for more than a week or two, so I'm sure I'll be changing it up before long. I don't know if hey had any pieces that large. I grabbed some bigger ones that didn't require me digging down to the bottom of a huge pile in 90 degree heat. I might go back on a cooler day and check though. I have a bunch of open room on each side but guess it's important to find a balance between feeling like it's empty and not crowding it too much. I really appreciate the feedback, please keep it coming.

Thanks James!

Thanks! RU-vid is great for fishkeepers to share ideas. I've learned so much from other channels.

Thanks brother. I appreciate it.

+Nate Schaffer thanks!

Thanks NYC, I appreciate it.

+João Gonçalves thanks!

Thanks so much!

+Smedley chapman thanks for watching!

Thanks Mike!

Thank you sir. I appreciate the support as always.

Thanks!

You're welcome. ..

Thank you Sarah. I definitely tried to improve my skills with this one.

Sarah Fin Hi maam! Its good to see you here

Hey :)

+Cichlids of Pennsylvania thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks! I appreciate it!

Ur very welcome

Thank you sir. Definitely enjoying the pump, great tip there.

+The Fish Tank Guy 9057 thanks!

Thanks Chad. I have mixed feelings about 3D backgrounds. I like the look but I don't know how I would work one around or behind my overflow box so I don't have much of a choice there. Plus I may upgrade to a bigger tank at some point.

Thanks!

+Nick Marquez probably too dark

True.

+African Cichlidz thanks!

Thanks!

I've been going back and forth on lights but in the after shot of this video I'm using two 36" LEDs from eBay: pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=301604827562&globalID=EBAY-US They have some actinic lights even in the normal mode, hence the blues.

Thanks!

Thanks! They are landscaping stones made by a company called Carderock.

+Steve Poland Cichlids thanks!

Thanks! It's a product called Carderock and it's either granite or basalt, not totally sure.

British are bigger on fish

Thanks!

Thanks Peter

+boomboompow I just soaked them in water for a few hours and wiped them down

Thanks!

Thanks Ray, much appreciated

Did you ever get one?

+Nick Moran I just pull the light all the way to the front of the tank

I’ve never tried window tint. Paint or plasti-dip are the best ways to go in my opinion. Easy to apply and easy to remove

kit.com/stevepoland/aquarium-gear

@@StevePolandAquatics thnx man....for the help .. I appreciate it... 😊😊👍👍

Thanks!

Very happy. Not planning to go back any time soon.

It's landscaping stone made by a company called Carderock

+What Ricers Do What Ricers do yep

Thanks. On this tank I have an Eheim 2260 and two Eheim 2217s.

wow that is legit man no corners cut. they must keep your water parameters peefect

Thanks but you should never be embarrassed. It takes a lot of guts to even post anything which is why most people don't. And if you look at my first videos they were nothing like this. I'm just trying to learn as I go.

Thanks. When I bought them they were dusty but not particularly dirty. They had been sitting outside at a landscaping retailer. I soaked them in hot water and wiped them down before I put them in the tank. Some people say to boil your rocks but I've heard of people having their rocks explode while boiling because of trapped air pockets and I'm not messing around with that.

Steve Poland Cichlids lmao that sounds scary if they were to pop. Oh okay thanks. I always assumed rocks from places not from fish store might harm the fish.. i'll prob do that.

There are tests you can do to rocks to make sure they're aquarium safe. But in general you can save a lot of money because the markup on rocks at a fish store is usually at least several dollars per pound over what you would pay elsewhere.

Steve Poland Cichlids got it, thank you so much!

It's called Carderock and is either granite or basalt, not sure.

Thank you!

@@StevePolandAquatics I had a similar setup with rock I found, black painted background and light sand as yours. I like your rock better. I have searched for Caderock and and haven't found any for sale. Would you mind sharing where you purchased the rock? Thank you! Subbed 🐟🐠🐡

"Carderock"

Got it from a local landscaping supply store

+Ed Scanni it's from a landscaping company. It's called Carderock

Thanks for the reply. I found some "River Rock" at my local landscape supply- took a few pieces home to test them. They all look like the same rock, but one fizzed when I sprayed muriatic acid on it. Just wondering, if the reaction means the presence of carbonate material, wouldn't they be fine for an African tank? Thoughts?

Ed Scanni not sure. Mine didn't fizz

+Theophilis Smith it's a landscaping product called Carderock

+Steve Poland Cichlids did you clean them before you put them in and if you did how?

+Theophilis Smith I just rinsed them off first in a sink.

+Steve Poland Cichlids thanks Steve

Aqueon

Thanks! Love the look!

+Cichlid OG yes

+Alex Cervantes it's a landscaping stone called Carderock

Steve Poland Cichlids Thank you sir! I'm loving the setup! I'm going to do the same in a 40 GL Long...

Thanks!

+Robert Michalski check your local landscaping supplier

I'm told there's good and bad rocks for a tank. Is there a certain type of rock I should get?