I have a 2 meter, 1000 litre Tanganyikan tank. At first I had cichlids from lakes Malawi and Victoria as well, but my experience is that the Tanganyikans are docile and super relaxing to watch.
I'm getting ready to start my first African tank, a 75g Tanganikian. To be stocked with White Calvas and Frontosas. You just answered my substrate question. Thanks and great looking tank.
FYI, a large syphon hose and a five gallon bucket work perfectly for removing substrate while tank still has water in it, its fast, its clean, & it gets every bit of sand or gravel, great videos, thanks
wow looks great and a very uncluttered video ...not that easy is it .. after 50 years of fish keeping i have settled on a 190 gal lake Tanganyika biotope. at the foot of our bed.. they are an extremely diverse group of fish complete with sun rise mid day and sun set . 1 small java fern not even sure where it came from . its about 1 cubic foot now. thanks for sharing i have subscribed today and look forward to watching more of your work ....stay safe.. be kind
Hi Fincasters, I recently set up a 200 litre (I'm in the UK) cichlid tank (I think that's around 50 US gallons) & after watching this video I purchased two 9kg (20lbs) bags of the very same eco-complete cichlid sand and found that 18kg was nowhere near enough. I had to mix in another 10kg of silica sand to get that nice, deep bed look. So that's roughly 28kg/60lbs of sand in a 92cm/3ft tank. I took 3 days for the water to clear but it was well worth it in the end. Great video btw!
This was a great help for when I get my larger set up for a show tank once I move. Sadly where I'm at now the floor stress level can't handle anything bigger than a 55 gallon. In my tank I have a mix of Africans and South Americans and there is no chasing, besides when the males are getting frisky with the ladies. I do plan to divide them in the future as my goal is to breed electric blue jack Dempsey's. I have 2 with the blue gene and 4 without it planning to put them in a 200-gallon tank once I move.
Excellent video! I greatly enjoyed watching the whole thing. I have been an aquarium enthusiast for about 8 years now and love cichlids! I am working on a 55 gallon setup now!
Good point about the light. It's left over from my planted set up. I've reduced the photo period to only 3 hours per day -- or I turn it on only when viewing. Also I only run 2 of the 4 bulbs.
You have a nice tank set up sir. I think with the rock less is more. With that being said though it's your tank so you have it set up the way you like it. Just my opinion though
One thing I'm worried about is possible algae outbreaks. That light I'm guessing is a dual or quad t5ho which is a lot of light for a cichlid tank with no means of nutrient outtake other than water changes.
Central American Cichlids seem to have more interesting behaviors and personalities but tend to be more aggressive so definitely not for beginners. They usually require extra large tanks but can withstand a wide range of water parameters.
i always wanted to create a simple yet elegant tank setup and this has solved my problem.Amazing stuff and I am in process of creating this same setup,though I have a question. Can I add a few artificial plants??
Hello John. I am wanting to setup my first African Cichlid tank and this is what I am working with... A 44 gallon corner tank (pentagon shaped), a Penn Plax 1000 cannister filter (265 GPH) filled with Bio-Home Ultimate and Purigen with a 2-piece fine/course sponge in the bottom. The decor consists of 10 hollow Cichlid stones with a few plastic plants and crushed coral for the substrate. Now I have a few questions after watching a ton of videos here on RU-vid. I am torn between buying Mbuna or Peacocks. I wanted Mbuna originally but after discovering that they are typically the most aggressive, I am leaning more towards the Peacocks. The problem with that idea is tank size. I know that Peacocks can get quite a bit larger than Mbuna and I am already working with a smaller sized tank. I want to get a 125 gallon at some point but funds are tight and I haven't found one at a good price yet. After I decide between Mbuna or Peacocks, I need to determine how many I should put in the tank. John over at KG Tropicals recommends 1 Cichlid per 2 gallons of water, assuming that we aren't talking about Frontosas. Using that formula, I should be able to add around 20 fish (minus the space taken up by the substrate and decor) but I am thinking about adding ~10 fish and wondering if that would be enough to curb aggression. And on the topic of agression, I have watched/heard/read that aggression can be tempered by lowering the water temperature. I've also heard that lower temperatures can be a breeding ground for parasites & disease. This has created a kind of balanciing act and I'm not sure where to set my heater for ideal conditions. As of right now, it is set to 28 Celsius or 82 Farenheit. So what do you think? What do you recommend? Is there anything I should consider changing before buying my 10 fish?
I think you have thought this through very well. A couple of thoughts: I would go with 10 Peacocks for sure. Mbuna are very interesting and you may enjoy them for awhile -- but they are quarrelsome to say the least. I would suggest you might add a couple of Tanganyikan cichlids from the smaller range -- maybe julies or leulupi -- as they will engage with your holy rock more than the peacocks which tend to be more open water swimmers. As to temp -- I don't have much experience with that -- but if you add a UV light to your filtration system it will take care of most parasites. As you go forward with your tank, you'll get a feel for your fish and I'm sure you'll discover some fish that you "just have to have" Don't worry about "failing" just enjoy!
Thank you for the fast reply. I will take your advice and go for the Peacocks as I am really hoping to keep the agrression to a minimum. I will also look at some of the small Tanganyikan Cichlids to add in with them. All of the fish will be going in together so hopefully they will grow and play well with each other. I already have an in-tank 18w UV light with a powehead attached. I bought it to help control algae as the tank is very close to my living room window (the only 90 degree corner in my living room) and use an automatic timer for it and the LED lights I put on the tank, running them from 4 - 10pm each night.
I like Fronts! They are among my favorite fish. This tank is only a 55 and I think they would outgrow it pretty quickly. Now when I set up my 180... :)
Something I'm trying is using limestone rocks, there is a lot of nice pieces where I live. For safety you can put a piece of Plexiglas or acrylic under the rock.
Awesome setup...subbed! How many millimeter glass do you have? I'm thinking of using egg crate under my rocks but I'm worried about how much weight could my tank handle with egg crate below.
Hi dude, thanks so much for replying. I thought you would have used mature media etc. Hope you didn't mind me asking. I can remember years ago when I first step my IRS fish tank, didn't know back then what I know now about cycling a tank, you know the drill dude. Where did your flat rocks ? I want to make caves in my African tank. I have a lot of large shadow rock, but they are way too big for my four foot tank. There are lots of flat rock on the local beach but it's illegal to get them so trying to find somewhere where I can buy them. I live in the U.K. Wish u knew how to do videos of my fish tank ? I have a breeding tank with approximately 100 jack Dempsey fry that are two months old. I really like Dempsey 's. also breed African blue dolphins, but only got about 30-40 five month old fry, loads of water changes or me to do, which is difficult as I'm disabled veteran but some times get help from nephew. I will check out more of your videos, many thanks
Great video man. I got a tank to start avocado seeds, ended up with a pregnant black convict and her mate. And the seeds actually sprout in there. Thinking they get extra nutes from the fish water
This is a great video, thank you i am interested in making a cichlid tank but I might wait still a year ? I have a 65 gallon tank that u am learning to manage now
Many say you should use smaller grain substrate sand (0-1mm), instead of the bigger 2-3mm you seem to be using, due to the fact that cichlids like to shovel a lot in it.
Question you added sand that had beneficial bacteria, but you added tap water on top of it, wont this kill all of that bacteria? Should you dechlorinate the water and then add the sand?
Loach is looking at you like: what have you done? you bastard! Yea im still alive! I was just hiding from you! I did something like that when cleaning my tank I found one single guppy fry at the bottom.. I had dragged him through the gravel before I noticed him at the bottom. I scooped him up thinking he would die because I found him outta water in a pile of gravel. I quickly put him in the temporary storage tank with the other fish and he lived. Today its thriving and very strong. Its now my favorite fish because hes a survivor.
Hi there, nice job dude. I was surprised you added fish so quickly after setting up the tank? Did u used mature Water from another cichlid tank? Rocks look great, I'm always worried of a rock slide !! You have great looking cichlids. I have 5 tanks. One 400 litre American tank and two 260 litre African cichlid tank, plus 200 litre breeding tank and a 90 litre hospital tank. Lots of work but enjoyable.
Great advice. I've recently set up an Mbuna aquarium and I'm posting videos of my progress let me know what you think if you get a chance to look. May I ask for some advice, please? I have predominantly peacocks, a few yellow labs and just introduced some pseudochromis, acei and maylandia. How quickly should I add more fish to get it fully stocked? The water is testing fine so can I just go ahead in one swoop and stock up? I also fancy some demasoni - any tips on them. I hope you don't mind me asking but you seem to know your stuff. I have kept community fish for many years - just getting into the mbuna.
its best to add all the fish at once if you can afford to do this. Once the fish establish territory and a pecking order its much harder to introduce fish. Not saying it cant be done but its much harder.
Where did you find the rocks? Setting up my own 55 gallon cichlid tank and those rocks are so nice and flat surfaced. If you got them near Roanoke I would love to know where!
The tank came out beautifully! I am wondering about the weight of the rocks? Would a 35 pound piece of Jasper (approx. 12"x10"x6") be too heavy in my 125 gal? I would appreciate any insight, thank you! Take good care of you and yours.
Thank you for your reply. I have put it in and it looks gorgeous! It's kind of a funny rock as it actually looks like a fish (as a child might draw) at one end, lol. Take good care of you and yours.
I was just giving three African cichlid in a bucket how would I get them room temperature do they need to be room temperature before I put them in the tank
Hi I have a Juwel rio 400ltr stacked with heavy grey rock. How much weight can the glass base take. I'd say i have over 60kg. The rock has been in the tank for about 10 months.
Hi If I use as per your way eco complit cichlids sand then I should not use any other nitrifying bacteria ( dr. Tim's ) I mean sand is enough to cycle the brand new tank ?
How do you properly clean rocks that you just find outside, to make them safe for aquarium use? And can you use big chunks of cement if you clean them very well too?
I t depends upon how dirty they are. Typically I just rinse them with a garden hose and scrub with a brush. I also try to leave them in the hot sun to make it inhospitable for bacteria -- especially if you have pulled the rocks out of the dirt. I have gone so far as to bake the rocks in the oven -- or boil them -- but lately that feels like over-kill. Good luck Jared and enjoy!
+Sammie May Hi Sammy. A lot of people have expressed that concern. In marine aquariums it is not unusual to have a pound of rock for every gallon of water. sometimes up to two lbs. Saltwater critters really like to dig and move gravel, so the fear is that the rocks will tumble -- and that would break the glass for sure. After learning to stack the marine rock directly on the glass, I began doing it in my cichlid tanks for similar reasons, and I've never had an incident with breakage. Hope that helps -- jc
What type of light is that and how many lumens....I have a 55 tall and wanna convert to sand and rocks. Right now I have black gravel and manzanita with a marineland LED hood light....not much light except for a night which is when I'm asleep
Fincaster, You have information and inspired me with this tank setup. I'm in the process of re-homing my mix African cichlid tank. What are the names of the fish you stocked this tank with?
How do you know how much weight your tanks bottom can take? Thats an insane amount of weight with the rock, sand, water and plants. Im going to start over and redu my tank and i want to use large lava rock but im unsure how to do it so i dont break my tank
I don’t have a specific answer. I just know that in marine tanks we use similar amounts of live rock all the time, and it’s never been a problem! In marine tanks we use about a pound of rock per gallon.
Haha just seeing this video 7 yrs later and omg stressed out when it's on the glass I'm just trying to figure out ideas for my two tanks that I never have like this .
I have a 75g glass tank Freshwater.. I was wondering..Does the bottom of the tank need 100% support under the glass or is support only around the edges OK? I don't have 100% support.. Was hoping it's OK Thank you Joe
stateniland I would use plastic egg crate if you have any worries about rock. It distributes the weight evenly and keeps the points of the rock from cracking the glass
Quick question. Where do you get the rocks you used to stack and how much are they? I want to tear down my 40 GL South American cichlid tank and do this!
I know this is old video but , what did you do with the Horse head loach after you found it ? And how did it survive under the gravel for such a long time .( I found loaches in genral can survive through quit alot i had a weather loach 12cm about and my wayer got hardh chemicals in the tank due to my nephew who was 2 at the time all the other fish died byt my Loach was dead well atleast i athought ready to get rid of all the bodies and it did a massive leap and coverd it self in a slime coat wich can survive a week out kf water by and put it back in the commtaminted water i was bad it survived another 1 week and then died but i survived along time due to the conditions . I was 10 at the time a knew nothing how to care about fish i had a comet goldfish white and a common i hate my self for it)
+Aquatic squid The aquarium is 55 gallons. And i still have the loach. It is living in my office aquarium and now I see it every day at feeding time. May do a Fincast on it soon. They like to burrow, and when they are stressed -- they stay that way. I was so pumped when I found, and it's now about double in size.
I have a 55 gallon with two hang on the back filters and I was wondering if these would be able to clean up the tank well enough because it's gonna be difficult to clean my tank with the syphon after I put those big rocks in my tanks
+DAniel Puirse It depends on the size and the gallons per hour. But they will prolly be fine along with regular water changes. Crüe more flow you can get in the tank the better. If you can churn up the bottom with a power head or some thing to get the detritus up, then the siphon will still help!
hello..great..i have a tank kind of the same size and i am afraid of setting big rocks un there,,,is the 10ml glass holding that weight with no consecuences???
+Maio Jim not a bad idea -- as long as the stack is super stable -- so if the fish dig everything stays in place. Tumbling would be the worst thing you could face. Good luck!
Hi Gerado. Thanks. Sorry I don't know the thickness of the glass. This is a standard 55 gallon aquarium. Nothing extra to hold the rock load or anything.
fincasters thank you for the response; living in AustinTexas I’m afforded tons of Likestone HoleyRock given you know where to look. I’m looking forward to setting up my tank
+Marvin Williams Hi Marvin -- I used rocks from a local rock pile. I've also pulled some from the river occasionally, in order to find smoother ones. You always run a bit of risk not buying from the fish store -- but I have never had any issues. Just be sure to clean them real well. I will occasionally bake them or leave them just to be sure everything is dead.
