Coming from Salt Water to Fresh Water

[CEverii]

So, I need to unfortunately take my current 75 SW aquarium, and revert it back to a FW aquarium. I'm going to do an African Cichlid tank. Is it the same principles as a salt water tank?

Equipment:
-Powerhead
-Sump or Canister Filter
-Heater
-Sand
-Live Rock (Well I'm going to be turning my current LR into Base Rock for the cichlid tank)


Only thing I am curious is the all famous fish per gallon rule. What is the deal with Cichlids?

 

[mattrox]

If you are doing a mbuna tank you can get about 30 fish into a 75 gal. I know of hobbyists that stock more heavily. Usually the will have a fluval fx5 or 2 or equivalent, or atleast an fx 5 (or equvalent) + flow maker for surface agitation.

Part 1 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles #1
Part 2 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 2
Part 3 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 3

 

[mattrox]

Part 4 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 4
Part 5 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 5
Part 6 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 6

 

[mattrox]

Part 7 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 7
Part 8 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 8
Part 9 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 9

 

[mattrox]

Part 10 Cichlid Aquarium Keeping Principles # 10

 

[CEverii]

Awesome series of vids. Pretty much answered almost all my questions but one...

Is there such thing as too much flow? I've got two pretty beefy powerheads.

 

[mattrox]

Cichlids love flow.

 

[CEverii]

One more thing too lol!


Can I even reuse the stuff out of my SW tank? Like Rock, Sand, Power heads and stuff? What would be the process for drying out my LR and making it ready to use in a fresh water tank

 

[mattrox]

Dry it out in the sun and rinse it...... SOme people would bleach it in a bucket, then rinse, then rinse again in decholorinator.

 

[mgamer20o0]

Cichlids love flow.

not always. there is a thing as too much flow.

One more thing too lol!


Can I even reuse the stuff out of my SW tank? Like Rock, Sand, Power heads and stuff? What would be the process for drying out my LR and making it ready to use in a fresh water tank

personally i would sell it since its worth more as alive then dead.

 

[mattrox]

Since the thread was about all that rock, I (maybe wrongly) assumbed mbuna. Many mbuna come from wave washed rocky habitat. Lake Malawi has currents and storms which whip up the water. Most mbuna appreicate strong flow.

True that there can be too much flow, but you can always judge that and take out a powerhead.