My New 150.. any suggestions? - Aquarium Advice

mfdrookie516 · 08-10-2009, 01:52 PM

So as several of you know already, i bought a 125 <EDIT: it is 150 gal on further calculations.> last night for $250

I got all kinds of goodies with it (heaters, powerheads, super nice reef lighting, etc) and of course the stand and tank... im not going to take the plunge just yet in to saltwater as our baby will be here in november and i know i wont have the time or money for that. Im doing a cichlid tank, probably going to put 20 red devils in it... Im using PFS as the substrate... Not sure on filtration yet, i know ill be putting my fluval 305 and 405 in there, along with at least one HOB, will that be enough? also, my main question, the guy had it set up as a reef aquarium, so its had sw in it for a year or so... whats the preferrred method for cleaning it out and removing all the sw? thanks guys, appreciate any suggestions

mfdrookie516 · 08-10-2009, 02:03 PM

one other question... is the reef lighting too much for cichlids? i dont want to blind them

HN1 · 08-10-2009, 02:09 PM

White vinegar should clean it up well. 20 Red devils is WAY too much even for a tank that large.

mfdrookie516 · 08-10-2009, 02:14 PM

oh really? ok, i wont get that many then... i found a guy with some and he has 22, i wasnt sure how many to get, but based on the 1 gallon per inch rule (that is clearly not effective or used by you guys because its not accurate at all) i figured at 2" each, they had more than enough room... what would you suggest stocking it with? i want at least a couple of red devils, and i have my JD and convict i could always put in there, if compatable... obviously i have a couple weeks before i can put any in it, but ive got plenty of holding tanks for the time being... im giving away my bala sharks and tin foil barbs, and probably my fairy cichlids too because im only keeping the 125 and another 55...

HN1 · 08-10-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfdrookie516

oh really? ok, i wont get that many then... i found a guy with some and he has 22, i wasnt sure how many to get, but based on the 1 gallon per inch rule (that is clearly not effective or used by you guys because its not accurate at all) i figured at 2" each, they had more than enough room... what would you suggest stocking it with? i want at least a couple of red devils, and i have my JD and convict i could always put in there, if compatable... obviously i have a couple weeks before i can put any in it, but ive got plenty of holding tanks for the time being... im giving away my bala sharks and tin foil barbs, and probably my fairy cichlids too because im only keeping the 125 and another 55...

You need to look at the adult size of the fish versus their current size. I saw several 12-14" (and BULKY) RDs at the ACA last year. Add to their bulk, their temperament and I can't seem how it would work with more than 2-3. I do need to insert the disclaimer that I have never personally kept them.

mfdrookie516 · 08-10-2009, 02:26 PM

well regardless of whether youve kept them or not, you make a good point. the father of these weighs about 2lbs and looks like hes every bit of 12" long.. i honestly didnt think about that. hmmm... any ideas for tankmates? maybe 2-3 of them, with some other cichlids? i want colorful fish, and of course with these readily available and free, i cant pass them up for now, but i can always give them away if need be later down the road...

mfdrookie516 · 08-10-2009, 10:58 PM

As promised, here are a couple pics of the new aquarium

sitting beside it (temporarily) is a 30 gal, so you can see just how massive it really is.. im so excited... i still have alot of cleaning as it was a running sw reef tank up until last night, but i have all of the powerheads, heaters, lights, glass tops, and stand cleaned, now i just have to tackle the tank... what do ya think... worth $250? And btw, it looks wet because it is, along with me.. as soon as i got home, it started storming... you should have seen me and my fiance lol, we walked in dripping wet because the rain absolutely POURED.

severum mama · 08-10-2009, 11:50 PM

Looks like the same tank we have (5 foot instead of 6 foot). Great size.

Unfortunately, I'd be really surprised if more than one red devil could live together as adults. To my knowledge, even the folks with breeding pairs don't house them together in the long term; they instead separate the fish when the deed is done. I'm not sure what other fish to recommend as tank mates for a red devil... I think anything that would equal a RD in terms of aggression would be a hit or miss sort of prospect. JMO.

mfdrookie516 · 08-10-2009, 11:57 PM

ok, what would you all recommend? i know if the baby werent on the way, i would go for sw, i just destroyed a bunch of coraline algae (please no harsh comments) and emptied 75lbs of live sand in to the yard... i want something colorful and red devils are all i could find free lol... i like the peacocks, i just want to be able to put several nice fish in and not worry about finding them dead the next morning...

HN1 · 08-11-2009, 12:00 AM

Do you want "wet pets" or a naturalistic display? There's soooooo many possibilities with that tank size!