Want to start a 50 Gal Cichlid tank, i have a bunch of questions

[cichlidthinker]

First off i have researched a lot and i just want to ask a bunch of questions

and yes i'm quite the ''noob'' when it comes to cichlids so all tips and advice are welcome, but i have had fish for couple of years just not cichlids

thinking of buying JUWEL® Aquarium | Vision 180 UK black is this a fine tank?

i calculated that i should get about 20 cichlids (medium sized to small) to reduce aggression?

if i dont want them to breed(i would just have this 1 tank) what do i do ? i still want both female and males..

can i just use normal sand which can be found outside of my house? or is crushed coral way better ?
can i use any rock i would see outside ? only 1 petstore where i live and its VERY limited

i still want pretty big cichlids would you suggest some for a community tank ?
can you suggest good fish that could be together ?

how do i maintain ph 8.5 and how do i get it up ?
can a common pleco be with them i heard its ok ?
can i use a normal filtration system (the one which comes with the tank, bioflow 3.0)
and can i use normal lighting? (the one which comes with the tank)

i really want a beautiful tank with sand substrate and bunch of rocks and hiding places , i also want plants but are fake ones not better when it comes to cichlids ?

also when i see videos of tanks with cichlids in them i see sometimes double layered sand ? whats up with that ?

all help is great !

 

[stonefly]

I think the "double layer" you are seeing is the reflection of the light in the sand from the side wall. I have pool filter sand in my tank, picked it up at the local ACE Hardware store.

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[garrettkei]

I just added pool filter sand to my tank and It is wonderful. My african cichlids love to dig in it. It's cheap and heavy enough to stay out of the siphon. You do need to rinse it well. I had minimal cloudiness with mine. Someone suggested YouTube for advice on techniques about adding sand. It worked very well for me.

 

[xlarronlx]

Hi i have the some tank as you and im starting a cichlid tank, any updates on how yours went?

 

[cichlidthinker]

Havent started , have to buy it first and in my country its quite expensive lol, money wasnt theu problem bbut now it is


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[Wy Renegade]

Well, since neither of you have started, lets start with the basics. A three foot tank is not adequate for most of the commonly available mbuna, peacock or hap species in the hobby. It is a great tank for a number of types of Dwarf cichlids, ranging from New World German Blue Rams to Rift Lake Shell-dwelling cichlids. If you have to work with that size of tank, I would spend some time researching the various types of Dwarfs; some of the more commonly available ones include Rams, Shell-dwellers or "Shellies", Kribs, Apistogramma and of course anglefish. Once you've determined what type you want to keep, then we can better advise you on things like substrate, rocks, etc.

 

[xlarronlx]

Thanks wy. I have my own thread here http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=302858

You have already kindly offered a little advise. I am currently running things through Andrew. If you could also keep an eye on my thread and add a little advice now and again. Much appreciated.

Any chance you know what all pond solution external filter is like?

 

[Alan26]

First off i have researched a lot and i just want to ask a bunch of questions

and yes i'm quite the ''noob'' when it comes to cichlids so all tips and advice are welcome, but i have had fish for couple of years just not cichlids

thinking of buying JUWEL® Aquarium | Vision 180 UK black is this a fine tank?

i calculated that i should get about 20 cichlids (medium sized to small) to reduce aggression? IMO that is way too many for this size of a tank...once you decide what type of cichlid(s) you want, the people in here can guide you on # options...i always prefer "understocked"...on that tank (and i would suggest a longer tank) i may not go over 6 4-6 inch cichlids, but "overstocking" at 12-14 could be ok...

if i dont want them to breed(i would just have this 1 tank) what do i do ? i still want both female and males..if you have male and females of same species you can't stop them from breeding...they will or they won't...if they happen to produce fry then they will probably get eaten before they get older...if there are enough nooks and crannys they may get bigger and you can find homes for them...

can i just use normal sand which can be found outside of my house? or is crushed coral way better ? depends on what's outside your house and how well you rinse out the silt, clay, organic matter, etc...should probably avoid this with cichlids tho...i always suggest pool filter sand...still rinse it out well to avoid cloudiness...
can i use any rock i would see outside ? only 1 petstore where i live and its VERY limited not just "any rock" but be wary of rocks with lots of iron, soft limestone, splintering, etc...there are good guides out there if someone else knows where they will post them...if not i'll look...i use petrified wood mostly...

i still want pretty big cichlids would you suggest some for a community tank ?
can you suggest good fish that could be together ? you're simply going to have to see what's available to you and what you like...again with that tank avoid big cichlids...

how do i maintain ph 8.5 and how do i get it up ? it doesn't need to be that high...if you can keep it between 7.4-8.4 you'll be good...if your source water is below 7.2ish consider looking into cichlids that are from lower ph environments...like jewels....limestone, crushed coral, etc. all help to raise ph...
can a common pleco be with them i heard its ok ? sometimes it works sometimes it don't...i don't...
can i use a normal filtration system (the one which comes with the tank, bioflow 3.0)
and can i use normal lighting? (the one which comes with the tank) if overstocking consider added filtration aeration...like air stones, or sump refugium...(i never overstock without a refugium)...

i really want a beautiful tank with sand substrate and bunch of rocks and hiding places , i also want plants but are fake ones not better when it comes to cichlids ? live plants don't usually last long with cichlids...like with pleco's...sometimes it can work...

also when i see videos of tanks with cichlids in them i see sometimes double layered sand ? whats up with that ? light only goes so far...

all help is great !

hope this helps...

 

[Wy Renegade]

Thanks wy. I have my own thread here Time for a change... Livebearer to Cichlid Tank Advice - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

You have already kindly offered a little advise. I am currently running things through Andrew. If you could also keep an eye on my thread and add a little advice now and again. Much appreciated.

Any chance you know what all pond solution external filter is like?

I've been watching, things seem to be moving along in the right direction. Unfortunately I am not familiar with that particular filter.

 

[xlarronlx]

I have found someone who has been running one for around 6+ months now and his has been fine. Running smoothly. Definitely will purchase this, really good filter at an awesome price. I guess with branded filters your paying for the brand name aswell. I will keep updating my thread when things are on the go. Tomorrow I will be picking up my sand and rockery