90 gallon peacock tank setup

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rayhawk

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
May 10, 2015
Messages
9
I’m getting ready to set up a new 90 gallon tank, here is my basic plan, please give me some feedback on my choices.
I have an Eheim ecco pro canister filter , 198 gph running on my current 29 gallon setup. Planning on another one of these or something similar.

90 gallon standard glass tank: 48x18x24, with a glass lid. I am going to order this from my local store, is there any reason to consider the marineland overflow equipped tank? I understand these are generally used for marine tanks with sumps, but I really don’t understand the purpose and/or benefits of the dedicated overflow area.
Stand: I am going to build my own stand and canopy to save some money, and because the off the shelf stands don’t match our furniture. Planning on a 28-30” height, I want it to be at a nice viewing height but not so tall as to make maintenance especially difficult.
Lighting: leaning toward the Current USA satellite led plus pro, 48-60”. Or maybe the Marineland advanced led strip light 48-60” to save some money, and opinions on these? Is the current worth the extra money?
Substrate: 50-70 lbs of Carib Sea sahara sand. Not sure how much I need but this stuff has a nice look to it. Any maintenance issues with this type of sand? I plan on getting some eggcrate material to support the rocks, will I have problems with bacteria building up under the sand?
Background: 3d background from universal rocks, leaning toward the crevice style. One thing I am not clear on is how to configure the pickup(s) for the filter with this type of background.
Décor: Some combination of rocks, still not sure exactly what I want here.
Plants: No ideas yet, but I would like a handful of live plants. Something low maintenance.
Fish: I have 3 cichlids in my current 29 gallon setup, at least one is a male mbuna, not too sure on the others. I must admit I enjoy the mbuna, but the size and beauty of the peacocks has really caught my eye. Any chance I could keep my mbuna with a primarily peacock tank?
I have to admit that low maintenance is important to me. I need a setup that is easy to clean and maintain. Please keep this in mind with any suggestions.
 
Depends on the mbuna. If its a yellow lab, it will probably be fine. If its a zebra or kenyi or auratus probably not.

Everything else looks good. I'm following.

Hmm, I believe he is a kenyi. Will take some pics tonight of my current fish.
 
Top is a yellow tail acei. Next is a bumblebee. Last one looks Kenyi. Are his bars usually a little darker?

The acei will be fine. Bumblebee and kenyi not so much.
 
Top is a yellow tail acei. Next is a bumblebee. Last one looks Kenyi. Are his bars usually a little darker?

The acei will be fine. Bumblebee and kenyi not so much.

Yeah, sometimes the bars are more pronounced. I guess I will have to find some new homes for these guys. :(
 
Do I need a glass lid for the tank if I am going to have a canopy? Hoping to get the tank ordered tonight or tomorrow. :)
 
Ok, I got the approval to go with a 120 gallon, 48x24x24. Does the extra size change much in terms of equipment? I'm thinking of going with an Eheim 2217, will this be sufficient along with my current ECCO 300? Will one light strip be enough to handle the extra depth over the 90 gallon?
 
Well, I got the 120, and my wife hated it and said it was too big... So I am back to the 90 gallon, just waiting on the stand to come in for it. I am starting to plan for stocking the new tank. Some fish that really catch my eye are the Livinstoni cichlid, the Electric Blue Hap (Sciaenochromis fryeri), Ruby Red Peacock (Aulonocara stuartgranti), and maybe some Lemon Jack cichlids. What combination of these (if any) would work? Are the female Livinstoni smaller than the males? I am impressed by the size of these fish, but I don't want to squeeze them into too small of a tank.
 
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