Little help on a possible new set up

[JHawk]

Hey all!

I've got a 38 gallon live plant tank up & humming in our family room and now I'm feeling like adding a new tank in my basement office. There is an Oceanic set up on clearance at my LFS. 50G-kind of on the square side. Tank, lid, light, stand for about $300. It's black with kind a brushed steel look on the stand.

1. Does that seem to be a reasonable price? I don't have the patience to look for used stuff or DIY. (I guess, $$ not that much of an object- tax right off because it's my business office)

2. I had some problems with changing the water with the current 20G in the office with the python. I couldn't get enough pressure to suck water out up the stairs & into the utility sink. Is there a add on tool or another method I need to be aware of? I'm in Illinois so I can't hook up to an outside hose 6 months of the year. Needless to say, I wouldn't be looking forward to hauling buckets up & down stairs 2 times a month.

3. Is that big enough to have African chiclids?? How many would be good and what kind. I would rather have a smaller species with more of them in there than a few big boys. Also, any other good compatable fish with them?

I would have more of a rock looks with caves, etc for them. Not sure about live plants. Maybe not. :?

Thank you for listening and taking time out of your busy lives to help out a total stranger!

That is all.

jhawk

 

[Fishyfanatic]

1. Does that seem to be a reasonable price? I don't have the patience to look for used stuff or DIY. (I guess, $$ not that much of an object- tax right off because it's my business office)

The price on that Oceanic sounds very reasonable.

2. I had some problems with changing the water with the current 20G in the office with the python.

I too am from Illinois and use the Python for sucking water out of the tank from the outside faucet only, not for filling. The water temp isn't a problem when emptying. For refilling, the good ol bucket is going to be the best you can do unless you have a faucet in the basement that you can control temp with. The water pressure may be slow, but then you won't have to haul buckets. Also, what you could do is smaller more frequent water changes. You could do a 5 gal water change every couple days (For cichlids)

3. Is that big enough to have African chiclids??

That is big enough for some afican cichlids. You have many options to choose from. Yellow Labs are my favorite but I love the Johanni's, Acei's, Cobalts, ok I love them all. But you have many options available for a 55 gal tank. That's where we started.

I would have more of a rock looks with caves, etc for them

When getting into Cichlids you really need a lot of hiding places. They will be more at ease.

Thank you for listening and taking time out of your busy lives to help out a total stranger!

That's what we're here for! Post as often as you need.

 

[TomK2]

Your python problem is that you are trying to make it work uphill. I have noticed that suction is reduced when I python a tank that is near floor level, and that means the tank is just a few feet below faucet height. You are trying to python a tank that is a whole floor below faucet height! Any chance you can have a utility sink installed in the basement? Then the python will work great. Otherwise a pump would be needed.

I have seen the oceanic stands and tanks you are describing all over the place in office settings (dentist, doctor, vet) and they look great! Sounds like a good price.

Another Illinois resident here!

 

[JHawk]

Thanks for all your help, me fellow Illlinoisians

The price on that Oceanic sounds very reasonable.

That's what I though, but better safe than sorry! My last tank (the 38G) turned out to be a money pit.

I too am from Illinois and use the Python for sucking water out of the tank from the outside faucet only, not for filling.

I'm a wimp. No thanks on the outside faucet for me! It COLD out there, my house= nice n' toasty!

I'll look into getting a utility sink down here or doing the 5 gal change idea. That sounds good.

Well, it looks like I'm going to make the plunge! I will keep you abreast.

P.S. Go Illini

(I'm a Kansas Jayhawk, but we got taken out in the first round)

Jhawk

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I am a Saluki! Too bad we were taken out in the second round. I had real high hopes for the Sweet 16.

 

[JHawk]

You got beat by a darn good team. Nothing to be ashamed about. They may make the FF.

 

[BASSNMAN]

You could adapt a inline pump or power heat into the hose of your python near the vac end. This would push water up the hose much better than the siphon. I know several people that use this method on their pythons at the discharge end to fill with R/O or salt water. Just make sure the pump is powerful enough.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The sucky part about it is that noone recognizes SIU. When there was a story on foxnews online they were talking about the people who lost on Sunday and not once was SIU mentioned, or for that matter, anyone in the MVC. It seems like we are considered sub standard. The funny part is, we've made it to the tourney for 4 years straight yet noone mentions us. I for once would like to be able to open up espn.com, search for SIU and actually find an article or just SOMETHING about us. We have to be doing something right though beacuse Illini bought out our head coach Bruce Weber. Then another school bought out head coach Matt Painter last year. And when I went to msn.com the other day, one of the frequent searches was "Who is Darren Brooks?" AN SIU PLAYER! He has been looked at by several pro teams. Sorry, I don't mean to rant. It's just that The Dance makes me crazy sometimes. Thankfully I have fish to make me happy.

 

[JHawk]

The local sports talk up here, AM 670 The Score, had SIU's head coach on for a lengthly interview during the past few weeks. He sounds like a really good guy-knows his stuff, good personality, likable. He should be able to keep him on the same path.

SIU has been getting a little more visibility because of Weber being the guy holding the reigns on the number one team all year & his roots coming thru there. You need to break through to the sweet 16 or even final 8 one year and then the big media start paying a little attention. (see: Gonzaga) You guys played OSU tough. I was rooting for ya. If they can make it past AZ, IL vs OSU should be a great match up.

Wait a minute, what board am I on??? Oh, my bad, I thought it was college buckets.

Back to the fish. I'm going to read up on some of the ones you recommended. Are there any bottom feeders that do well with them? I looked at your gallery. You don't have live plants, right?

jhawk

 

[JHawk]

Bassman-

You could adapt a inline pump or power heat into the hose of your python near the vac end.

I going to look for that option. Any pump you could recommend?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

JHawk- We were in the Sweet 16 with Weber. We were the "Cindarella Story" that year. Anyways. back to fishies. Sorry to get off track there. To answer your questions:

Are there any bottom feeders that do well with them?

When you are looking into African Cichlid's, they are pretty much your only option when it comes to tank mates. Pleco's do well with them, but I wouldn't reccommend anything else unless it was an African besides a pleco. My brother has a clown loach in their 55 with African's, but I don't think he will last long.

You don't have live plants, right?

No live plants. I don't think there are any live plants that you can have with African Cichlids. They like to redecorate and will pull up your plants or damage the roots. They also will eat many of them for lunch. If you really want to have a planted tank, you need to look into another specie. I think their may be a few plants that will live with the cichlids, but I'm not sure what the are. I lost interest in finding out which ones it was when I realized how much our cichlids dig and move stuff around.

 

[JHawk]

Just got back from the LFS with the tank...It's sweet! I'm going to order the other stuff online. Cannister filter, heater, better light fixture, etc. Not going to do live plants on this one. Liking the African Cichlid tank idea.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Good Luck!

 

[JHawk]

50 Gallon set up update with some photos.

Here is an update of the 50G Oceanic in my office. I'm in the middle of a fishless cycle. Maybe need to add more rocks. Definitely want to do an African Cichlid tank. Like the yellow labs. What others(cichlids) might go well with them? How many can I get in the 50? Where online can I order them?

 

[JHawk]

update on set up-pics included

While I'm at it, here is the 38 Gallon. Unfortunately, it's not looking so hot recently. Many of those plants didn't do well.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The tanks look great! The amount of fish that you keep in the 50 will depend on what you choose. Yellow Labs are beautiful fish. I have four of them in my tank right now (1 adult, three babies) and I have them with Acei's, Johanni's, Peacocks, well, I won't name all of them. Are you looking to have a specific group of cichlids? Example: All Mbuna?

 

[JHawk]

Sorry I didn't get back. I will look into these fish. Started my fishless cycle on Saturday and it's going pretty well. I think the old filter media is really helping get it started.

 

[Jchillin]

Jhawk - Have you considered "New World" aka "South American" cichlids? These do well in planted tanks are non-aggressive.

 

[JHawk]

Actually, in my new tank I'm not going to do live plants. I think I need to go to the library and get a book to read up on some of these. Is there a good website? I have googled cichlids in the past and came up with a few but you may have one you like.

Jhawk