Convert to a cichlid tank

[th08tu]

Ok here goes,
So I have a large tank that is currently planted, on one half, and a rock formation on the other. I am looking to convert it to a Lake Malawi Cichlid tank look. Therefore I will be adding sand, removing the plants, and creating a large rock formation with a more suitable type of rock. So anyways I have a few questions, bare in mind I already have the cichlids, and have had them for about 2 months and I am looking to make the tank more accurate to their natural habitat.

1) If I remove the gravel that is in there and add sand, regardless of how well I clean the sand, I know I am going to get a fog for at least a day or two. Is this fog going to be harmful to the fish, as it is very small particles of sand floating around? Obviously I would be removing the fish from the tank while I do the change so I am more worried about the fog from the sand than actually putting the sand in.

2) What type of rocks do you find would be most suitable for this type of tank? I was thinking of making a type of underwater cliff, with various cracks and caves to allow for territories for the fish.

3) What is the best way to maintain my cycle so that I do not put the fish into a "new" tank? I am thinking that if I plan ahead well enough, and load up some HOB filters with bio-pellets, I can create and keep enough bacteria in the filter to support the 4 fish I have already, and not have to recycle the tank. I am not worried about a bacteria bloom, as they do not harm the fish, just more worried about an ammonia/nitrite spike.

4) What type of sand do you guys find is best to create a natural looking tank? I am tossing up a few ideas right now between argonite, pool filter sand, or maybe a black sand(I know black isn't natural but it looks so cool IMO)

5)Lastly, thank you for reading if you still are. do you think it would look out of place to have some java moss growing on the rocks? I am thinking that this would help to keep algae down, while also providing some extra food for the fish.

Anyways I am still in the planning stages as my current tank is functioning fine, I am just looking to change it around. Hopefully you guys will have some good tips on how to make this transition with minimal/no fish loss. Thanks everybody for your time.

 

[dkpate]

Check this site out for tank ideas! Good luck!

CICHLID - FORUM                Your Tanks

 

[mfdrookie516]

alright, lets get started... keep in mind, this is only my opinion

1- if you go with pfs, and you rinse it good enough, chances are you wont see any cloudiness... if you do, some filter floss will clear it right up. wont harm the fish

2- lace rock is highly recommended for mbuna tanks, it acts as a ph buffer as well, but it is nice and porous and will provide lots of surface area for bacteria... as you may know, you will need plenty of that bacteria as most all african cichlids are extremely messy eaters.

3- i dont guess i understand your question. if the tank is already established and cycled, and all you are doing is changing substrate and removing plants/adding rock, chances are the most that could happen would be a mini cycle.. adding more bio-media will definately help prevent that.

4- PFS!

5- wouldnt hurt to try... chances are it wont make it very long, but if you have some extra, it would be worth a shot

 

[th08tu]

alright thanks very much for your answers, last question maybe ...

where do you get pool folter sand from? I am thinking like a pool shop but I don't know if they would stock it this time of the year.

 

[mfdrookie516]

sorry for not knowing much about canada, but do you all have a meijer up there? if you do, you might find it there. home depot also has it. pool supply stores would probably still have it though, alot of indoor pools are still open. i got mine for $1.99 a bag at meijer, but it shouldnt be any more than $10 for a 50lb bag

 

[th08tu]

Hey everybody, thanks for all the replies, here is how it goes so far.

I have purchased argonite sand because I think it will help give me a buffer for my ph, and for the dust I am going to put it in a bucket over night with a HOB filter on it to help hopefully.
I still have to get the rocks and I am having a hard time finding them. I might just cheat a little bit and get slate, but I am not sure yet. Anyways I will update with pictures hopefully a little later.

 

[dkpate]

I used slate, since we have a TON of it here, and some granite. You could just stick your gravel in a bucket outside, put a hose in it as far down as you can get it, and let the water "flush" the gravel overnight. That is what I did with my sand and it worked great. Good luck!

 

[HN1]

I think MFD is on the money. I'll add a couple things though. Any sand "dust" stands a better chance of harming your filter than the fish. You should let any settle for a bit before using floss to polish the water to avoid impellor problems. Lace rock is great, so is Holey rock or dead "live rock" (aragonite). Slate will work, but some can contain veins of iron. Good luck! I'm looking forward to pics.

 

[dkpate]

Doesn't Holey rock up the pH? Or am I misreading things?

 

[th08tu]

Thanks for all the replies everybody!
I like the idea of using 'dead' live rock, because it is much easier to get a hold of versus the other rocks suggested.
dkpate, don't I want to increase the ph as these fish prefer a water of 7.8-8.6? maybe I misunderstood your post? Anyways thanks everybody for the help, once I get my rocks I will post my pictures, hopefully sometime this week!

 

[Blueiz]

THR is great for cichlid tanks because it helps to buffer the water. Keep in mind though, that like crushed coral it will only buffer your water so much. If you already have a ph of around 8, it is doubtful that it will raise it, it will simply keep it steady.

I have play sand mixed with crushed coral in my 125 g cichlid tank, with slate and reg river rock. The total cost of the substrate was about 30 dollars.

Your idea about seeding the new tank is a good one, just be sure to stock it slowly and you shouldn't have any cycling issues.

For rinsing my sand, I placed about 20 pounds at the time in a bucket. I sat the bucket on a brick so that it was tilted over, then I put the water hose in all the way to the bottom of the bucket, let the bucket fill up and overflow occasionally dumping the water out completely. I did this process until the water in the bucket was cloudy but I could see the sand in the bottom. Then I dumped the sand in the tank. My tank barely clouded. I have attached a picture of my tank from the same night it was set up.

 

[th08tu]

Thanks everybody for the replies! Blueiz that tank is amazing! there is no way that is the same day you put the sand in lol, good work!
Anyways time for an update. So I decided I am going to try some stuff on my 20 gallon first, so I can get so experience from trial and error, and then will move up to my larger tank. My 20 is overrun with guppies, and has 4 small cichlids. Anyways I spent the better part of the morning putting the sand in buckets and rinsing. When i thought I had it clean enough, I put it all into one bucket and rinsed it one more time. I then emptied out my 20 gallon, putting all of the guppies (3 adults) and the fry (many) and the cichlids into a large bucket with aquarium water, and the aquarium hob filter on it. I then went to work on the actual tank. First I emptied in saving two bucket full of water in order to return them to the tank. Next I scooped out all the gravel and put in a container for storing, saving some and putting it in a pantyhose so I can hang it in the new setup to reintroduce the bacteria. Next I put my rinsed sand into the bottom of the tank, and refilled it partially with water. I put in my river-rock that I had in it before but removed all of the plants at this point as I don't think they will make it anyways because of the higher ph with the sand. Once I had the rocks to the way I wanted them, I filled the tank to the top. All in all, I used 50% old water, and 50% new water. I put in aquarium salt, and water conditioner at this point, and let it sit while I had some dinner. Anyways the rinsing helped a little I guess because there was no foam on the top of the tank and instead of being cloudy it is more just white. As you can see below, I posted my before picture, and I will post my after picture once it clears up, hopefully it will within the next few days. Thanks everybody!

 

[dkpate]

Those rocks look FANTASTIC!!! Did you pick those out and just glue them? WOW! I am impressed!

 

[th08tu]

Haha, thanks! I just went down to the beach this summer with my dog and would throw rocks I didn't like for him, and keep the rocks that I though would look good for my tank, wait till you see my new setup, I think it turned out much better and not so one sided, it is starting to clear up so maybe a picture up tomorrow. Thanks dkpate!

 

[th08tu]

oh yeah, I just siliconed them together, you just have to be careful when moving them because they will break apart sometimes. Also since it was a first attempt there are a few spots where you can see the silicone, however I am not loosing sleep over it.

 

[th08tu]

Hey so I was bored while sitting at my desk today so I took a picture of the tank after I moved around the rock took out the gravel and put in the sand. Here is what it looks like about 24 hours after the switch. Let me know what you would do next. Currently I have 3 HOB filters on giving me enough filtration for 60 gallons, all of the loaded full with their regular media, plus a whole bunch of filter floss.

 

[mfdrookie516]

looks pretty good.. is this the 20g?

 

[th08tu]

Yeah this is the 20. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but it is overrun with guppies. Hopefully the cichlids will take care of that... or maybe I will go the humane way and move them to my ten gallon.

 

[mfdrookie516]

they'll love em mine ate several of my guppies that i was trying to get rid of. just know that you'll have to get those out of that 20g soon, that is a really small tank, especially for most any type of cichlid

 

[th08tu]

Oh yeah, I know no worries. I am just letting them go in here while they grow, and then they will be put into a 75 most likely. I have one that I is currently only gravel and plants, so I will prolly convert it in the spring.