My New 150.. any suggestions?

[mfdrookie516]

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]

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

 

[HN1]

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

 

[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...

 

[HN1]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[mfdrookie516]

what are wet pets? lol, sorry for the ignorance, never heard that term used... if youve seen the before and after pics of my 55 south american cichlid tank, ive got the pfs, clay pots, and a few fake plants... it looks really realistic and natural... i dont want something that looks totally fake.

 

[HN1]

Wet pets tend to be bigger fish that show more personality. Oscars, etc. The downside are that you have less fish, the upside is they're really cool and personable. You have a lot of options like I said (I'm envious lol). Africans, Native, etc. Most any area of FW could be done in that tank with the right set up.

 

[mfdrookie516]

well, i want to have several fish... i know with oscars, theyre pretty much a one fish per tank fish... i want some that will all get along, kind of a cichlid community tank in a sense... i didnt realize how big it really was until i sat it next to my 30 and it took up the whole wall... its huge... once i get the water cycled, im going to tear down all of my aquariums but my pride and joy 55 and sell them on craigslist and hopefully make a little cash spoonman has those mbunas... hes got pretty fish... what could i do with that route? more than likely, im going to put my jd and convict over in it, and add to that... for now at least. my fiance is demanding that i keep the balas and tin foils because she likes to feed them (without touching the food lol). could i put anything with those, maybe a few more convicts or something? and something ive not been clear on from the beginning... do cichlids breed like cattle or people? wierd question... will a male fertilize eggs from more than one female or are they a one woman guy? just curious as to what i need in the male to female ratio

 

[spoonman]

125G big Mbuna tank, one 55 for the JD and oscar and a 55 for the balas and tinfoils. total 3 tanks.

 

[mfdrookie516]

if you can convince my fiance to let me keep 3, im all up for it... im just trying to keep her happy, and in november, i wont have much time to worry with them with the baby and all... i think probably if i get some mbunas, since theyre pretty (to her) then she will let the balas go... she really like my red wag platties... im probably going to do mbunas, once i get everything situated just right

 

[mfdrookie516]

ok, so heres a pic of it, 4 razor blades and a bunch of vinegar later... looks like a brand new tank (almost)... cant wait to start cycling

 

[spoonman]

WOW. LOOKS AWESOME!!!! How good is the light on the new tank? Is it something you can get a fair amount of money for to get other things? If it is a good setup for salt, it could be worth alot and might bring in some bucks to help with other stuff for the tanks.

 

[Etunes]

Wow, AMAZING. I think if i ever did that size tank i would have to stick with FW. I mean i want to SW but i LOVE big FW fish. I am so jealous.

 

[mfdrookie516]

i know nothing about them... i just know they will blind you if you look at them... way brighter than the ones that come on those cheap plastic hoods like i have on my 55's... one is about an inch wider than the tank, one is a 4' light... ill take pics of the labels and post them tomorrow and let you all tell me if theyre decent or not... he had corals though, so they must be decent

 

[severum mama]

125G big Mbuna tank, one 55 for the JD and oscar and a 55 for the balas and tinfoils. total 3 tanks.

I like where you're going with this and was going to suggest Mbuna myself; unfortunately a 55 is not large enough for one oscar (let alone with a tank mate), and balas get quite large and will also outgrow a 55. Tinfoils get large as well... I'm thinking they aren't suitable for a 55 either, but might be wrong about that.