New 125g cichlid build!

[huma-huma]

Hi all! Old time member from years past. Wife got bit by the fish bug so here we are. Currently have a 20g setup with a couple african cichlids (juvenile) and a few smaller plecos (super red bristlenose, blue eye bristlenose and albino bristlenose)
Just picked up a full 72" 125g setup complete with fluval fx4 about 5 various heaters and a TON of other stuff. This is gonna be our official build thread so follow along as we get their permanent home setup and running! Pics to come

 

[Aiken Drum]

Looking forward to see it come together.

 

[Andy Sager]

Are we witnessing the first stages of MTS?

 

[huma-huma]

Thank you Aiken! Excited to be back into a bigger tank
Andy that shipped sailed long ago haha. This is like round 3 of MTS for us lmao

 

[Andy Sager]

Thank you Aiken! Excited to be back into a bigger tank
Andy that shipped sailed long ago haha. This is like round 3 of MTS for us lmao

I hear ya. I've got about 100 tanks in the yard I just can't get rid of " just in case" I go crazy again.

 

[huma-huma]

I hear ya. I've got about 100 tanks in the yard I just can't get rid of " just in case" I go crazy again. [emoji38][emoji38]

Hahaha oh do I know that feeling.

Update time! Tank is officially set up, filled, tempd and running! Fish are in and doing great! (Man i hate netting cichlids)
Current setup is as follows-
Fluval fx4 (will be adding another since its a 72" tank)
1 random Marineland powerhead (taking care of surface agitation right now but will come out when 2nd fx4 goes in)
1-300w fluval SS heater
1-200w Eheim heater
About a tri axle worth of white crushed coral substrate
This is ultimately my wife's tank. She's in charge of stocking and im in charge of maintainace/ systems.

Immediate plans-
Aquascaping
Replace lighting with led fixtures
Purchase/install 8 gang surge protector under tank
Cord management/ bottom stand simple work light
Outfit doors to hold equipment.

Think that's about it right now. Tanks not much to look at yet but it'll get there. Consistency is key

 

[huma-huma]

I hear ya. I've got about 100 tanks in the yard I just can't get rid of " just in case" I go crazy again. [emoji38][emoji38]

Need to pick your brain here for a moment. So obviously its ! 72" 125g. Long term ill have 2 fluval canisters running (either 2x fx4 or 1 fx4 and 1 fx6) but I'm torn as to what to do for surface agitation as the fx cans don't have wildly adjustable nozzles. Should I go with a traditional wavemaker and just angle it up at the surface from one end or would a hygger screw type wavemaker in the center back of the tank be better? Any advice?

 

[Andy Sager]

Need to pick your brain here for a moment. So obviously its ! 72" 125g. Long term ill have 2 fluval canisters running (either 2x fx4 or 1 fx4 and 1 fx6) but I'm torn as to what to do for surface agitation as the fx cans don't have wildly adjustable nozzles. Should I go with a traditional wavemaker and just angle it up at the surface from one end or would a hygger screw type wavemaker in the center back of the tank be better? Any advice?

One of the downfalls (imo) of these new canisters is that they come with connections and returns that don't allow for modifications. If you are handy and can build a pvc spray bar to use instead of their return, you could move a lot more upper level water but if you are not that handy, your best bet is to angle the returns to agitate the surface as much as possible and use a wavemaker lower in the tank to help circulate the middle and lower water levels.
Usually I like to put my spray bars on the sides so that the water rolls along the surface then hits the other side wall and flows down. If you are going to use 2 filters and make those spray bars, I'd switch and put them along the back with the water flowing towards the front of the tank and down. With a wavemaker at the bottom, all that oxygenated water would then be dispersed throughout the lower levels.

 

[huma-huma]

One of the downfalls (imo) of these new canisters is that they come with connections and returns that don't allow for modifications. If you are handy and can build a pvc spray bar to use instead of their return, you could move a lot more upper level water but if you are not that handy, your best bet is to angle the returns to agitate the surface as much as possible and use a wavemaker lower in the tank to help circulate the middle and lower water levels.
Usually I like to put my spray bars on the sides so that the water rolls along the surface then hits the other side wall and flows down. If you are going to use 2 filters and make those spray bars, I'd switch and put them along the back with the water flowing towards the front of the tank and down. With a wavemaker at the bottom, all that oxygenated water would then be dispersed throughout the lower levels.

Thank you! Reno/remodel contractors here so thankfully we have the tools/skills. Never stopped to think about building a pvc setup but def going to look into it now! Greatly appreciate the input here. New light fixture, fx6 and a few other odds and ends will be ordered tomorrow

 

[Andy Sager]

Thank you! Reno/remodel contractors here so thankfully we have the tools/skills. Never stopped to think about building a pvc setup but def going to look into it now! Greatly appreciate the input here. New light fixture, fx6 and a few other odds and ends will be ordered tomorrow

What's nice about doing it yourself is that you can make the holes in the spray bar point out, up, down or all around the town. LOL I usually start with smaller holes closest to the input line then increase the sizes as they get further from the water source. This way, the water will flow better through the hole bar. I also throw a couple of them to flow angled downward so there is more circulation than just at the surface.
I had to get real inventive when building wet dry systems for the big wholesale houses. They may not have been pretty but they sure worked like a charm.

 

[huma-huma]

Update! New lighting will be here sat! (Thanks amazon "2 day shipping". Bigger decorations came in today. Gonna hold off on live plants until next week or the following to give the tank as much time to settle down. Decided to check a local fish store out that we haven't been to before. As luck would have it they had a 3" green phantom pleco in that they've had for several months and couldn't get sold...so now we have a green phantom pleco! I genuinely can't seem to get pics figured out on these forums now but as soon as I do ill upload.

 

[huma-huma]

 

[huma-huma]

 

[Andy Sager]

What cichlid species are you planning on putting in there?

 

[huma-huma]

What cichlid species are you planning on putting in there?

mainly Mbuna i believe. still learning the ropes in terms of Cichlids though

it really started as a pleco tank tbh

 

[huma-huma]

and the aquascaping is a constant evolution in and of itself lol. there will be more rock work added over time, but being as to theres 6 cichlids in there now (each about an inch in length) ive got time

 

[huma-huma]

Going to sit down tonight with our actual camera equipment and try to get some better photos

 

[huma-huma]

 

[Andy Sager]

I didn't see the fish at first , only the white thing and I thought " What the heck is THAT????? "

 

[huma-huma]

I didn't see the fish at first , only the white thing and I thought " What the heck is THAT????? "

gotta get ph up somehow right? lol the pattern of the gold nugget makes himseem more like 1 solid mass. hard to see definition