phoenixkiller
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hey guys! Some of you might know that I have a 55 gallon tank that I don't really have any ideas for, until my dad reminded me of cichlids (As he does constantly [He LOVES cichlids]) as a possibility. I truthfully know very little about cichlids, but when I was first setting up this tank nearly a year ago, I had, for a short time, considered African cichlids, I believe from lake Malawi.
In a ridiculous turn of events, my filter, a HOB Marineland Penguin 350, suddenly blew its impeller and impeller housing, possibly from the sand I had recently added. Fortunately, I had on hand an older model of the Rena FilStar series, possibly the XP3. It took an hour, but I disassembled both the ML filter and the Rena canister filter and installed the Rena canister.
I used old media from the busted ML filter to seed it, two different filter cartridges and the two signature Bio-Wheels. I have a bit of Purigen around, too. So if the cichlids I am considering need super clean water, it's no problem.
Water change schedule is usually a 25-50% WC each week, using a gravel vacuum (Don't worry, I only suck up the junk on the top of the sand, I don't plunge the vacuum into the sand an waste sand, lol). Food for cichlids, I don't really have anything... wait wait wait, I have a full canister of New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula, the sinking 1 mm pellets.
Heater is a 200w heater that works fine.
I have a TON of sand ready, nearly 100 pounds of white sand.
I have a ridiculous amount of slate stone, the edges of which have been sanded to be smooth.
I was thinking of African cichlids from Lake Malawi, but I have no clue where to start.
Can you guys help me get started?
Thank you!
In a ridiculous turn of events, my filter, a HOB Marineland Penguin 350, suddenly blew its impeller and impeller housing, possibly from the sand I had recently added. Fortunately, I had on hand an older model of the Rena FilStar series, possibly the XP3. It took an hour, but I disassembled both the ML filter and the Rena canister filter and installed the Rena canister.
I used old media from the busted ML filter to seed it, two different filter cartridges and the two signature Bio-Wheels. I have a bit of Purigen around, too. So if the cichlids I am considering need super clean water, it's no problem.
Water change schedule is usually a 25-50% WC each week, using a gravel vacuum (Don't worry, I only suck up the junk on the top of the sand, I don't plunge the vacuum into the sand an waste sand, lol). Food for cichlids, I don't really have anything... wait wait wait, I have a full canister of New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula, the sinking 1 mm pellets.
Heater is a 200w heater that works fine.
I have a TON of sand ready, nearly 100 pounds of white sand.
I have a ridiculous amount of slate stone, the edges of which have been sanded to be smooth.
I was thinking of African cichlids from Lake Malawi, but I have no clue where to start.
Can you guys help me get started?
Thank you!
