African Aquascaping?

[DaveUK]

For those of you with african cichlids, how did you go about setting up what you wanted for your tank design?
I'm struggling to get what i really want, im changing the layout of the tank with differnt rocks, slates, pebbles and all sorts and at least once a month too if not more!
I'm sure the fish dont appriciate it, maybe thats the reason ive had no reproduction?

I just need to figure out the best look so i can keep it that way, anyone else have this problem?

 

[Aquarium1]

Actually moving around the rocks is good (especially if your doing a pwc). A lot of gunk will get under the rocks that can be very hard to get put with rocks in there. Also, it helps minimize aggression since they have to spend time finding another territory, although more than once a month is a little much lol. But I change my rocks around usually once a month (except this month since I've been really busy).

 

[DaveUK]

Ah right, well thats lay my mind at rest a bit. and yeah i do a pwc at the same time.

Also ive got a big black cichlid, not sure what its name is but he just digs and digs and digs, so where ever i place the rocks there gonna have sunk in a differnt position within half a day lol

 

[Aquarium1]

So are these malawis or tangs or what? Just wandering.

 

[mfdrookie516]

im with wayne... i rearranged mine for quite some time before finally settling for what i have now (for the time being)... i've got mine set up now so that it is easy to clean without removing all my rocks, but before i would pile them all up on one side, clean real good, do the other side, then rearrange them to my liking. got a picture of this fish?

 

[mattrox]

I take all the rocks out every few weeks to catch females that have their mouths full of eggs. Rescaping should have no effect on breeding.

 

[mfdrookie516]

to catch females that have their mouths full of eggs.

must be nice to be able to do that... no such luck here

 

[Sicklid]

I have monstrous freakin' boulders in my tank, so I can't move them. I just blast the gunk out from the crevices with the water from the Python when I do a water change...

As far as my aquascaping goes, it took me many months of trying to get it the way it is now. I will say this; stick with one type of rock, and use varying sizes of whatever rock you choose... and a natural colored substrate. When you have different rocks from different materials, it loses that "natural" vibe and begins to look forced or man-made (that is until the tank becomes well established and you have an inch or so of aufwuchs on the whole shebang!)

 

[mfdrookie516]

take sicklids advice... why dont you post a pic for us to drool over to show your "boulders"

 

[DaveUK]

Yeah I think we need a pic of sicklids tank

 

[jimmy c]

on my 1st tank (120gal) i was changing the aquascape every other day or week. im never happy with the way it was looking. when i got my 140gal i set it up and did very lil aquascaping as i thought it out before i build it. I went thru alot of money on the 1st tank cuz i bought gravel/rocks then didnt like something and changed it. i think a 25lb bag of gravel is like 40$ here...... times like 6 bags......

Now i just have Lava rocks with 100lb of crushed coral

 

[Sicklid]

Okay, I will post again... Here it is today:

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

Nice set up man!! Those are some big rocks too!

 

[flippergonzo]

Wow, thats a REALLY nice looking tank. I have envy.

I've gone with a similar setup, but driftwood instead of rocks.