Critique my aquascaping?

[Daven]

Another thread from me... sorry guys. Im looking to see what people think of how i arrange my tank in terms of having enough territories for my mbuna. I am just getting towards the end of my stocking, but i never really seen anyone claim a specific spot as theirs and noone else aside from my newer rainbow shark addition. I wasnt sure if it was arranged to be a couple huge territories instead of the many small ones i was trying for.

Most of the rocks are ceramic and hollowed into a cave (Cichlid Stones off amazon). The wooden thing to the right surrounds but leaves the backside for the fish to go in a more shaded area, as well as it is also broken in places where they can go inside as a cave too. Back left rock peice in corner closes off that little space as well and i tried to arrange the other rocks so they can swim in between and behind (as they do sometimes). I have found it very hard to find tall enough rock decor and dont really like the idea of stacking so many large and heavy rocks to do so since it would greatly reduce water volume and i dont have eggcrate under the sand.

Thoughts? Dont mind that the algea hasnt blended everything this time yet! Will look more blended soon

 

[nightswake]

Its looking good.. i know my mbuna really like the stacked rocks makes good little nooks n crannys for them to swim into and helps keep any babys safe ive found heres my tank for reference to what i mean.... and your fish look stunning they will be beutifull when full grown

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[nightswake]

Or try making fish apartments with ur stones like this

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Daven]

Nice! I like those hollowed rocks that go right through. I'd like that for making 'hallways' through my stacked rocks without having to worry about it toppling over. And I figured if I made all the holes face the same way, that any fish to claim there would claim the whole side since its close to the entrance. I am thinking of buying another set of these cichlid stones and siliconing some together so I can stack a solid mountain or something. They're just so expensive lol


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Daven]

And thanks for the compliment! I like the combination of colours i have in here. Still sorting out the ratios though. I havent seen any mating yet so no babies here. But i have a couple that could interbreed i beleive, so i wont be keeping many of them anyways unless that species is certain to not be intermingling lol

 

[nightswake]

Ya the hollow rocks i got on dr fosters n smiths i think they werent to expensive.. n i stacked my cichlids stones with no silicone just got to be a lil carefull but its not to bad to stack em

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Daven]

Ya the hollow rocks i got on dr fosters n smiths i think they werent to expensive.. n i stacked my cichlids stones with no silicone just got to be a lil carefull but its not to bad to stack em

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

These ones arent too bad either. I just get really picky that the way i stack them wont wobble or anything. But these ceramic ones are so light i couldnt see it doing any real damage worst case. I used to have a bigger rock mountain, but they didnt go in any of the holes in the side and i figured this way i could scatter them more. But back then i only had my yellow labs and acei.

 

[Fishperson]

You can use regular superglue to superglue them together as well, as long as it dries well before going into the tank (however long it says on the package, but at least a day). Just make sure it is waterproof and the ingredient is "cyanoacrylate"

 

[Daven]

I always worry about putting chemicals like that into the aquarium. I was going to use the aquarium safe silicone that I used to reseal the tank just to be safe lol I hate to miss something and lose the whole tank


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[ImACoolguy]

You can use regular superglue to superglue them together as well, as long as it dries well before going into the tank (however long it says on the package, but at least a day). Just make sure it is waterproof and the ingredient is "cyanoacrylate"

This is accurate.

Cyanoacrylate glue is what salty guys use to glue things down like corals. Can also be used to plants like Anubias and Java Fern. It's completely safe.


Caleb

 

[Daven]

So just make sure that's the main ingredient in the glue? Anything else that might be included to avoid?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice