Help! Tired of the aqua scape for cichlids

[cheryldooley]

Can anyone give me ideas on how to change this around or completely demolish and add new stuff? What would you recommend. This is boring lol I would love plants ( never done real plants though) and wood and maybe rock cave or something? Any tips and pictures are appreciated!!

This is it for now...

 

[SKB]

Looks like you have African cichlids? Usually plants aren't known to fair well with those, but if you want I'd suggest java fern or anubias nana, those worked ok for me when I had them.

I like a natural looking tank so I'd suggest rocks, you can find a link on this site about what kind you can use, wash thoroughly and with hot hot water. Otherwise u can purchase cichlid stones with holes, I face the holes towards the back or so u can't see them much to look more natural, u can see my pics under my profile. Or Texas holy rock works also!

Africans cichlids like harder water so u can add seashells, of course clean very well like I said above with the rocks. Shells help keep water hard also.

 

[erikmoseley]

What size tank? Do you plan to keep current fish? What's in there?

 

[cheryldooley]

Looks like you have African cichlids? Usually plants aren't known to fair well with those, but if you want I'd suggest java fern or anubias nana, those worked ok for me when I had them.

I like a natural looking tank so I'd suggest rocks, you can find a link on this site about what kind you can use, wash thoroughly and with hot hot water. Otherwise u can purchase cichlid stones with holes, I face the holes towards the back or so u can't see them much to look more natural, u can see my pics under my profile. Or Texas holy rock works also!

Africans cichlids like harder water so u can add seashells, of course clean very well like I said above with the rocks. Shells help keep water hard also.

Yes African cichlids . I would love some java fern and rocks. Those cichlids stones look neat so I'll definitely get a few. I've got one little shell in there but am definitely get some more if that helps. I have some pieces of coral in there to help settle the levels but didn't know shells help. Thanks!! In love natural look to so I'm hoping it turns out that way!

 

[cheryldooley]

What size tank? Do you plan to keep current fish? What's in there?

It's a 40 gallon with 6 cichlids and plan to keep all. There's a pleco to but he's going to be re homed as he's getting to large and messy for a pretty filled tank. They're all still juveniles.

 

[erikmoseley]

It's a 40 gallon with 6 cichlids and plan to keep all. There's a pleco to but he's going to be re homed as he's getting to large and messy for a pretty filled tank. They're all still juveniles.

I'd swap gravel for a natural one or sand and add rocks/ caves. It's cheap if you get it at a landscape store/yard. Maybe upgrade to a led light or bigger/more filtration to make the water a bit clearer? Oh and get a species of pleco that only gets like5 inches like bristle nose or rubber lip.

I'm a big fan of led lights and over filtering.

 

[cheryldooley]

We are adding another filter soon and we have a t5 halogen natural sun white light and blue light. The tank seems "cloudy because it's old scratched and hard to see thru. And it's homemade. But good ideas for the rest

 

[mikem691]

The Blood parrots are not African and may not do well with the hardness from sea shells and holey rock

 

[erikmoseley]

Yah I just set up a 90 gal and I'm so annoyed. I got used off craigslist and once I set up and filled w water an turned light on. There's tons of scratches. Looks like last kid cleaned it with sand paper!

 

[cheryldooley]

Yah I just set up a 90 gal and I'm so annoyed. I got used off craigslist and once I set up and filled w water an turned light on. There's tons of scratches. Looks like last kid cleaned it with sand paper!

That's how my tank looks!! It's used from a friend. Didn't know how bad it was till I put a light on it

 

[Robynleigh]

I you can diy rock caves, these are in my african cichlid juvenile tank - just make sure whatever glue use to secure the rock is aquarium safe, and PVC pipe - I threw these together pretty quick - they could be a lot better with more effort.

 

[cheryldooley]

IView attachment 217232 you can diy rock caves, these are in my african cichlid juvenile tank - just make sure whatever glue use to secure the rock is aquarium safe, and PVC pipe - I threw these together pretty quick - they could be a lot better with more effort.

Wow that's neat!

 

[Robynleigh]

They seem to like them one day when I'm bored I'll put some more effort into making some, the PVC pipe gives you a good foundation to build around.

 

[cheryldooley]

Can someone post pictures of theirs so I can gather ideas from all?

 

[erikmoseley]

Here are mine. 36 gallon w a ram dwarf and an apisto dwarf and tetras and Cory cats. Some slate cabes and fake plants and wood.

And my 90 gallon African mixed mbuna tank. With some river rock. Both have sand bottoms. And my old tank w some mixed rock and fake plants. What cichlids do you have? I don't think you'd need lots of rock like mine but some would be nice.

 

[cheryldooley]

Here are mine. 36 gallon w a ram dwarf and an apisto dwarf and tetras and Cory cats. Some slate cabes and fake plants and wood.

And my 90 gallon African mixed mbuna tank. With some river rock. Both have sand bottoms. And my old tank w some mixed rock and fake plants. What cichlids do you have? I don't think you'd need lots of rock like mine but some would be nice. View attachment 217240

View attachment 217238View attachment 217239

Uhm wow those are beautiful. Ok I'm switching to sand if I can find it around me. I have a snow cichlid two parrots and blue zebra and two purple things not sure of species!!! :/ I'm thinking sand, rock, fake plants that look real like yours and some wood too. That should help I want it to look natural

 

[GreenLily]

Very nice tanks! I wouldn't suggest too many plants that need to be rooted because most african cichlids will want to dig in the sand and so they will rip up the plants. My cobalt blue zebras are horrible about digging holes! just tonight, my most dominant one was throwing himself into the sand to move it. I guess he doesn't think his mouth is doing the job. If you would like some live plants, you can try any kind that floats at the top. They will like that, it looks pretty, and they won't pull it up since it's up already.
I know what you mean about scratched tanks.. Mine is scratched up too, but it works and I can see through it pretty well, so..

 

[erikmoseley]

Uhm wow those are beautiful. Ok I'm switching to sand if I can find it around me. I have a snow cichlid two parrots and blue zebra and two purple things not sure of species!!! :/ I'm thinking sand, rock, fake plants that look real like yours and some wood too. That should help I want it to look natural

Thanks! I love em and my wife hates em cuz I spend so much time maintaining! It's really not bad tho. I try and do it all while she's at work on Saturdays. She says if I paid her that much attention shed be that much happier ha! For sand you can use a bag of play sand which is browner or pool filter sand which is whiter. Both under 10 bucks and available at Home Depot or lowes. Here's a tank I cleaned that was disgusting and had gravel and fish poop all over the place the very next day did it for a friends barber shop. It was crystal clear in 24 hrs. He had a larger jack Dempsey in ther alone.

 

[cheryldooley]

Wow appreciate all the ideas everyone. Will be re doing their tank soon! I'm excited. Haha my husband helps me when we do maintenance and it takes a lot of time with three tanks!! Luckily he loves it as much as me and he will do the piranha one for me cuz they freak me out!!!

 

[cheryldooley]

Nice job on the barber tank. I like that. I'm definitely using white sand looks so pretty. Home Depot carries that??