shawmutt
Aquarium Advice Addict
I finished my Lake Malawi tank, here's some pics. I'll be trying the fishless cycle w/ammonia, one I get some bacteria in there I'll be adding 4 Yellow Labs.
I'm done!
- Thread starter shawmutt
- Start date
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that looks great!
how's your chemistry shaping up? ph level sky high yet?
if you haven't already, invest in a test for general hardness GH and carbonate hardness KH as these will help make sure your conditions are ideal for the fish you choose.
also, unless you're getting fish from a store that takes exceptional care of their fish, most likely the fish will be acclimated to your local water, not the water of their ancestors country.
you might want to do a drip acclimation over several hours time, to allow the fish to get used to the increased ph and hardness.
how's your chemistry shaping up? ph level sky high yet?
if you haven't already, invest in a test for general hardness GH and carbonate hardness KH as these will help make sure your conditions are ideal for the fish you choose.
also, unless you're getting fish from a store that takes exceptional care of their fish, most likely the fish will be acclimated to your local water, not the water of their ancestors country.
you might want to do a drip acclimation over several hours time, to allow the fish to get used to the increased ph and hardness.
hisc1ay
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Those are cool rocks. Where'd you get them? The only place I could find flat rocks was my grandparents' lake 
-j
-j
That looks awesome shaw!! Where did you get the slate? Lfs? Or a Home Depot sorta place? I'm looking for some for my 55g.
Heh, then I need someone to show me how to place them, cause my tank is seen from both sides and I'm horrible at decorating!
Heh, then I need someone to show me how to place them, cause my tank is seen from both sides and I'm horrible at decorating!
shawmutt
Aquarium Advice Addict
I got the bucket 'o rocks special for $25 from a local plant nursery. Some of it is slate, most of it is limerock
BillyZ
Aquarium Advice Addict
[mod]Merged two identicle topics into one. Sorry for any confusion.[/mod]
hisc1ay
Aquarium Advice FINatic
nursery...never would have thought of that.
One of these days I'm going to get my Malawi tank set up. I'll just live vicariously through you until then, shawmutt.
-j
One of these days I'm going to get my Malawi tank set up. I'll just live vicariously through you until then, shawmutt.
-j
shawmutt
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks Billy, I accidentally posted twice!
I haven't measured anything yet, but I do have those kits. I want to give it a few days for the sand to settle and the filter to filter, If I tested it now it probably wouldn't be accurate.
I'm getting the fish from petsmart, so the probably are acclimated if not born in the local water. I have a bucket and will drip acclimate them.
Yaaaay...new tank!
I haven't measured anything yet, but I do have those kits. I want to give it a few days for the sand to settle and the filter to filter, If I tested it now it probably wouldn't be accurate.
I'm getting the fish from petsmart, so the probably are acclimated if not born in the local water. I have a bucket and will drip acclimate them.
Yaaaay...new tank!
BillyZ
Aquarium Advice Addict
maybe i'm just lucky with where I live.. but you can pick up slate rocks of any size in countless streams and creeks... just give em a good scrub before putting them in the tank
Zic
Aquarium Advice Freak
Man, I would be happy living in that tank! Cool set up, I'm jealous (and my cichlids are, too!)
S
SixFootDaisy
Guest
That tank looks AWESOME!
G
Guest
Guest
Never kept yellow labs, but I have kept a Malawi species before. They dig, they dig a LOT. You want to make certain that the fish cannot undermine the rocks & caves so that they collapse. 2nd worst case, they collapse and kill/injure fish. Absolute worst case, the rocks are undermined, collapse the wrong way, and BOOM, tank is busted. Check out the digging behavior of the labs, and take appropriate measures with your rocks before putting fish in there.
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
That is what I am worried about when I set up my African tank. I can get lovely smooth river rocks from the river nearby, but they have an awful tendency to collapse when stacked. Will silicone sealant hold them together if cured before putting in the tank?
shawmutt
Aquarium Advice Addict
I put all the rocks in first, wiggled them about, and made all my adjustments before the sand and water was added. They are cave dwelling, and they do dig, but hopefully everything is settled well. I must say, building up the rocks sucked! Every time one fell or shifted I held my breath. The best advice I got from someone in here was to put eggcrate on the bottom of the tank. That saved my tank a couple times.
That's the method I was going to use, but I found that once I started stacking them it all worked out. I'll let you know if the no silicone method was a bad idea
.
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes, please do, because I am very interested in getting started on mine, once the perfect classified ad shows up in the paper. I am determined to be strong and wait for used equipment to come up for sale!
Voodoo Chilli
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I stack my rocks WITHOUT silicone or other adhesives for the simple reason (experienced cichlid keepers know ) that most aquariums will have to be rearranged at some point in time, whether new fish are being added or a territorial dispute suddenly pops up in an established tank. This is a fact of life in dealing with cichlids. With that being said-- I spend a LOT of time carefully placing and testing the rocks to ensure they won't go tumbling. I always make sure the bottom layer of rocks is sitting flush on the tank floor (or eggcrate on the tank floor) because cichlids will dig/rearrange the substrate-- which can cause things to shift. After the bottom layer is in place, you can then arrange the rest of the rocks, testing as you go along.
) that most aquariums will have to be rearranged at some point in time, whether new fish are being added or a territorial dispute suddenly pops up in an established tank. This is a fact of life in dealing with cichlids. With that being said-- I spend a LOT of time carefully placing and testing the rocks to ensure they won't go tumbling. I always make sure the bottom layer of rocks is sitting flush on the tank floor (or eggcrate on the tank floor) because cichlids will dig/rearrange the substrate-- which can cause things to shift. After the bottom layer is in place, you can then arrange the rest of the rocks, testing as you go along.
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
The eggcrate you describe - is that the plastic gridwork material that is used in overhead lighting? Sounds perfect to keep a stable surface under the rocks.
shawmutt
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah, and buyer beware. I went to Home Depot to buy it, and they charged $20 for it!!! It was only a 2x4 sheet. I went down the street to Lowes and got it for $10.
TankGirl said:
Tankgirl, don't forget about ebay! I just got a great deal on a 30 gallon Oceanic cube there. Most tanks are "pickup only" so you don't have to worry about shipping. You just have to find the ones in your area and maybe be willing to drive a ways. Lucky for me, I happened to be going to Tucson for business so my mileage was paid for.
Shaw--great job on that tank! It looks awesome.
ConanTheLibraia
Aquarium Advice FINatic
The look of the sand and slate rules so much, it looks like its saltwater, like a freshwater reef or somthing. I once heard a story about a guy who saw a cichlid tank in a restaurant and thought the fish were so beautiful that they couldn't possibly be freshwater, and he thought the guy who took care of the tank was lieing to him. The guy who took care of the tank was telling the man that the fish come from piles of rocks offshore in lakes in africa, and that they were kindof like freshwater versions of coral reefs.
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