I'm Back to Freshwater and Starting a New Build

[coralbandit]

Nice !
I have BRS 6 stage chloramine deluxe Dual DI that does 150gph a day.
I cut a lot of my breeding tanks with just RO...
Have you figured out how much of what you will be adding ? and what exactly you will be using to do the re mineralizing?

 

[speedy51]

Nice !
I have BRS 6 stage chloramine deluxe Dual DI that does 150gph a day.
I cut a lot of my breeding tanks with just RO...
Have you figured out how much of what you will be adding ? and what exactly you will be using to do the re mineralizing?

Hey Coral

Thanks. It's a beast alright. I bought my system from BRS as well but I have since modified it to the 300 gpd that I have today.

I did a lot of research looking form a product that would be healthy for the fish but convenient for me to use. I found that using Kent Cichlid Essentials was perfect. It contains Inorganic mineral salts of aluminum, boron, bromine, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, potassium, selenium, sulfur, strontium, tin, and vanadium.

It's used once a week with water changes or after running carbon. I set this up on a doser (from BRS) and set my Neptune Apex to dose once a week. I plan on doing my water changes on Sundays so I'll run my carbon on Saturday into Sunday do my water change and let the system do it's thing.

I changed the seals on one of the pumps and it sprang a leak, thank goodness for the backup. I started the cycle process yesterday so now I need patience.

 

[speedy51]

Here is a quick video of the tank scape. It’s a little cloudy but I expected that

 

[Delapool]

Here is a quick video of the tank scape. It’s a little cloudy but I expected that

Out of interest, does someone have an iPhone app these file types play on?

 

[Fresh2o]

Out of interest, does someone have an iPhone app these file types play on?

I think it involves iTunes, downloading the file, and syncing your iPhone to a pc or Mac. Not worth it IMO. Better to upload the video to YouTube and posting the link.

 

[TMaier]

I love YouTube!

 

[speedy51]

Hey everyone here the YouTube link for the video I posted

 

[V227]

The dark rocks will likely show off the bright coloration of the peacocks. Good choice of rocks, a lot of character. You had a huge space to fill. How many pounds of rock did you use?
Have you decided which catfish & Plecos you plan to stock for your cleanup crew? Enjoyed the video.

 

[Angellove78]

I posted this elsewhere on the site and I didn't get a response so I am going to try here. Hope someone can shed some light....

I've done searches looking for threads that may answer my question about High PH and plecos but I have not been successful. I am look for algae eating pleco that can handle High PH

So, to all my fellow cichlid keepers I need help. I am starting a new freshwater tank which will house about 70 or so male peacocks. As I understand it Malawi cichlids can be kept in a range of 7.5-8.5.

if I keep Peacocks in the lower range 8.0 or less will this affect the color or their health? If I do this then my options for plecos have a larger pool.

If I keep Peacocks in the higher range 8.1-8.5 my chances of getting an algae eater shrink tremendously. Is higher PH better for their health and coloration?

I found the Liposarcus anisitsi which gets to about 16 inches and can handle up to 8.2, Chaetostoma joropo, my favorite which will get about 4.7" and can handle a ph of up to 8.6 but no one sell this in the US, Cnidoglanis macrocephalus this can get to be monster size and will redecorate my tank and Panaqolus albivermis, which is a wood eater and not what I am looking for.

Are there any others that I haven't found yet?

Malawi Cichlid keepers what Ph do you normally keep you cichlids in?

In the end I want to get their water chemistry as closely replicated to their natural environment as possible but yet keep plecos.

Is this wishful thinking?

I need your help.

I have sailfin pleco and Otto's catfish. Ph is always high. Sailfin get big. Otto's catfish only stay about 2" but you can get alot on them and they are really neat. Awesome build by the way.

 

[speedy51]

The dark rocks will likely show off the bright coloration of the peacocks. Good choice of rocks, a lot of character. You had a huge space to fill. How many pounds of rock did you use?
Have you decided which catfish & Plecos you plan to stock for your cleanup crew? Enjoyed the video.

V,. thanks I like the color of these rocks as well and I agree that the peacock's colors will jump out with these rocks. I also have the back painted black which will make them stand out even more.

I still have the canopy which holds the lights for this tank. I post pics when I get the top back on and the lights

I am definitely considering a spotted rubbernose pleco and bristlenose pleco. The only problem with a sailfin is that they get big but it's not the size so much but the amount of bio that guy will put out but I am not totally against the sailfin.

 

[speedy51]

I have sailfin pleco and Otto's catfish. Ph is always high. Sailfin get big. Otto's catfish only stay about 2" but you can get alot on them and they are really neat. Awesome build by the way.

Angellove how big are your Otto's? LiveAquaria has them getting as big as 4".

 

[Angellove78]

About 2" maybe 2 1/2. Neat little guys.

 

[Angellove78]

I have researched on them. 1 every 10 gallons. Most say they like to be in groups. So, not true. They end up starving most time. And they love planted tanks. And most gentle, even on eggs.

 

[coralbandit]

Have you considered the standard Synodontis cats most use in African tanks?
I had some S.brichardis back when I kept Tanganyikans. They were pretty cool and good looking fish...

 

[speedy51]

I have researched on them. 1 every 10 gallons. Most say they like to be in groups. So, not true. They end up starving most time. And they love planted tanks. And most gentle, even on eggs.

Wow 1 for every 10, that would be a lot for a 300 Gallon

 

[speedy51]

Have you considered the standard Synodontis cats most use in African tanks?
I had some S.brichardis back when I kept Tanganyikans. They were pretty cool and good looking fish...

CB looked these guys up. Nice looking cat. Look8ng at the pictures on the net, it looks like there are different variations of this particular cat. I also saw that it can handle a max ph of 8.0. Didn’t you sa6 yo7 keep your tank at 8.2?

 

[coralbandit]

When I had them my PH was over 8..That was over 10-15 years ago.

 

[Angellove78]

CB looked these guys up. Nice looking cat. Look8ng at the pictures on the net, it looks like there are different variations of this particular cat. I also saw that it can handle a max ph of 8.0. Didn’t you sa6 yo7 keep your tank at 8.2?

Just looked them up. They're pretty cool. I like the brochure, and the hybrid jaguar are neat too.

 

[speedy51]

Moving Bed Filter

Happy Holidays everyone

Sorry I haven’t updated in a while but I’ve been busy with work and family. I made a few change to the filtration system. I removed the moving bed filter from the sump and left it as a submerged filter setup.

However I didn’t get rid of the moving bed filter, I just made it bigger!!

I decid3d to take a 45 Gallon brute garbage can that I had and make that into the moving bed filter which sits on the outside of my house. Yup I drilled holes in the wall and plumbed 1inch pvc lines from the inside of the sump to the outside of the house.

 

[speedy51]

A few more