Starting a Cichlid Tank

[DragonFish71]

OH! I have another question! How can I do this rock work without spending a million dollars on pre-made ornaments from the LFS? Ive seen slate used but im not sure how I feel about just slate in the tank. No offense to anyone with only slate but it just seems so boring.

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You can go to a landscaping supply and pick out rocks that you want. One suggestion though, before you put in the sand, get a piece of fluorescent light grate, cut it to fit the bottom of the tank, THEN put the sand and rocks over it. This way when they dig and if a rock falls, it won't damage the bottom of the tank.

This stuff:
.375"X2'X4' White Egg Crate

 

[DragonFish71]

Oh my gosh...lol. So many different opinions! You all are very helpful though. Ok so I went to a few fish stores and I really like the convicts. Im obviously not very seasoned but I've heard they are super aggressive. My plan is basically going to be a very colorful tank. They will have caves and rock work, and they will have pool filter sand as substrate. I know there are so many cichlids and I've seen so many people ask what are compatible species. I understand that not all species of the same type are compatible. I guess to be more specific, what im looking for are good fish for a rookie, omnivorous, semi-aggressive, vibrant colors, good compatibility, not overly large fish, and how many of each would be acceptable for my size tank. I will not be getting any of the fish from a chain petstore either . The fish do not have to be mbuna, but I definitely want African since I looked through the south American list and while some were just beautiful the Africans seem to be the best route. And Wy Renegade, I promise not to go buy random juveniles ok Thank you so much for your advice!

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You don't want to have convicts with africans. Most africans can be too aggressive for the convicts, and in some cases, the convicts can be too aggressive for the africans.

Also, two different regions, best not to mix. Might work for a little bit, but long term it's rare. Convicts are Central American cichlids.

 

[SonicsDC25]

Yeah landscaping companies are great for cheap rocks. I recently found a company nearby selling Granite and Basalt rocks for 5 cents per pound, so check your area too and compare prices. Also, see if they have an industrial rock cutter and will cut up rocks for you, that way you can shave off the bottom of any size rock for it to stand and be more stable

 

[Dixiegirl89]

Great ideas thank you! I never would have thought about the grate as a safety measure, home depot and menards are my only two options near me. Im sure they must have some wide varieties of landscape rocks and such. How should I clean the rocks before putting them in the tank? Just a searing hot water bath and scrub them with the water? Oh and also, with the pool sand, I live in an apartment and dont have an outdoor hose, how should I rinse the sand?

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[DragonFish71]

I run rocks through the dishwasher without soap of course. As for the pol filter sand, I never rinse mine. Since it's made for filters, it's already very low on dust. If you want to rinse it, putting it in a clean pillow case works or filling a bucket part way with it, then spraying it with water and swishing it around with your hands. I've used these methods for other sands in the past.

 

[Dixiegirl89]

Oh ok! I was nervous about the sand because of the rinsing, I would still rinse it out for good measure since I've made this mistake once before. And thats a good idea for the rocks.

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[severum mama]

Since it appears you are looking to do an Mbuna setup, I would recommend that you cover the intake of your filter or filters. The reason for this is because Mbuna dig a lot, and may kick sand up toward your intakes, and sand is really bad for your filter if it gets in.

Usually, I make my own covers. I like to buy Aquaclear replacement sponges (the foam blocks). You can cut them to a size that will fit over the intake, then cut an X-shaped hole in the middle so you can slip it on over the grate.

 

[fishyfriends3]

There is a vinegar test for rocks to see if they are suitable for aquarium use.

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[Dixiegirl89]

Whats the vinegar test? And ill pick up some sponges


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[fishyfriends3]

White vinegar put some on the rock if it fizzes then don't use it.

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[Dixiegirl89]

You guys are awesome, learning something new everyday.

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[Dixiegirl89]

Omg...removing substrate is harder than choosing cichlids. This is awful and exhausting and dirty. Not to mention all I have to empty this tank with is a bucket, plastic bags, sypen, and a deep fryer plastic scoop. Ill be so happy when this is over lol.

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[Ian086]

You guys are awesome, learning something new everyday.

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Hi Dixiegirl. I am in the same boat as you. I am looking to set-up a cichlid tank soon. My preference is Mbuna. I browsed this forum and the internet and found most of the info a bit confusing. I did however come across someone who has kept Mbuna and he offered to help the OP of the thread I was browsing. I cheekily PM'd him and asked him if he would help me too. He was cool and offered me some great advice. I will share the PM, without his name added but if he reads this and doesn't mind, I will be more than happy to credit him.....

"In a 55 gallon once you have all the rocks in you are ideally looking at 10-12 fish and 2-4 species depending on size and aggression. These are fromcichlid forum and should give you a good jumping off point.

Smaller, Less Aggressive Mbuna Aquarium

Select any 3 species (max 12 fishes):
• Metriaclima estherae
• Pseudotropheus saulosi
• Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei"
• Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
• Labidochromis caeruleus
• Labidochromis sp. "Perlmutt"
• Labidochromis chisimulae
• Iodotropheus sprengerae
• Cynotilapia afra
Do not mix any Labidochromis species.


Larger, More Aggressive Mbuna Aquarium

Select any 2 groups (max 10 fishes):
• Labeotropheus trewavasae
• Melanochromis johanni
• Tropheops tropheops
• Pseudotropheus elongatus
• Metriaclima pyrsonotos

However our best bet is for you to go to a fish store or website that will ship to you and make a list of all the mbuna they can get for you and go from there. Also if you can afford it i suggest bumping up to a 75 gallon"

If anyone has any more species to add to these lists, please do, as it will help at least two people...lol

 

[fishyfriends3]

Personally if you've got 55 gallons you should really consider dwarf mbuna. This link covers almost everything and includes a nice big list.

http://www.africancichlidhub.com/dwarf-mbuna-requirements-species-list/#

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[Dixiegirl89]

Wow that was actually very insightful. You may have just led me over to the dwarf cichlid side.

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[Wy Renegade]

Wow that was actually very insightful. You may have just led me over to the dwarf cichlid side.

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That is a nice starting point, and dwarf mbuna are great. But once again, you will need to do some additional research. The site has elongatus species listed and elongatus sp. in general are well known for being one of the most aggressive of all mbuna species. I can't speak specifically to any of the elongatus species he has listed, but I would double check before going that route. The site also has Ps. saulosi listed as a dwarf cichlid and while they may be a smaller mbuna, but I personally nor anyone I have every spoken to, has had long term success with this species in a smaller tank. I'm trying them for the 4th time (1st and 2nd attempt 30 gallons - one survivor, 3rd attempt 55 gallons - one survivor) in a 6' 100 gallon tank. Go through the list, pick out a few you like, and then ask specifically if anyone has kept that particular species and what they know about them.

If you think cleaning out gravel is bad, just wait till you decide to clean that sand out of there someday .

 

[ivan2020]

Well I have seen that with african cichlids the more the better and you want at least 1.5 to 2 inch fish per gallon that you help to spread out the aggression and beaches there's so many fishes it'll be impossible to set up territories rocks are good for refuge you can have mbunas and peacocks as long as your peacocks are slightly bigger

 

[Dixiegirl89]

Oh my gosh I would love an mbuna and peacock tank. Yeah this substrate is killing me, not to mention there were 2 plecos in the tank. I got 1 out but the water is so crazy cloudy I can't find the other one! Ugh oh well, what cha gonna do. Im already dreading moving day (whenever that will be) and moving this tank...sand is probably a nightmare. Anyways! Yes I plan on going through this list here and picking out a few. Ill post the ones I like and ask on more info after a bit of internet research

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[ivan2020]

Sand it's actually easier to clean compare to gravel and pool sand it very affordable and easy to clean these are my tanks ATTACH]227907[/ATTACH]

You can use dead live rock but you must wash really good and I'd soak it in water for a few days

 

[Dixiegirl89]

Ok so I didnt go through the whole list but this is quite a few that im loving. Ok so fire away of you've had any experience or know anything about these guys.
Chewere
Chitande
Cobue
Jalo Reef
Likoma
Inbenji
Minos Reef
Msoba
Ndumbi
Njambe
Nkhata Bay
Chinyankwazi
Zebroides
Lodotropheus sprinters
labidochromis chisumulae

There need to be shorter names for these fish lol. Scientific names are too much

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