Starting a Cichlid Tank

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I dont mind :) my tank is super tall so even when I do water changes my entire arm is pretty much in the tank :) good idea with the turkey baster! Oh and im rinsing out the sand now. It was already wet so im assuming it was rinsed already but for good measure im doing it again. Glad I did too, but its not bad. I really love the color of this sand so far, its a very natural color. Cant wait to show you guys!

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Dixiegirl89 said:
I dont mind :) my tank is super tall so even when I do water changes my entire arm is pretty much in the tank :) good idea with the turkey baster! Oh and im rinsing out the sand now. It was already wet so im assuming it was rinsed already but for good measure im doing it again. Glad I did too, but its not bad. I really love the color of this sand so far, its a very natural color. Cant wait to show you guys!

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Wash it really well. Just when you think it's clean, wash it again. It will get rid of the dirt and any light sand. Cichlids like to dig, so you will have less cloudiness if you wash it well now.
Also when your refilling, use a plate or bowl. It will disperse the water, reducing cloudiness....
 
Im rinsing each bucket around 5 times each stirring up the sand vigorously and dumping out the cloudy water immediately. I have to say I've already got the base of the sand in and im in love with it! You guys are so great, nobody has helped me this much with my fish tank and I've failed so many times with tanks but I didn't want to lose hope or give it up. Hopefully this time I can get it right :D

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Dixiegirl89 said:
Im rinsing each bucket around 5 times each stirring up the sand vigorously and dumping out the cloudy water immediately. I have to say I've already got the base of the sand in and im in love with it!

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Add some filter floss to your filter if possible. It will clear the water up a lot quicker...
 
To be honest the water is Crystal clear with just a hint of cloudy from the settling sand. But thank you :)

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azutubat.jpg

PFS is amazing...im going to keep it fishless for a few days and get some rock work. Im finally doing what I've been wanting to do for years! This is so exciting! I still cant believe how clear the water is after adding the sand either. And after looking it over, I know I said slate was boring but im starting to think it would look beautiful in this tank.

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Dixiegirl89 said:
azutubat.jpg

PFS is amazing...im going to keep it fishless for a few days and get some rock work. Im finally doing what I've been wanting to do for years! This is so exciting! I still cant believe how clear the water is after adding the sand either. And after looking it over, I know I said slate was boring but im starting to think it would look beautiful in this tank.

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Tank is looking good (y) Water should be clear within a day or two. When you're choosing rocks for your aquascape, remember to take into consideration whether you want algae or not on the rocks. Rocks such as lace or ocean don't look good with the green or purple/red; whereas granite, yorkstone and other natural looking rocks do.

Also think about whether you plan on having a background, a black background can hide all the cords quite well and allow your fish's color to pop more :)
 
Thank you :D I really wanted a background but its hard since the tank is so close to the wall. Great suggestions for rock work! I will have 2 plecos in the tank (small plecos) so algae is kind of a necessity. And actually the tank is already clear! It just looked a little foggy since there were a million bubbles on the sides of the tank. Are there any suggestions on putting on a background with a tank so close to the wall?

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I've actually used a small but long roller for one of my tanks, I only had maybe 3-4 inches of space to work with, but it worked out fine with multiple thin coats of acrylic paint. I've seen people use black cardboard sheets as well after they've cut it down to the size of their tanks and tape or glued it to the back, so that's an alternative.
 
Hmmm thats an interesting idea! Ok so I've come to a small conclusion on the type of fish!
Labidochromis
Iodotropheus

Good mix so far?
Any other suggestions?

If thats not a good mix then im 100% open to any suggestions that would be compatible with the labidochromis.


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There are different species in the genus Labidochromis. If you are looking at yellow labs, the name is Labidochromis caeruleus. :)

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Look at hongi or perlmutt as well, everyone and his dog keeps yellow labs. Iodotropheus rusty would be a good addition.

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SonicsDC25 said:
Tank is looking good (y) Water should be clear within a day or two. When you're choosing rocks for your aquascape, remember to take into consideration whether you want algae or not on the rocks. Rocks such as lace or ocean don't look good with the green or purple/red; whereas granite, yorkstone and other natural looking rocks do.

Also think about whether you plan on having a background, a black background can hide all the cords quite well and allow your fish's color to pop more :)
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Oh, I wouldn't say lace rock doesn't look good with algae growth on it, mine is lace rock:
 

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fishyfriends3 said:
Look at hongi or perlmutt as well, everyone and his dog keeps yellow labs. Iodotropheus rusty would be a good addition.

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That would be Iodotropheus sprengerae. More mild mannered than hongi for sure, I don't think I'd keep them together. I haven't kept perlmutt so can't advise there.

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Yeah the lace rock you have has a great shape to it, the ones I'm referring to are ones that have similar shape to ocean or Texas holey rock, a boulder with a ton of holes all over :p
 
SonicsDC25 said:
Yeah the lace rock you have has a great shape to it, the ones I'm referring to are ones that have similar shape to ocean or Texas holey rock, a boulder with a ton of holes all over :p
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Ah gottcha. Out here we have holey rock, lace rock, base rock (live rock/reef rock) lava rock. Each type has a unique name to it. :)
 
severum mama said:
That would be Iodotropheus sprengerae. More mild mannered than hongi for sure, I don't think I'd keep them together. I haven't kept perlmutt so can't advise there.

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Interesting I've never heard anyone disagree with keeping labidochromis hongi and iodotropheus sprengerae together before. Care to elaborate ?

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Thought I did... I think the hongi are quite a bit more aggressive than the rusty. I think the rusty cichlids would be bullied.

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